What do you drive?

mikehmb

Registered User
Aug 14, 2007
532
5
Scotts Valley, CA
2007 Lexus RX 350. It's been a great car, but it has over 220,000 miles on it. Thinking about a new car soon, either a newer model of the same car, or a 2013/2014 BMW X5.
 

lifelonghockeyfan

Registered User
Dec 18, 2015
6,283
1,356
Lake Huron
Haven't driven my 2014 Forester for about 10 days. Garage door frozen, and I have been too lazy to chip the ice away. Expected thaw tomorrow so the door will be working, the Forester will be out driving. My 2010 Outback, is been driven now. The garage door is OK.
 

Roadhouse

Bring me back to 2006...
Dec 12, 2016
5,516
4,729
Prescott & Russell
Some amazing cars in this thread! :thumbu:

2013 Infiniti G37xS around the year due to snow, 2006 350Z GT trim in the Summer. The G is and will remain stock, a few bolt-ons on the Z (I/HFC/catback) with an UpRev tune. I don't cross it... in about 30 years I'll be an old man with one of the few intact Z's around, fingers crossed. Eibach sways and Michelin PS4S on the OEM staggered 19/18 Rays is all I need for handling... I scared myself giving her too much in 2nd around corners a few times so I don't look like a demon out there anymore. I used to be into car audio so 2004 to 2006 gear is in there from previous rides (SS TRA560.2, Orion 1200D, single IDMAX12D4).
 

LarryFisherman

o̯̘̍͋̀͌̂͒͋͋ͯ̿ͯͦ̈́ͬ͒̚̚
May 9, 2013
6,374
2,658
Arvada, CO
Some amazing cars in this thread! :thumbu:

2013 Infiniti G37xS around the year due to snow, 2006 350Z GT trim in the Summer. The G is and will remain stock, a few bolt-ons on the Z (I/HFC/catback) with an UpRev tune. I don't cross it... in about 30 years I'll be an old man with one of the few intact Z's around, fingers crossed. Eibach sways and Michelin PS4S on the OEM staggered 19/18 Rays is all I need for handling... I scared myself giving her too much in 2nd around corners a few times so I don't look like a demon out there anymore. I used to be into car audio so 2004 to 2006 gear is in there from previous rides (SS TRA560.2, Orion 1200D, single IDMAX12D4).

Noble effort with the Z.

Still, drop a 2jz in it. Smiles now > intact car later
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
2017 Jeep Rubicon (Had a 2014 Volvo XC90). I did one of those "Build & Price" things after test driving one at a local dealership, needed something that allowed me and my gf to continue going camping but something that had more power to it and more for that life style.

I definitely got some luxury add ons that I wanted, but I love it, it's so much fun driving. It's black on black.

Update:

We used the Rubi on a camping trip 2 months after this post and we had a lot of problems and thankfully it was all under warranty, after multiple issues, we decided to just trade it in for a good value on a 2017 Honda Civic Touring edition (for her) and I used the rest on a 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro in Red, which is all they had there at that time with all of the bells and whistles I wanted without waiting 2 months on back order at that dealership. We're hoping we never have to switch again for a few years now. We tested the TRD Pro camping 2 months ago in the winter, smoothest ride up the side of a mountain I have ever had, just ridiculous. I don't know why I didn't test drive this in the first place.

The civic, it's nice I guess, my gf is not a fan of bigger cars and likes the civic, I guess it's good on gas, not a fan of Honda as a company as well as their service.

9yrs ago, I bought a 2010 Honda Civic and after driving the hell out of it, I required a CV joint swap, Honda dealership quoted me 2k, my mechanic when he returned from vacation, quoted me 280 (including labor). Honda can suck it.
 

Bjorn Le

Hobocop
May 17, 2010
19,590
605
Martinaise, Revachol
Update:

We used the Rubi on a camping trip 2 months after this post and we had a lot of problems and thankfully it was all under warranty, after multiple issues, we decided to just trade it in for a good value on a 2017 Honda Civic Touring edition (for her) and I used the rest on a 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro in Red, which is all they had there at that time with all of the bells and whistles I wanted without waiting 2 months on back order at that dealership. We're hoping we never have to switch again for a few years now. We tested the TRD Pro camping 2 months ago in the winter, smoothest ride up the side of a mountain I have ever had, just ridiculous. I don't know why I didn't test drive this in the first place.

