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oh completely forgot to mention, but i went ahead and bought the prius  really loving it so far except for a few relatively minor things: - i really do not like the dashboard at all - the car makes an incredibly annoying horn honking sound whenever i lock it - connecting my pixel's phone to the car's bluetooth seems to cause my phone to crash for some weirdass reason  other than that, the car runs like a dream. and unusprisingly, the mileage is AMAZING so thanks for the recommendations, peeps
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Jan 3, 2022 15:27
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Y'all have convinced me to buy snow tires. But I was focused on that and not the cars you're posting so I'm gonna have to go back and look at those.
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Jan 3, 2022 15:28
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Did I miss snow tire chat? After years of using rwd, fwd, and awd I now have this 4x4 hi mode Tacoma with snow tires, and I finally got a chance to try it out in some real highway snow. It was awesome. While snow tires are definitely the single best improvement you can make on any vehicle, I disagree with the idea that 4x4 won’t help you maneuver corners and has no advantage besides acceleration. In pre slip to just starting to slip conditions I think theres a very large improvement in traction on snow during cornering. However I agree that statement is true for many of the awd systems out there on crv/rav4, but primarily because they only kick in after they detect wheel slip which is too late. And they have those whacky differentials that don’t deliver power to more than one wheel anyways. But then Subaru awd is quite good. I’ll never stop debating these topics lol
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Jan 3, 2022 15:43
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oh also, too. can i get some recommendations on backup cameras? i don't mind spending a bit more if the installation is easy. that's the main thing i'm looking for
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Jan 3, 2022 17:08
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Slimy Hog posted:Y'all have convinced me to buy snow tires. Hello Slimy, fellow Coloradan! Glad to see you're taking the advice and getting snow tires. These folks really know what they're talking about and I think you'll be real happy with it. Let me know if I can make a recommendation on a place to store your tires. Internet Explorer fucked around with this message at 05:51 on Jan 4, 2022 |
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Jan 3, 2022 17:20
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ethanol posted:Did I miss snow tire chat? After years of using rwd, fwd, and awd I now have this 4x4 hi mode Tacoma with snow tires, and I finally got a chance to try it out in some real highway snow. It was awesome. If you want to get nerdy about it, a good AWD system can help balance a car in the corner. For instance, a well designed, RWD biased AWD system will have less understeer in low traction conditions than a FWD car because it's using the full potential of the rear wheels to help push the car through instead of overloading the fronts when they're trying to steer. However, this comes with a ton of caveats since there are so many different kinds of AWD systems, most drivers won't know how to get the most out of even a good one, and even the best AWD system can only use 100% of the grip the tires already have - you're just using the tires more effectively. And to even get to that 100% grip utilization, you have to be using your pedals as part of your steering inputs and balancing slip angles and weight transfer and all sorts of stuff most drivers just don't have the experience to do. FWD and FWD biased AWD systems are considered "safer" for most drivers because understeer is generally less dangerous of a failure mode than oversteer. But driving a car at the limit is really complicated and unless you have specific training and experience for what to do with a car that is at the edge of its grip level, you'll probably overcorrect and make things worse. The most conservative bet is to start by raising overall grip potential because that will never get you in trouble. TL;DR: Tires and road conditions alone determine potential grip. Drive train and driver skill (and suspension and steering geometry and weight distribution and computer assists and...) determine how much of that potential you get to actually use. KillHour fucked around with this message at 17:38 on Jan 3, 2022 |
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Jan 3, 2022 17:27
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For most drivers AWD is probably a net decrease in safety since they just allow them to either get stuck more deeply further down the trail, or hit the guardrail/another car with more force. I know it was for me. "Can't get up a hill" and "can't power out of a turn with as much power" are annoying but usually not dangerous.
