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The Car Thread ... !

Apple fanboy said:
So poor charging infrastructure is very much dependent on where you live. Absolutely no issues in Europe.

Higher costs and depreciation isn’t great. But does mean there are some second hand bargains to be had.

Failure rates are at a much lower rate than hybrids and ICE vehicles so not really sure what you mean by that?
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Poor charging infrastructure can also still be an issue in Europe. Most youtube videos on EV testing drum up a charging issue at some point in the video

Re-second hand EVs, yeah bargain. Getting a Taycan for 40k instead of 86k is nice. The problem is the battery state, and the subsequent effect on range. Also if you're buying used, it almost mandates getting a warranty otherwise you're screwed if something needs replacing. Because of part availability outside of dealerships.

Admittedly the failure rate point is anecdotal from friends and media who complain about their EVs being in the garage frequently. Usually electric issues. Whereas Priuses tend to have >100k miles with limited issues.
 
daneoni said:
Poor charging infrastructure can also still be an issue in Europe. Most youtube videos on EV testing drum up a charging issue at some point in the video
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Yup, but they work on popularity. It gets clicks and confirmation. And when it's not that, it's most often owners who are a bit silly and drama queens not willing to take responsibility for their actions. As an owner driven across 9 western European countries, it is not an issue at all.
daneoni said:
Re-second hand EVs, yeah bargain. Getting a Taycan for 40k instead of 86k is nice. The problem is the battery state, and the subsequent effect on range. Also if you're buying used, it almost mandates getting a warranty otherwise you're screwed if something needs replacing. Because of part availability outside of dealerships.
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The same can be said for an ICE engine. You should look into the blown Turbo Panamera's, or Range Rover SVRs with issues. An engine replacement is just as likely (which is in reality very rare) and you won't be getting much change from 20-30k…
daneoni said:
Admittedly the failure rate point is anecdotal from friends and media who complain about their EVs being in the garage frequently. Usually electric issues. Whereas Priuses tend to have >100k miles with limited issues.
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So we go from a Taycan to a Prius 🤣. I love this about this kind of comparisons, they are all over the place and then made by people who would only buy a Toyota in the first place anyway. Nothing wrong with a Toyota if that floats your boat, they make loads, are great a-2-b cars. But let's keep it real.
 
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daneoni said:
Poor charging infrastructure can also still be an issue in Europe. Most youtube videos on EV testing drum up a charging issue at some point in the video

Re-second hand EVs, yeah bargain. Getting a Taycan for 40k instead of 86k is nice. The problem is the battery state, and the subsequent effect on range. Also if you're buying used, it almost mandates getting a warranty otherwise you're screwed if something needs replacing. Because of part availability outside of dealerships.

Admittedly the failure rate point is anecdotal from friends and media who complain about their EVs being in the garage frequently. Usually electric issues. Whereas Priuses tend to have >100k miles with limited issues.
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As 90% of charging is done at home.

YouTube videos are clearly looking for engagement. That’s why they post mostly garbage. So people will comment in agreement (EV haters) or disagreement (pro EV). Either way the YouTube poster wins due to more engagement.

Warranty is an issue of course with second hand cars. But I tend to keep my cars for 5-6 years anyway so beyond the warranty even if I bought new which I don’t. I’ve never bought an extended warranty. The battery has an 8 years warranty which is more than you get on an engine.

All cars will fail. But EV’s tend to have less reliability issues due to the simplicity of the drive train.

No traditional gearbox, exhaust or other common ICE failure points. I also have 2 yearly service intervals which cost a lot less than if I drove an ICE BMW.

Yes electrics and batteries can fail. But far less than the internet would have you believe. Again we are back to the engagement issue.

Unfortunately it’s the polarised world we live in. One where articles are sponsored by people with an obvious agenda.
 
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cyb3rdud3 said:
Yup, but they work on popularity. It gets clicks and confirmation. And when it's not that, it's most often owners who are a bit silly and drama queens not willing to take responsibility for their actions. As an owner driven across 9 western European countries, it is not an issue at all.

The same can be said for an ICE engine. You should look into the blown Turbo Panamera's, or Range Rover SVRs with issues. An engine replacement is just as likely (which is in reality very rare) and you won't be getting much change from 20-30k…

So we go from a Taycan to a Prius 🤣. I love this about this kind of comparisons, they are all over the place and then made by people who would only buy a Toyota in the first place anyway. Nothing wrong with a Toyota if that floats your boat, they make loads, are great a-2-b cars. But let's keep it real.
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Well the Taycan is an EV, and the Prius is a hybrid. Both fairly common along with Tesla.

Anyway we'll agree to disagree.
 
Matz said:
My beloved 2008 Chevy HHR SS (my DD) is developing some rust on the lower doors, and it looks to be a pita to fix. I will get it fixed, but I've been told it could be a reoccurring problem. Which is too bad, but so it goes.