The civic, it's nice I guess, my gf is not a fan of bigger cars and likes the civic, I guess it's good on gas, not a fan of Honda as a company as well as their service.

9yrs ago, I bought a 2010 Honda Civic and after driving the hell out of it, I required a CV joint swap, Honda dealership quoted me 2k, my mechanic when he returned from vacation, quoted me 280 (including labor). Honda can suck it.

That's what happens when you buy a Chrysler. A lot of brands have undeserved poor reliability reputations (and a few have underserved good ones), but Chrysler is an unmitigated disaster when it comes to reliability. Only a few of their factories seem to have competent QC.
 
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Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
That's what happens when you buy a Chrysler. A lot of brands have undeserved poor reliability reputations (and a few have underserved good ones), but Chrysler is an unmitigated disaster when it comes to reliability. Only a few of their factories seem to have competent QC.

The thing is, I have a friend that also has the Rubicon and he had a few minor issues, but even he was surprised at the issues I was having with mine and mine being new, it made no sense. After countless discussions and apologies from the dealership, they just decided that it was futile to keep fixing it and presented me an offer (it wasn't a Chrysler dealership, but one of those "all encompassing" ones which is how I ended up getting a Honda & Toyota).

It was just disappointing. We live a very active lifestyle, we go camping at least 5-6x a year and then a lot of hiking and day hikes spread out throughout the year, we needed a durable rugged vehicle, turns out the Toyota was the better choice all along.
 

Bjorn Le

Hobocop
May 17, 2010
19,590
605
Martinaise, Revachol
The thing is, I have a friend that also has the Rubicon and he had a few minor issues, but even he was surprised at the issues I was having with mine and mine being new, it made no sense. After countless discussions and apologies from the dealership, they just decided that it was futile to keep fixing it and presented me an offer (it wasn't a Chrysler dealership, but one of those "all encompassing" ones which is how I ended up getting a Honda & Toyota).

It was just disappointing. We live a very active lifestyle, we go camping at least 5-6x a year and then a lot of hiking and day hikes spread out throughout the year, we needed a durable rugged vehicle, turns out the Toyota was the better choice all along.

Unfortunately, that's how reliability works. It's not a catch all quantifier in the sense that all cars of that make and model that role out from a factory will have issues. Even for the most unreliable brands, the majority of cars that roll off that assembly line will be fine (the exceptions are massive recalls, and limited production models). Chrysler's issue is substandard materials (a problem for all American brands, but particularly FCA products), far less engineering resources than most other brands, and some of the worst QC in the industry.

Most lemons can trace their problems back to the factory. From workers who fail to see or even ignore that a part was put in wrong/put in damaged on the assembly lines, to QC people who don't notice that the car was paint job was beyond botched, it's almost always their fault. Every brand gets this. You're lucky you could get it returned because that doesn't happen for most.
 
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Rodgerwilco

Entertainment boards w/ some Hockey mixed in.
Feb 6, 2014
7,231
6,503
I used to drive a 2005 Dodge Stratus until it recently blew up around 130k miles after being an absolute money pit over the last few years. I started looking at Taurus and Sebrings, but after reviewing my paperwork I realized how much I'd pumped into my previous Taurus and my Stratus (same car as the Sebring), and decided to go Toyota.

I recently picked up a 2004 Toyota Avalon XL and I'm thrilled with it so far. I've only driven it about 300 miles so far, but it's a very comfortable ride and the amount of interior space continues to blow my mind. The trunk is huge, the cabin is huge, but the exterior size of the vehicle is about the same size as the Stratus. They were incredibly efficient at maximizing interior room while also preventing the car from being a boat.