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Jan 3, 2022 17:37
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Throatwarbler posted:For most drivers AWD is probably a net decrease in safety since they just allow them to either get stuck more deeply further down the trail, or hit the guardrail/another car with more force. I know it was for me. "Can't get up a hill" and "can't power out of a turn with as much power" are annoying but usually not dangerous. This is a great post because it remembers that "dangerous" means "you could die" not "you have to call AAA to get yourself unstuck"
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Jan 3, 2022 17:39
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Mustache Ride posted:Wagons are no longer cheap in the US. Here's what's available for 2022. List is pretty much the same as 2021 just with less Volvos: Substantial numbers of people in America actually do want wagons and will buy them. The reason they don't exist is almost entirely regulatory. Because for purposes of calculating fleet fuel economy, the US divides cars between "passenger cars" and "light trucks" and light trucks are held to a lower standard, car makers are incentivized to make as many light trucks as possible. Most of the wagons that have been posted e.g. the Legacy wagon still exist in essentially the same form as the Outback, or the "Cross Country" versions of the Volvo or Mercedes, the carmakers just have to add dumb stuff like plastic body cladding and raised ride heights for them to qualify as "light trucks". There's no functional difference between a Legacy Wagon and an Outback outside of the race track. Blame Barrack HUSSEIN Obama's EPA, not the carmakers.
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Jan 3, 2022 17:47
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To be fair I'm pretty sure the car makers pushed for the light truck exemption because everyone wanted to pretend they were going out into the wilderness on weekends so it's still their fault. And it's Mercedes' fault we can't import the cool wagons from Europe.
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Jan 3, 2022 17:53
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KillHour posted:If you want to get nerdy about it, a good AWD system can help balance a car in the corner. For instance, a well designed, RWD biased AWD system will have less understeer in low traction conditions than a FWD car because it's using the full potential of the rear wheels to help push the car through instead of overloading the fronts when they're trying to steer. I agree, awd systems are so varied, many of them unpredictable… it’s more dangerous than handling it in fwd. But I think an inexperienced driver in a Subaru with snow tires is getting a fair shake at things. I guess that’s also a big reason why I prefer a straight up 4x4 to awd, the transfer case is engaged and not using a computer to decide when to send power. Of course traction control is still in my Tacoma, it makes a very noticeable series of sounds (flashing warning light with beeping, and you’ll hear the abs begins to engage). That is to say in 4x4 high I never got this to trigger in the storm because I never lost traction on a corner, which made me very happy (at highway speeds I mean, I of course can trigger it pretty easily on a icy hill start). I like to think in winter driving if I am getting traction control to turn on its something I could have avoided with my better use of my pedals. And that’s exactly when those “forward bias” crv awd engage. So driver experience is huge. And tires of course. I can’t say enough good things about the blizzaks either. Except I’m a bit jealous of the Hakkapeliitta just because I always hear good things ethanol fucked around with this message at 18:15 on Jan 3, 2022 |
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Jan 3, 2022 18:13
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4/Awd won't help you stop when you need to ram that brake pedal to the floor.
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Jan 3, 2022 18:38
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I don't understand what is this elusive wagon segment that everybody on the Internet seem to be obsessed over. If it's cargo capacity you want, why settle for the low roof height in the first place? Vertical space is very important, and then also ease of access. Having lived with a wagon in the 90's, I was thrilled to upgrade to an SUV and then minivan. Why would you deliberately gimp yourself in every way possible other than maybe slightly better gas mileage?