As a result, I'm going through the mental exercise of selling it, and getting something with similar utility, e.g., cargo carrying capacity, as well as being fun to drive. Not sure if there's an EV that fits that profile, but I'll certainly consider it if such a thing exists. I don't really need it for road trips, so charging at home isn't an issue.
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The guy that did the paint and body work on my '96 GMC Suburban is going to fix the rust on the HHR. He's actually going to remove the doors to make it easier to do a thorough job. He's also not convinced that it will be a recurring problem. I consider that as good news, as I love driving it, and it looks like I'll get to keep it for a few more years. Right now it has only 68,000 miles on the odometer. Not bad for an '08.
 
Just bought a 2025 Honda Accord EX-L Hybrid. First hybrid we have owned. Of course it was raining by the time I got home. But I love it so far. Will take pictures tomorrow if it’s not raining and I can wash it. It’s the pearl white with grey leather interior. Got it for 1000 below MSRP.
IMG_1551.jpeg
 
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Oil analysis done on the first oil change. I suspect there is more fuel in the oil than what they report( they are known to report lower than reality) due to the lower flashpoint. Suspect or hope it is mostly due to starting it 3 times before the drain and didn't get the chance to get the oil to temp beforehand. The oil weight did shear down to a high 40 grade, but read that's typical for a 5W-50 oil.

S159757.jpg
 
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quagmire said:
Oil analysis done on the first oil change. I suspect there is more fuel in the oil than what they report( they are known to report lower than reality) due to the lower flashpoint. Suspect or hope it is mostly due to starting it 3 times before the drain and didn't get the chance to get the oil to temp beforehand. The oil weight did shear down to a high 40 grade, but read that's typical for a 5W-50 oil.

View attachment 2463656
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What’s an oil change? 😀
 
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decafjava said:
Serious question though, don't electric cars need some kind of lubrication on the wheels and axles and maybe a few other parts?
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EV's do have fluids in the drive units and filters. Tesla claims the filter and fluid is "lifetime" and don't have maintenance intervals associated with them cause they "claim" the fluid won't breakdown, but I do call BS on that. They may last longer, but I would definitely change the drive unit's fluid and filter after a bit.
 
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decafjava said:
Thanks to you both. Very interesting.
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From my research, it seems that 100k miles is a good interval for the rear motor on a TM3/Y, almost twice that on the front motors on dual motors/performance. There are videos where people have had oil analyzed to confirm this (watched a video in German with auto translate on). The warranty on the drive units are 120k miles. Most people will be able to drive their vehicles for life without changing the oil, it's not like after 100K it is going to die on you. But it wouldn't hurt, especially if you like to be on top of maintenance of your vehicles.

I plan to do them on both my 2019 TM3 (34k miles) and 2021 TMY (47k miles). Not sure when though.
 
quagmire said:
EV's do have fluids in the drive units and filters. Tesla claims the filter and fluid is "lifetime" and don't have maintenance intervals associated with them cause they "claim" the fluid won't breakdown, but I do call BS on that. They may last longer, but I would definitely change the drive unit's fluid and filter after a bit.
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Some EV’s are sealed units so you are not able to. But I agree nothing lasts forever.
 
Apple fanboy said:
Each to their own. I prefer the sound of silence! Or a decent playlist on Apple Music at least!
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Agree, although I don't have a car living in a country and live in a city with excellent public transport, it helps reduce traffic noise outside too, though being too quiet can have safety issues for pedestrians and cyclists. As an aside, the newer ICE and many electric vehicles including trolleybuses make Geneva much less noisy than a city like Athens.
 
decafjava said:
Agree, although I don't have a car living in a country and live in a city with excellent public transport, it helps reduce traffic noise outside too, though being too quiet can have safety issues for pedestrians and cyclists. As an aside, the newer ICE and many electric vehicles including trolleybuses make Geneva much less noisy than a city like Athens.
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For me it obviously depends on the vehicle and I get city living vs suburban/country with regard to noise. I prefer silence of an EV too over hearing a crappy 4 cylinder engine.

But a decent 6 cylinder( BMW's I6 sound good), V8's, V10's, and V12's all sound glorious.

I don't have any music playing when driving the Z06. Just windows open and the engine spinning between 3500-5000 RPM and hear that wonderful FPC V8 sound. All the music I need.
 
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decafjava said:
Serious question though, don't electric cars need some kind of lubrication on the wheels and axles and maybe a few other parts?
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Yes they do, there is also brake fluids, steering fluids, transfer case fluids, coolant, etc. Just no engine oil, although some may have that as well. I do not subscribe fully to the story that EVs don't need maintenance, especially considering the hygroscopic fluids used, and all the other parts that still move so you can go places.
 
Good thing Apple did not take any of the Biden electrification $. The rest of the US automakers did and since nobody is buying due to range anxiety and the cost to repair EVs, all the US traditional ICE automakers are on the verge of bankruptcy.
 
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