The Car Thread ... !

[iLog.Genius]

Recent addition to the drive

Drove one at a i3 event last year, I can understand why people hate or are skeptical of the i3 but driving it was a unique experience in combination with the interior and drive/powertrain. Would I buy one? Maybe as a 4th or 5th car if I had a money tree.

 

[A.Goldberg]

Yeah, it's been dry, hot, super high humidity here in the FL, more than I remember in past summers, or maybe that I've been in SF regularly the whole summer, so _that_ weather has totally thrown me off from the sauna we have here ...

Ugh. Florida. Hell on earth. I have relatives down there, I don't know how the manage.

New England's weather is just unstable and radical. In the words of Mark Twain "if you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a minute."

Somehow tying this back to cars, I also don't know how people manage to drive RWD cars year round. Even with traction/stability control and snow TYRES, RWD is an awful experience in the snow.

4-5 years ago on Huntington Ave in Boston (one of the bigger roads leading to downtown) a RWD CLS got stuck in about 1.5 of snow on an essentially flat road (with sport tyres* I presume). Thankfully for the driver, a bunch of Good Samaritans pushed the guy out of his situation.

@bunnspecial will appreciate this anecdote. My old neighbor has an LS V8 and could never make it up his hilled driveway. Solution: They moved to Georgia

 

[2298754]

I believe diesel models allow you to preheat the car- I'm not sure how that works.

Can't get diesel engine block heaters in the US, but in Europe, they basically just warm up the block, so the diesel fuel doesn't gel.

All the German OEM have electric aux heaters in their diesel cars, so you get heat within 1-2 minutes. Without one of those, you can see the engine oil temp GOING DOWN in the winter if you're stuck in traffic.

VW also offers a little wireless remote for their aux heaters in Europe, so they just run off the 12V battery for X amount of minutes. Not for the US... of course.

They've had the residual heat since at least 2003 as the MKIII Range Rover (designed by BMW had it). My 2009 535 has it.

My father's W163 had the "rest" function. Worked pretty well. Can't say that about the rest of that car though lol
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We just had like 2 weeks+ of 95+ weather with super high humidity. Absolutely miserable- drout mode, plants/lawns dying. You cannot predict the weather here it can go from 2ft of snow one day to 65 degrees the next.

Ugh, don't remind me about this awful weather.

I do find AC a tad overrated though. If a Daewoo Lanos can do without AC, we can too!

 

[iLog.Genius]

I don't think I've ever used the REST feature on my E90. Never found it to be that cold where I would need to use it.

 

[D.T.]

Somehow tying this back to cars, I also don't know how people manage to drive RWD cars year round. Even with traction/stability control and snow TYRES, RWD is an awful experience in the snow.

I've always been amazed that none of my close relatives (FIL, SIL, either BIL) from PA owned AWD vehicles. Were up there for Christmas a few years ago, at the BILs who lives in a pretty rural area outside of Pittsburgh, huge snowstorm, and we wanted some stuff for the grill (yes, I was grilling outside in the snow ), I hopped in the T4R, and up/down through the huge inclines out of his neighborhood to the grocery. No sweat.
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Recent addition to the drive

Cool, please post thoughts about the ownership experience!

 

[0388631]

I suspect in 3 weeks we'll experience hell here. I'm praying we don't. To give you an idea how awful it is here.

At 8 AM, it could be 75 degrees, starting from a cool day before. At noon to 3 PM, it may be around 95-100 degrees. By 6 PM, it may be 82 degrees, stuffy/humid outside, not a breeze in sight. At 11 PM to 2 AM, it may very well be 73-76 degrees, and by 5 AM, it may have dropped down to 69-72 degrees. If there was a flow from the ocean the night before, you'll have 89% humidity at 7 AM with an average of 70% and that moisture won't fully burn off until well past 2 PM.

Oh, and your home's exterior walls and the road itself will still be fairly warm at 2 AM. I don't even live in the desert nor am I remotely close to it. The sea is about 15-20 minutes away at the shortest route, provided the road is clear and you're traveling at around 85 MPH. 30 minutes otherwise. Terrible stuff.

I make a trip to the coast 5 days a week. Even with traffic, it's enjoyable. It's rarely above 83* at any time during the summer, even during a severe heatwave. It's lovely.

Somehow tying this back to cars, I also don't know how people manage to drive RWD cars year round. Even with traction/stability control and snow TYRES, RWD is an awful experience in the snow.

I have wonderful memories of sliding on thin ice in a rental Mustang in the late 90s and slamming into fluffy snowbanks. Doing spins in fresh snow. All on purpose. Good times. Got stuck with a Beetle one time. For some reason, I assumed it was RWD and as you can imagine I was frustrated with how it handled in the snow. Apart from the embarrassment of driving a bright red Beetle during the day.