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Jan 3, 2022 18:40
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wesleywillis posted:4/Awd won't help you stop when you need to ram that brake pedal to the floor. Why are you ramming your brake pedal down in the snow, go slower. The key to winter driving is slowing down, predicting/staying ahead of the slip and not ending up in a slammed brake situation. 4wd will help you when actually driving in that 40-60 mph snowy highway and not flying into a wall or braking too late for the car in front spinning out. Downhill ice? get some chains or studs or prepare your sphincter Driving up long hills in 4wd in the left lane that the nobody dares go in is so good though, especially when a car ahead is struggling to make it up and you might need to pass, or god forbid a plow…
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Jan 3, 2022 19:16
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People who care about how a car handles want a low center of gravity. There's an enthusiast idea of a "one car garage" that can take your kids to school on the weekdays and you to the track on weekends, and high performance wagons have a cult following because of it. The bigger reason, however, is that cars are inherently a fashion item and a statement. Wagons were seen as that thing your parents drove when the SUV craze happened and now the opposite has happened where SUVs are for soccer moms and wagons are retro and cool again.ethanol posted:Why are you ramming your brake pedal down in the snow, go slower. The key to winter driving is slowing down, predicting/staying ahead of the slip and not ending up in a slammed brake situation. We're not saying don't get 4wd; we're saying snow tires come first. Reducing braking distance is always a good thing. More margin for error is always a good thing. 4wd/awd is the thing you get to help you make the most effective use of the snow tires, but there's a higher skill floor both to picking the right system and driving it correctly. When I was driving past Mt Shasta and Crater Lake last month, every car flipped over in the ditch on the side of the road was a big SUV or semi. KillHour fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Jan 3, 2022 |
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Jan 3, 2022 19:17
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Nitrox posted:I don't understand what is this elusive wagon segment that everybody on the Internet seem to be obsessed over. If it's cargo capacity you want, why settle for the low roof height in the first place? Vertical space is very important, and then also ease of access. Having lived with a wagon in the 90's, I was thrilled to upgrade to an SUV and then minivan. Why would you deliberately gimp yourself in every way possible other than maybe slightly better gas mileage? I literally just got rid of my cramped SUV for a wagon because the wagon has more usable interior space and is easier to access. My old SUV rode high, but didn't actually have a lot of usable vertical space because the height was just from being jacked up off the road. edit: I agree that the minivan rules supreme
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Jan 3, 2022 19:22
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KillHour posted:
yeah I’ve been saying that, sorry. Snow tires are always the first thing. Driving without snow tires is insane. But based on experience on snow highway I still don’t recommend fwd + snow tires to car buyers in that environment over, I guess figuring out which awd (hint subaru) doesn’t need driver experience to just be better (with snow tires lol) And 4x4 hi pickups/suv are also popular pick for a reason and are very predictable. They do need a bit more experience though on when to turn that knob to 4x4. That said you can do fwd + snow tires, it’s better than awd/4wd + no snow tires. A Prius with snow tires is a fine snow vehicle, as is a awd crv snow tires, but driving them is much more death grip to me…. I feel so much safer in my Tacoma, or like any awd subaru. Edit: lol sorry I’m getting want too pedantic over this, every drat time…. ethanol fucked around with this message at 19:46 on Jan 3, 2022 |
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Jan 3, 2022 19:35
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ethanol posted:Why are you ramming your brake pedal down in the snow, go slower. The key to winter driving is slowing down, predicting/staying ahead of the slip and not ending up in a slammed brake situation. Same reasons as one might do it when it's clear and dry. Kid, animal, other vehicle suddenly appears n front of you from bushes, between cars etc...
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Jan 4, 2022 01:23
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Ok starting to run out of time for buying second car, importing a car from France and being able to drive my kid to daycare Feb 1 when we move into our new house in a new state is unrealistic at this point Looking at this guy, red 1967 Ford Galaxie (non 500) convertable, white top https://www.oldride.com/classic_cars/376733/1967_Ford_Galaxie.html Looks really clean? Looks like these go for about $27-31k, offered at $29,900 Things I like: Probably has AC Looks like I can fit a rear facing car seat in the back? Two? Power convertable top Is red Interior looks recently redone Any shop in North Carolina can work on this car, small block ford Parts are cheap Easy electric conversion candidate in 20 years Massive trunk for storage, see above a They made 400,000 of these, parts are pretty reasonable to find I guess main concern is the white top is going to be impossible to keep clean, but I guess that's just a $350 consumable? If I park this outside is it just going to rust to poo poo in a couple of years or presumably any body rust issues have been resolved at this point? Or is that just a constant struggle Looks like there's a complete front disc brake conversion kit for $1600 seems like a wise investment for a daily driver, looks like wilwood sells a compatible set of parts too
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Jan 4, 2022 05:44
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Hadlock posted:Looking at this guy, red 1967 Ford Galaxie (non 500) convertable, white top I've never owned a "classic" car, but I never will own one if I can't store it in a garage. Look at how a modern car stored outside ages: paint damage from sun, leaves and crud blocking drain holes and building up water, scratches and dings from animals and people coming near it. Also, you are taking a lot of faith that the previous owner(s) did all their restoration work well- one piece of trim not put back correctly could let in a bunch of water you won't notice until a whole panel is rusted from the inside. Personally, if I had to park a car outside, I'd not be looking for a nice, restored muscle car, but a rat rod I wouldn't care if it got some more patina.
