OT: Driving

[carparkno1]

Well I'm English, so we have positives and negatives

On the negative, everybody is mpg obsesses because our gas and diesel and car tax is all way over twice what you pay, so it's diesel engines and small one litre petrols. We are brand obsessed and we have the rise of the yummy mummy who ponce about in giant suvs for a two minute school run to drop little hermoine off at the school round the corner. Our roads are cramped and tight and cannot handle this and they can't drive for peanuts.

On the positive for a car nut like me with a supportive wife and a fairly disposable income it means I can grab large v8 Mercedes for nothing as our second hand market is wonderful and we have access to the best driving roads in the world in Scotland which is only a few hours up the motorway.

Ever seen skyfall? Pretty much every Road in Scotland from the borders all the way up is like that. I lived there for a few years so I go up all the time to see friends and I thrash my BMW 1 coupe like nothing else.

Next on the list is a Mercedes AMG SL and a trip over the water...

France into Switzerland and then onto Germany and the nurburgring, all in a stonking manual v8.

Saying, that the invasion of the automatics is happening and having driven in the USA I can see why. Sometimes it's lovely to stick in in drive and let the car do all the work. And having driven in florida I can day yes, you lot are mental.

Or maybe it's us tourists ;-)

 

[ScaredStreit]

If someone honks at me like that or the second it turns green I make it a point to not hit the gas for a few seconds then crawl for a little bit

Me too! It's actually really fun.

 

[LetsGoIslanders]

Well I'm English, so we have positives and negatives

On the negative, everybody is mpg obsesses because our gas and diesel and car tax is all way over twice what you pay, so it's diesel engines and small one litre petrols. We are brand obsessed and we have the rise of the yummy mummy who ponce about in giant suvs for a two minute school run to drop little hermoine off at the school round the corner. Our roads are cramped and tight and cannot handle this and they can't drive for peanuts.

On the positive for a car nut like me with a supportive wife and a fairly disposable income it means I can grab large v8 Mercedes for nothing as our second hand market is wonderful and we have access to the best driving roads in the world in Scotland which is only a few hours up the motorway.

Ever seen skyfall? Pretty much every Road in Scotland from the borders all the way up is like that. I lived there for a few years so I go up all the time to see friends and I thrash my BMW 1 coupe like nothing else.

Next on the list is a Mercedes AMG SL and a trip over the water...

France into Switzerland and then onto Germany and the nurburgring, all in a stonking manual v8.

Saying, that the invasion of the automatics is happening and having driven in the USA I can see why. Sometimes it's lovely to stick in in drive and let the car do all the work. And having driven in florida I can day yes, you lot are mental.

Or maybe it's us tourists ;-)

At the end of the day, I'd estimate that a manual and an automatic transmission probably have around the same MPG. You're trusting people to shift between 1-2-3 gears at proper RPM levels in city driving. I doubt that happens.

 

[Bones45]

its bizarre that today's autos get better MPG than their manual counterpart.

Growing up I was told it was the opposite. That being said, I always quote my drivers Ed teacher.

Autos are for people who want to get from spot A to spot B
Manuals are for people who enjoy the drive


(providing there is no traffic!)

 

[stranger34]

I had a '76 280Z in high school. I LOVED it. Four speed, if my memory serves me.

I also had an older japanese motorcycle that I enjoyed immensely.

Now I ride subways...

280Z >>>> Subway

 

[The Underboss]

its bizarre that today's autos get better MPG than their manual counterpart.

Growing up I was told it was the opposite. That being said, I always quote my drivers Ed teacher.

Autos are for people who want to get from spot A to spot B
Manuals are for people who enjoy the drive


(providing there is no traffic!)

Computers are designed to maximize gas mileage. Where in a manual, the driver takes some of that control away from the cars computer.

 

[doublechili]

Computers are designed to maximize gas mileage. Where in a manual, the driver takes some of that control away from the cars computer.

That's a very ironic turn of phrase!

Forget about marginal differences in gas mileage. How about the attentiveness difference between someone driving a stick versus an automatic? I'm a manual transmission snob, and the demise of MTs really stinks. The selection of cars available in MTs is contantly dwindling. Even BMW and Porsche are dropping them. On the bright side, someday I may have no other options and will HAVE to buy a WRX STI, and my wife won't be able to say a word about the gigantic wing on the rear deck.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

That's a very ironic turn of phrase!