Edit: Think I'll visit dealerships in the coming weeks during the Labor Day period.

 

[2298754]

Somehow tying this back to cars, I also don't know how people manage to drive RWD cars year round. Even with traction/stability control and snow TYRES, RWD is an awful experience in the snow.

You don't know what you're talking about. AWD is for unskilled drivers. Tyres are tyres. Winter, all season, and summer tyres... all the time.

Maybe you need to how to drive PROPERLY. Might I suggest a defensive driver course?

RWD is just as good as AWD. Tyres don't mean anything.

 

[iLog.Genius]

I guess it depends on what region you're in and how bad it gets in the winter but I will say the need for AWD in the Toronto area is over exaggerated. Not once did I think or felt that I needed AWD. As long as you have proper tires that can grip or gain traction (winter tires or all-seasons with good tread left), driving a RWD car is not an issue in the winter.

 

[A.Goldberg]

You don't know what you're talking about. AWD is for unskilled drivers. Tyres are tyres. Winter, all season, and summer tyres... all the time.

Maybe you need to how to drive PROPERLY. Might I suggest a defensive driver course?

RWD is just as good as AWD. Tyres don't mean anything.

Right. I hear the Daewoo Lanos is on par with a snowcat in terms of capabilities in the the snow.

 

[bunnspecial]

On a slightly more serious note, I still prefer RWD to FWD in the snow.

FWD is a LOT easier to get moving, although I've found that good tread on an all season or snow tire makes getting RWD cars moving a lot easier. Limited slip or Posi-Traction differentials, which were ubiquitous when RWD dominated but are now less common, can also help quite a bit.

Aside from that, I just accept the fact that I'm going to slide around, and prefer the predictability of rear wheel drive to front wheel drive.

Of course, all of that said, I think four wheel drive/all wheel drive wins the argument .

And yes, a Daewoo Lanos with whatever tyres you want to put on it will start in drive in any conditions you could possibly desire. No need to ever change the oil, either.

 

[AustinIllini]

And yes, a Daewoo Lanos with whatever tyres you want to put on it will start in drive in any conditions you could possibly desire. No need to ever change the oil, either.

Uh, the Lanos can run on rims in the snow, because it's also an hovercraft.

 

[quagmire]

Well today didn't turn out the way I thought it would. We had to go pick up my moms Equinox from our local Chevy dealership. There is a Ford dealer near by and I wanted to test drive the Mustang GT just to give it a fair look. Drove both an automatic equipped GT and a GT with the stick and performance package. The auto drove well and handled fairly well too. The GT with the manual transmission and performance package definitely felt more planted though. Visibility out of the Mustang is also better. Definitely would be easier to drive every day and live with being able to see more. The Coyote V8 sounded great as well.

I have two issues with the Mustang. First the steering was numb. I had it in sport and it had good weight to it, but just had no feeling. Second was with the manual and it probably has to do with me being inexperienced with manual transmissions overall, but the 1-2 shift was always rough and the car would buck a little bit. Getting the car moving in first got better as I regained both proficiency driving a stick period and learned how the Mustang's drove specifically. And shifts from 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, and 5-6 were always smooth with no problem. But my 1-2 shifts were always rough. Again I am assuming it was me causing it due to my rust.

In conclusion, Mustang is a good car, but I still prefer the Camaro's looks, interior, and how it drives. On the way back to the Chevy dealer to pick up my car( as I left it there and we took my moms Equinox over to the Ford dealer), I was thinking that I should drive a Camaro SS with a manual transmission. Well the only manual transmission Camaro they had was a 2.0T....... Well no go there.... But the salesman did his usual stick of selling what they have now on the lot. They still have the 2016 nightfall gray 2SS that I test drove back in May. With the 10% off deal and dealer incentives, a $48,000 car is now $39,900 plus trade in and GM card would bring that price down even lower. That for me is mighty tempting as it has everything I want on it( MRC, NPP, 8 speed auto, nav, exterior/interior color) with the exception of it also having a sunroof. I can put less money down and the payments would be $70 more than what I originally planned for with a higher down payment.

I would like a 2017 just to have a perceived model year newer car with any first year bugs worked out, prefer not to have a car that has sat on the lot for at least 3 months, and I don't want a sunroof due to the reduced headroom and the fact since this would be a long term car is a matter of when it will start leaking. Also I would only have 3 months to rebuild my wallet to purchase winter wheels and tires.

My original plan was to order the car in February/March and it would get here in April/May time frame of next year. I would get a car exactly the way I want it nothing more, nothing less, I would be the only one to drive it, and would have 6-8 months to save back up for winter tires and wheels.

Still... Mighty tempting to pick up that 2016 now.... The big factors is the fact it has been sitting on the lot for at least 3 months( didn't check the build date at the time of test drive) and it has a sunroof which I really would prefer to have no sunroof.....