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Jan 4, 2022 20:06
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Nitrox posted:I don't understand what is this elusive wagon segment that everybody on the Internet seem to be obsessed over. If it's cargo capacity you want, why settle for the low roof height in the first place? Vertical space is very important, and then also ease of access. Having lived with a wagon in the 90's, I was thrilled to upgrade to an SUV and then minivan. Why would you deliberately gimp yourself in every way possible other than maybe slightly better gas mileage? What are you talking about? Most new CUV/SUVs don't actually have any more usable cargo space than a wagon. Every time I drive our E450 wagon I'm reminded of how incredible of a car it is.
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Jan 4, 2022 21:10
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Residency Evil posted:What are you talking about? Most new CUV/SUVs don't actually have any more usable cargo space than a wagon. Every time I drive our E450 wagon I'm reminded of how incredible of a car it is. Because we went from Camry wagon to 4runner and then Sienna, each progressively more spacious and accommodating. Measured in strollers, coolers and bicycles. And the angle that my back has to bend in order to slide things into the back.
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Jan 4, 2022 21:41
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Nitrox posted:Are you comparing full size wagon car to full size SUV? Don't know what e450 is, but does it have an SUV equivalent? It may be just as incredible, don't knock it till you try it. The SUV equivalent to the E450 is the GLE450. Here's how they compare: E450 Wagon posted:Passenger capacity GLE450 posted:Passenger capacity Wagon has more rear headroom and cargo capacity with the seats up. It also has more front legroom. Rest goes to the SUV, but the SUV has a significantly larger footprint, not just height.  
KillHour fucked around with this message at 22:16 on Jan 4, 2022 |
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Jan 4, 2022 22:12
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Nitrox posted:And the angle that my back has to bend in order to slide things into the back.
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Jan 4, 2022 22:26
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KillHour posted:The SUV equivalent to the E450 is the GLE450. Here's how they compare: Don't forget the hulking station wagons of yore: 1990 Ford Country Squire posted:Passenger capacity These things were incredibly spacious and highly functional as people & crap haulers but the giant barge-class ones pretty much all died out once minivans came about with their height and super handy sliding doors (fun fact: the earliest minivans looked like the ugly offspring of a station wagon and a box truck). The less giant ones (like the E class wagon) stuck around. I remember quite a lot of my friends' families having a BMW/Mercedes/Volvo wagon. They were really cool - you could have your cake and eat it too because they were luxurious not-minivans you could fit all your kids and their crap into. Too bad they're a dying breed. I'd take one over a minivan any day once I get to the kid-having phase of life. I guess I have a soft spot for station wagons because I drove my grandparents' station wagons around quite a lot (early 80s Country Squire and a mid 90's Buick Roadmaster wagon (which was extremely comfortable, a drat smooth ride, and overall a way nicer car than it had any right to be)).