Forget about marginal differences in gas mileage. How about the attentiveness difference between someone driving a stick versus an automatic? I'm a manual transmission snob, and the demise of MTs really stinks. The selection of cars available in MTs is contantly dwindling. Even BMW and Porsche are dropping them. On the bright side, someday I may have no other options and will HAVE to buy a WRX STI, and my wife won't be able to say a word about the gigantic wing on the rear deck.

When I bought my Audi, I looked high and low for a manual sedan. They're outnumbered by autos 100-1. You can find an odd Lexus or BMW, but be prepared to buy them new... if you get a used one, they've almost certainly been thrashed by some dope who needs to gun it and slam gears on suburban streets.

 

[Bones45]

..and my wife won't be able to say a word about the gigantic wing on the rear deck.

No. Just no. That car is hideous.

I would give my left NUT for an Accord V6 manual sedan, but they aren't made. Dont want the coupe. Course, I could drop almost $40k and get an Acura TL V6 manual, but that is 2x the price for almost the same car. No way.

Drove a 3 series sedan, manual, and while it was nice, not worth the money (not even counting the $$$$ for insurance or maintenance).

Maxima's USED to come in manual's, not anymore.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

You can get those new Acura ILXs with a manual, but then, like you said, you're paying 30k for a polished up Civic.

 

[doublechili]

No. Just no. That car is hideous.

I would give my left NUT for an Accord V6 manual sedan, but they aren't made. Dont want the coupe. Course, I could drop almost $40k and get an Acura TL V6 manual, but that is 2x the price for almost the same car. No way.

Drove a 3 series sedan, manual, and while it was nice, not worth the money (not even counting the $$$$ for insurance or maintenance).

Maxima's USED to come in manual's, not anymore.

I had a '98 Maxima with a manual. My favorite car is a larger sedan with a stick. I had a couple of 90s large Audi sedans with a stick and AWD. Loved them. But a larger sedan with AWD and a stick is a thing of the past. The Acura TL SH-AWD is the last one that I'm aware of, and that's being phased out this year. Too bad, because it supposedly has an amazing 6 speed (Honda/Acura shifters are great).

Hence my interest in something a bit smaller like a WRX. The STI is more appealing only because of the hydraulic steering (as opposed to electronic in the WRX) that is supposed to be amazing. But realistically it's not worth the big price premium (and worse mileage and insurance costs). As for the wing, on the one hand it's not my thing, but on the other it would be very different from all the BMWs and Audis where I live. It would be a real statement.

If AWD wasn't important to me, I'd probably be interested in the Mazda 6 sedan. It's supposed to be a good drivers' car and is available in a 6 speed.

 

[Bones45]

You can get those new Acura ILXs with a manual, but then, like you said, you're paying 30k for a polished up Civic.

I thought of that (just forgot to mention it in my post). I think they are too much like the TSX, which was complete junk. Had a loaner and was completely bored. ZZZZZZZZZZZ.. just a larger version of Civic.

I thought about the Mazda 6 - but I'm just a little leary.

Forgive me, but I'm used to 150,000 miles without any drama and only paying for tires/brakes/oil and gas.

 

[ScaredStreit]

I <3 my 2013 F-150 extended bed. It eats Civics for breakfast.

 

[Bones45]

I <3 my 2013 F-150 extended bed. It eats Civics for breakfast.

Not if it's lowered, has racing stripes, a couple of stickers, and some glass packs!!!!

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

I thought about the Mazda 6 - but I'm just a little leary.

I've heard good things about the Mazdas. My wife's first car was a Protege, and while it was an entry level car with zero power, it had a nice shift feel... smooth and light, similar to Honda/Acura (although the most recent Hondas have gone too far and the gearbox feels almost too silky... not enough "roadfeel" if that makes sense). The problem with the Mazdas is if you want some of the luxury type details, you're not gonna really get that.

You can still find VWs with manuals, but you get that clunky, notchy gearbox and in my experience, VWs are kind of unreliable.

Occasionally, you can find the Infiniti sedans with a manual. If you like a big, fat engine with a sporty gearbox and a grabby clutch, those things are powerful as all hell and fun to drive... just very rare to find.

 

[SashaMesic]

Well I'm English, so we have positives and negatives

On the negative, everybody is mpg obsesses because our gas and diesel and car tax is all way over twice what you pay, so it's diesel engines and small one litre petrols. We are brand obsessed and we have the rise of the yummy mummy who ponce about in giant suvs for a two minute school run to drop little hermoine off at the school round the corner. Our roads are cramped and tight and cannot handle this and they can't drive for peanuts.