 

[D.T.]

Inbound:

BMR SP080 linear springs
BMR camber bolts
Motorsport Tech spacers (nice part, Alcoa 6061t6 forged aluminum, lifetime warranty)

 

[A.Goldberg]

And yes, a Daewoo Lanos with whatever tyres you want to put on it will start in drive in any conditions you could possibly desire. No need to ever change the oil, either.

I reccomend 4 different make/model TYRES. One studded snow, one sport, one all season, and one donut spare- that way you get the best aspects of all TYRES. For best results use 6+ cans of Fix-A-Flat to inflate tires and ensure zero air leakage.

Uh, the Lanos can run on rims in the snow, because it's also an hovercraft

No, being a hovercraft is a merely a legend. Obvious their will be a lot of mythology around the world's greatest car. The Lanos can however drive on water 1. Because of Its Holy nature and 2. The chasis and body of the car are made out of tin foil grade metal and the buoyancy of the tires keep it afloat. Don't forget about how light weight those "plastic wheels" are.

 

[Suture]

Ordered a boost tap finally so I don't have to grab the boost reading from the OBD2 port. Starting to also look at getting a bigger intercooler but I still need a stronger clutch first. At this rate I'm going to wind up spending my upcoming bonus before I even get it.

 

[D.T.]

Inbound:

BMR SP080 linear springs
BMR camber bolts
Motorsport Tech spacers (nice part, Alcoa 6061t6 forged aluminum, lifetime warranty)

Bold = back ordered but not needed Other stuff still rolling

Ordered a boost tap finally so I don't have to grab the boost reading from the OBD2 port. Starting to also look at getting a bigger intercooler but I still need a stronger clutch first. At this rate I'm going to wind up spending my upcoming bonus before I even get it.

... and why not?

 

[iLog.Genius]

Ordered a boost tap finally so I don't have to grab the boost reading from the OBD2 port. Starting to also look at getting a bigger intercooler but I still need a stronger clutch first. At this rate I'm going to wind up spending my upcoming bonus before I even get it.

Assuming you have your finances/fiscal responsibilities in order, why not? That's what bonuses are for! At least that's what bonuses are for me!

 

[0388631]

No one ever seems to remember the Kia Amanti. Specifically because it was a ripped off version of the S Type, not that the S Type was worth copying.

 

[bunnspecial]

not that the S Type was worth copying.

DEW-98 and I'll leave it at that.

I'd buy a late model S-type R in a minute if I found one that hadn't been beat on too hard

 

[0388631]

Good luck with that. There was a brief time back then where I wanted to get a Thunderbird.

 

[bunnspecial]

I have nearly 100K and 8 years on a DEW-98 vehicle-like I said I'd be all over a late S-type R.

I wish that the XF(also DEW-98) was still available with the equally wonderful AJ-V8.

 

[0388631]

No, I was referring to finding an unmolested Type R. Good luck. I tried to find Type R vehicles second hand in the mid 2000s to no luck. Though that may have been a blessing in disguise. I think if you're willing to take a potential financial dip, the X308 XJR would be a fantastic car. It's not a track car, but it's a graceful speed demon that's hiding underneath metal and hiding among normal cars. They're very popular in the southwest, excluding California. The X308 generation oozed class and luxury. Memory serves me correct, QEII owns one in green or dark grey. Or did up until her Golden Jubilee. One she drove herself with bodyguards in passenger seats.

Anyway, as I said, I plan on visiting some dealers in the upcoming weeks. I'm going to be scheduling a test drive for the MY2017 E Class, so I can get an idea of what the digital screens are like. I must be old fashioned to not trust a digital cluster.

 

[bunnspecial]

Thanks for the comments on the S type R-I can understand why it would be difficult to find an unmolested one.

I know the S type is sort of a polarizing design, but from the front end it's very much reminiscent of the XK-series and I think definitely a very Jaguar-looking car.

Thanks for the suggestion on the XJR. I've always rather liked the X308 design and there's something very appealing to me about a high performance full size sedan.

I also have to say that I think Her Royal Highness has always had excellent taste in cars, and seems to genuinely enjoy driving as well. I always come back to this photo

I believe Prince Charles also had an MGB GT V8 somewhere along the way.

 

[0388631]

The S Type isn't so bad in the higher trims. However, the higher trims were bought by people who knew what the engine was capable of. Even today, R Type machines are very fast. I like the XJ series of that generation and around it because it was essentially a sleeper. I'm happy manufacturers are moving away from SC to TC. There's nothing pleasing about SC whine.

 

[A.Goldberg]

The early 2000's S-type before they updated the dash was atrocious. The dashboard looked like it was straight out of a Ford.

It probably would have sold better if it offered AWD like the X-Type... I'd almost go as far to say it would have sold better if it was FWD. Put it in the market of the ES.