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Jan 5, 2022 01:36
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We picked up a used 7 series long wheel base, it's not quite as big as the station wagon barge from That 70s Show but it's pretty close, also about the same price as a loaded (new) honda accord. Luxo barges used to be giant maintenance nightmares due to the exotic electronics and massive wiring looms, but nowadays the 7 series shares 95% of the electronic gadgetry with the rest of the 2/3/4/5/x5/x7 series (touchscreen, stereo, active electronic safety equipment, seats, steering wheel etc), it's just bigger inside with more leather and wood That extra 8 inches between the front seat and the rear seat means you can recline the front seat even when you have a rear facing car seat directly behind you, and when they're older they can't kick the back of their seat until they grow 8 more inches The christmas tree guys were skeptical last month when I wanted to put the 6'6" christmas tree in the trunk but it fit just fine with just a bit sticking out the trunk
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Jan 5, 2022 03:50
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Hadlock posted:We picked up a used 7 series long wheel base, it's not quite as big as the station wagon barge from That 70s Show but it's pretty close, also about the same price as a loaded (new) honda accord. Luxo barges used to be giant maintenance nightmares due to the exotic electronics and massive wiring looms, but nowadays the 7 series shares 95% of the electronic gadgetry with the rest of the 2/3/4/5/x5/x7 series (touchscreen, stereo, active electronic safety equipment, seats, steering wheel etc), it's just bigger inside with more leather and wood Love the full size A8 / 7 series segment, I’m in a big city and feel it would be a pain in the dick to parallel park constantly or fit in lines. How’s that aspect? What year / mileage is yours can I ask?
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Jan 5, 2022 05:51
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We frequently park on the street in downtown San Francisco. Couple times a week. Also we're in an asian style itty bitty parking space in our condo parking garage where we keep it, so we almost never park it in a cramped location (especially since we stopped shopping in brick and mortar with covid etc) The BMW have that 360 parking camera + radar etc thing so it's not at all a problem to park. Keep in mind city maintenance trucks need to be able to do street parking too so most parking is designed to fit an F-250 crew cab, we are about 3" shorter and 1.5" more narrow than an F-250 It also has self parking, so if you're not in a rush you can just let it park itself The only major issue I've had is navigating some questionable fast food drive throughs, car is slightly too long to not need to do a "three point turn" through in and out burger in one location near Santa Rosa, and I noped out of a subway drive though north of Sacramento in two years of driving. I'm not sure how truck drivers do it, we have the top down camera view and it's pretty obvious the car isn't going through without extra manuvering Before this (and the baby) we had a 2 seater z4 that could park in all sorts of questionable/outrageous locations but going to the 7 with the cameras and poo poo made it easy to adjust It's a 2018, had 35k on it when we got it, 55? Ish now, I think we paid a hair under $40 for it, all in 7 series since....2016 offered an all wheel steering option, if you can find one that would be good, but definitely not a deal breaker The extra space though is totally worth it. Long wheelbase sedans for life. If I'm picking someone up I'll crawl in the back seat and lounge out until they arrive, the front seat is comfortable but the back seat is luxurious. 7 series comes with an upgraded battery and alternator, it's designed to idle for long periods of time Oh right, and the 7 series has air suspension, and a power rear windshield shade, which I leave up about 95% of the time, especially on the highway at night, about 70% of them have power rear side door sunshades which is great for babies. You can nearly black out the back seat. It is The Best family car
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Jan 5, 2022 10:12
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An off-lease 7 series is one of the best deals in the car world and always has been. The people who buy them new get like 20% off MSRP and eat another 60% in depreciation.
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Jan 5, 2022 10:15
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I loving love it I got mine with the mostly dead reliable (and smooth) I6, although you can get the N64 V8 but you're on your own if you choose not too Google "bmw n64 issues". The ~320hp/300 ft lb the I6 puts out is enough to pull away from most anyone on the highway in a 4000 lb car We might get a used model S as our next car but it's hard to beat the value of the 7 right now Edit: and it comes with that interior multi color led mood lighting, which is just fun, and actually tastefully done, I think it's green this week
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Jan 5, 2022 10:34
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If you don't get the V12, you're doing it wrong.