How much is gas in the UK? Can't imagine it being that much different than Sweden though.. As of now we pay like 14-15 SEK for 95, which is 1.2-1.3 GBP. I drive a ethanol car which gets me down to like 9 SEK (0.75 GBP)..

And since ethanol contains roughly 30% less energy per unit than gas I'd say it's a pretty good deal at the moment. I remember E85 being up to 10 SEK in the winter, but fell down to 8 SEK in spring.

You mentioned Scotland, rural roads in the midst of Sweden (Dalsland, Småland and Värmland come to mind) and of course the great north are also fantastic. Albeit some of them are quite worn out, but overall the road quality in Sweden is way over continental European standard.

I've always been driving Saabs, at the moment I'm driving a 12' 9-3 Sportscombi 2.0t. Previous cars consists of 97' Saab 9000 CSE 2.0t (my personal fav), 92' Saab 900. Looks like my current 9-3 will be my last Saab though with all the fuss going on about the company.. Thinking German or perhaps a Volvo.
I will one day however buy a 900 turbo cabriolet, those cars are truly magnificent!

 

[doublechili]

I <3 my 2013 F-150 extended bed. It eats Civics for breakfast.

Not on exit ramps it doesn't.

A pickup truck - what are you, a professional hockey player or something?

 

[doublechili]

How much is gas in the UK? Can't imagine it being that much different than Sweden though.. As of now we pay like 14-15 SEK for 95, which is 1.2-1.3 GBP. I drive a ethanol car which gets me down to like 9 SEK (0.75 GBP)..

And since ethanol contains roughly 30% less energy per unit than gas I'd say it's a pretty good deal at the moment. I remember E85 being up to 10 SEK in the winter, but fell down to 8 SEK in spring.

You mentioned Scotland, rural roads in the midst of Sweden (Dalsland, Småland and Värmland come to mind) and of course the great north are also fantastic. Albeit some of them are quite worn out, but overall the road quality in Sweden is way over continental European standard.

I've always been driving Saabs, at the moment I'm driving a 12' 9-3 Sportscombi 2.0t. Previous cars consists of 97' Saab 9000 CSE 2.0t (my personal fav), 92' Saab 900. Looks like my current 9-3 will be my last Saab though with all the fuss going on about the company.. Thinking German or perhaps a Volvo.
I will one day however buy a 900 turbo cabriolet, those cars are truly magnificent!

Very nice. I always like Saabs, and eventually ended up owning one for a couple of years - it was a '99 Viggen in Lightning Blue, as below. I should have kept that car.

 

[KOforprez2016]

I thought of that (just forgot to mention it in my post). I think they are too much like the TSX, which was complete junk. Had a loaner and was completely bored. ZZZZZZZZZZZ.. just a larger version of Civic.

I thought about the Mazda 6 - but I'm just a little leary.

Forgive me, but I'm used to 150,000 miles without any drama and only paying for tires/brakes/oil and gas.

Can only say good things about Mazda's. I used to have a 05 Mazda 3 and I LOVED it. My favorite car. I now own an 11 Mazda 6 and I am loving it still

Also consumer reports put both the Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 as their favorite sedans. Definitely worth a look

 

[LetsGoIslanders]

How much is gas in the UK? Can't imagine it being that much different than Sweden though.. As of now we pay like 14-15 SEK for 95, which is 1.2-1.3 GBP. I drive a ethanol car which gets me down to like 9 SEK (0.75 GBP)..

And since ethanol contains roughly 30% less energy per unit than gas I'd say it's a pretty good deal at the moment. I remember E85 being up to 10 SEK in the winter, but fell down to 8 SEK in spring.

You mentioned Scotland, rural roads in the midst of Sweden (Dalsland, Småland and Värmland come to mind) and of course the great north are also fantastic. Albeit some of them are quite worn out, but overall the road quality in Sweden is way over continental European standard.

I've always been driving Saabs, at the moment I'm driving a 12' 9-3 Sportscombi 2.0t. Previous cars consists of 97' Saab 9000 CSE 2.0t (my personal fav), 92' Saab 900. Looks like my current 9-3 will be my last Saab though with all the fuss going on about the company.. Thinking German or perhaps a Volvo.
I will one day however buy a 900 turbo cabriolet, those cars are truly magnificent!