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Jan 5, 2022 10:52
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just lol if your street parking spaces are marked in any way 
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Jan 5, 2022 14:49
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Lol yeah what is this marked parking spot you speak of outside of metered spots downtown/soma. I got a Crosstrek over an outback just so we could park it easier in the mission (before we got a garage space). Being able to fit between driveway curb cuts out in the Sunset is nice too, since those fit a compact nicely but not the Q7s that soccer moms use for soccer drop off and block my driveway (since we live right in front of a soccer field)
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Jan 5, 2022 15:08
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Infinotize posted:get a rav4/crv/tucson hybrid and put crossclimate2 tires on it if you won’t do snow tires. I swapped crossclimate2s onto my daily to replace the OEM tires and these things are the best all-around tire I've ever driven on. Can't recommend highly enough if you just need a true four season tire and don't live somewhere with enough snow to make a winter tire swap worth it.
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Jan 5, 2022 16:44
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I’ve got a set on my car and they feel louder and less smooth of a ride than oem tires on highway. That said they’ve done great in the snow and slush here at the ski lodge so far.
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Jan 5, 2022 17:02
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Queen Victorian posted:a mid 90's Buick Roadmaster wagon My father-in-law had a mid 90s Buick that we would borrow from time to time and I'll be damned if it wasn't one of the nicest cars I've ever ridden in (including my rich tech bro coworkers' brand new Lexuses). Never would have set foot in it on my own but I really enjoyed it once I was obliged to by circumstance. They're good cars! Nice cushy ride with an unexpectedly grunty engine.
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Jan 5, 2022 17:23
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Hadlock posted:We frequently park on the street in downtown San Francisco. Couple times a week. Also we're in an asian style itty bitty parking space in our condo parking garage where we keep it, so we almost never park it in a cramped location (especially since we stopped shopping in brick and mortar with covid etc) Dude, 2018 7 Series for 40 all in with 35k miles? That is a fuckin killer deal in SF of all places. Well done honestly, that is a 'lifetime' car for me or one I would at least drive the crap out of for a long while. In Chicago for some reason I feel like any dealer would be charging 50-60k all in rather than 40k for the car you are describing. I just can't afford it right now. Plus 7 series for a single guy, kind of an obnoxious choice, but it's still tempting. Enjoy it and thanks for writing up your take  KillHour posted:An off-lease 7 series is one of the best deals in the car world and always has been. The people who buy them new get like 20% off MSRP and eat another 60% in depreciation. Right on man. I think it's a nice secret that reliability has shot up since the late 2010s so people that are scared to buy them maybe shouldn't be so much, you know? It keeps the depreciation high which means it's nice to pick up used -- unfortunately that sky high depreciation will continue for many years so you are screwed on either end, and they will be clapped out after 10 years. Inner Light fucked around with this message at 17:41 on Jan 5, 2022 |
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Jan 5, 2022 17:38
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Default thread recommendation of Prius is also shockingly spacious inside. I can fit my 7.5 ft long tandem bike fully inside it. I also had the opportunity to put the e-AWD to use for the first time last week, and for its intended purpose (getting out of snowy parking lots, very low speed) it was way more useful than I expected.
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Jan 5, 2022 20:47
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I think you can only get away with a cheap luxobarge if you luck out and do any needed work yourself. Because the service is sure as hell going to charge you for a $100k car.
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Jan 6, 2022 01:30
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Corla Plankun posted:My father-in-law had a mid 90s Buick that we would borrow from time to time and I'll be damned if it wasn't one of the nicest cars I've ever ridden in (including my rich tech bro coworkers' brand new Lexuses). Never would have set foot in it on my own but I really enjoyed it once I was obliged to by circumstance. They're good cars! Nice cushy ride with an unexpectedly grunty engine. I got curious and looked up the Roadmaster and was pleasantly surprised to see that it's obtained cult status due to it secretly being a phenomenal car. It had a beastly V8 that also went into the Corvette (and that is apparently easy to work on), was generally very reliable, had a smooth ride, a high quality cushy interior, can seat 8, and can fit all your crap because it's enormous. And it could tow 5,000 lbs. It's ugly, but in today's crossover-saturated market, is a wood-paneled sesame seed really all that much worse than a plastic-clad jellybean? Totally going to start recommending the Roadmaster to anyone looking for a sub-$10k family car.
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Jan 6, 2022 02:35
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