My father bought my mother a used '97 9000 CSE Turbo (I think the engine was a 2.3L as opposed to a 2.0L), when the 9-5 being introduced in North America. It was the car in which I learned to drive. I loved that car, but it was a mess in terms of electrics/battery. The car was in a Saab dealer's maintenance bay every six months. We traded it in for a demo '02 Volvo S80 T6, which had worse electric problems than the Saab. That was the end of Swedish cars for our family.

 

[SashaMesic]

Very nice. I always like Saabs, and eventually ended up owning one for a couple of years - it was a '99 Viggen in Lightning Blue, as below. I should have kept that car.

A lovely car indeed, to drive and to the eye.

Do you know that the Viggen name is a direct remembrance of the jet fighter with the same name? They started withdrewing the JA 37 Viggen from the Swedish Airforce around that time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_37_Viggen

And as you can see in the background of your picture there is a silhouette of the Viggen in the sky behind the car itself.

If you haven't seen the UK TopGear special on deceased Saab you should do it, a worthy and fun special.

My father bought my mother a used '97 9000 CSE Turbo (I think the engine was a 2.3L as opposed to a 2.0L), when the 9-5 being introduced in North America. It was the car in which I learned to drive. I loved that car, but it was a mess in terms of electrics/battery. The car was in a Saab dealer's maintenance bay every six months. We traded it in for a demo '02 Volvo S80 T6, which had worse electric problems than the Saab. That was the end of Swedish cars for our family.

Sad to hear, but now that you're mentioning it I remember having trouble with electrics as well with my 9000 CSE. Soon after I passed the magical 200000 kilometers (20000 mile) it started having different electric problems, such as the central lock, immobilizer etc. I sold mine around the same time to a friend for cheap, he kept having the same problems.

But I do have one objection, you have not really tried out all Swedish cars to be honest. You've still got the Koenigsegg to test out

Fascinating story behind that company. How a boy at a very young age thought to himself that he wanted to have his own exclusive cars company when he got older and actually managed, quite a feat in todays car industry, where giants are struggling one by the other.
Although his last name is (Christian) von Koenigsegg and he probably got some serious startup money from the family..

Here's a 30min documentary about the company by Driven, also worth a watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp_qxKWMsVw

 

[doublechili]

A lovely car indeed, to drive and to the eye.

Do you know that the Viggen name is a direct remembrance of the jet fighter with the same name? They started withdrewing the JA 37 Viggen from the Swedish Airforce around that time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_37_Viggen

And as you can see in the background of your picture there is a silhouette of the Viggen in the sky behind the car itself.

If you haven't seen the UK TopGear special on deceased Saab you should do it, a worthy and fun special.

I'll have to see if I can find that Top Gear special. Sounds good. I need to watch Top Gear more often. I've only seen it a handful of times, but it's great.

I was aware of the Viggen jet - that was used in the marketing for the car at the time. I have to admit the only reason I bought it is that they had an amazing cash back offer on the car along with the dealer selling it for probably invoice or below. So I got this amazing car for not much more than a regular car. And I also got a "Viggen Flight School" thrown in, which was a weekend performance driving school at Road Atlanta (near Saab's US headquarters at the time), which was a lot of fun. I still have the Viggen baseball cap that I won there.

The design of that car was awesome. Fifteen years later and it still looks fresh and very cool. And its highway passing ability was unbelievable. It was like a jet in that way. It was "only" 225hp, which today you find in family sedans, but I think it was only like 2900 pounds and had a ton of torque. And I'm not big on things like interiors, seats, etc., but I have to admit those seats were incredible. I was more comfortable sitting in that car than in my living room.

Okay, now I'm really sorry I got rid of it. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to just keep a car forever, but that would have been one worth keeping.

 

[Bones45]

The UK Top Gear is simply brilliant. I catch them when I can, but the Brit's humor is hysterical (but never a fan of Monty Python) and I found myself watching one piece over and over again and giggling like a school girl each time.

Recently, the three guys reviewed small SUV's, apparently owned by "caravaners" across the pond. CRV/RAV4, etc and the like. Called it picking "the least worst" LOL... Apparently, they are popular to pull small trailers (small RV) and camp out.

It was a funny piece, completed by a race (naturally) across wooded areas PULLING A TRAILER, to see who could make it to the finish first. The person who lost, would have to actually sleep in trailer overnight.

The trailers were coming apart over the trail at high speed, and the guy in the back actually ran over a WALL and a toilet of the guy in front. Hysterical.

Small teaser clip ---

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2xfaPoe-gU



In any case.. my favorite car (and feel free to mock, everyone else does) is the 2nd Generation Prelude. like a gocart -- great handling, and a lot of fun to drive..