And with the 3.0L V6 engine it definitely packs more of a punch than most Camry and Corollas. A nice kick for a car with the reputation as an "old man" vehicle.
 

rynryn

Reluctant Optimist. Permanently Déclassé.
May 29, 2008
33,295
3,338
Minny
Update:
9yrs ago, I bought a 2010 Honda Civic and after driving the hell out of it, I required a CV joint swap, Honda dealership quoted me 2k, my mechanic when he returned from vacation, quoted me 280 (including labor). Honda can suck it.

HAAAAAA! man i haven't had a honda for a while but the two civics i had went through CVs like crazy. And none of them cost over $300. Maybe that was an insane quote designed to try to get you to just get a new civic? It's still insane. Is there any single thing on a old Civic that could cost $2k to do other than transmission or engine swap? Maybe they got more spendy than when i had mine. I loved that about the Honda; I beat on them when they aren't really designed for it and put up with it because fixes were always so inexpensive. Also there are a ton of them on the road so most shops have mechanics that are familiar.
 
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Bjorn Le

Hobocop
May 17, 2010
19,590
605
Martinaise, Revachol
HAAAAAA! man i haven't had a honda for a while but the two civics i had went through CVs like crazy. And none of them cost over $300. Maybe that was an insane quote designed to try to get you to just get a new civic? It's still insane. Is there any single thing on a old Civic that could cost $2k to do other than transmission or engine swap? Maybe they got more spendy than when i had mine. I loved that about the Honda; I beat on them when they aren't really designed for it and put up with it because fixes were always so inexpensive. Also there are a ton of them on the road so most shops have mechanics that are familiar.

It's hard to know exactly what, but the Honda dealership had to be doing more than a CV swap. Typically, it's an under $500 repair even at a dealership. $280 is low, but Civic's and CV joints replacments are common enough that all discount parts stores will carry them.

I suspect the Honda dealership was quoting a more complex and extensive driveshaft repair, while the local mechanic was offering a straight up CV joint replacement. If the driveshaft is f***ed, the latter is a bandaid fix, and while it will fix the current issue, the car will not drive as well as it did originally and will likely need work in the future. The former will return the car closer to "as new" shape, but is almost certainly not worth it on a 2010 Honda Civic. I wonder if liability issues forbid the dealer from only doing the partial repair. It's also possible they just didn't want to do the minor repair so they quoted a full driveshaft repair. A good dealership would advise the client to not do an expensive repair on a car worth around or less than the repair price, however.
 

Tasteless Beaver

PLANE TEAM GOOD
Jul 8, 2015
7,627
16,055
Ottawa, Ontario
Getting sick of winter driving my S2000, so I finally bought something sensible.

2013 G37x sedan - 1 owner lease return, 40,000 miles, very clean, Nav package. Bought it for the equivalent of $15,000. I might give it some springs and G37 coupe wheels, but it's nice just to have something that will probably only need routine maintenance for the next 5 years.

DPzuqSU.jpg
 

Bjorn Le

Hobocop
May 17, 2010
19,590
605
Martinaise, Revachol
Ordered a 2019 Jetta. Don't know if we're going to trade in my TDI Touraeg (I've been told VW isn't buying back any 3.0L from model years 2012 and after, unfortunately) or my partners GTI. Just needed someone a little more normal (and cheaper) for the next few years. Funny how fast technology shifts though, this Jetta will be better equipped than my Touraeg which was over $80,000 CAD new, and my Touraeg definitely isn't old. Wanted virtual cockpit and didn't want to buy an A4 or Golf R to get it.
 

rynryn

Reluctant Optimist. Permanently Déclassé.
May 29, 2008
33,295
3,338
Minny
Ordered a 2019 Jetta. Don't know if we're going to trade in my TDI Touraeg (I've been told VW isn't buying back any 3.0L from model years 2012 and after, unfortunately) or my partners GTI. Just needed someone a little more normal (and cheaper) for the next few years. Funny how fast technology shifts though, this Jetta will be better equipped than my Touraeg which was over $80,000 CAD new, and my Touraeg definitely isn't old. Wanted virtual cockpit and didn't want to buy an A4 or Golf R to get it.

no ventilated seats though. :(

Virtual cockpit is kinda nice. Not sure i'd call it a must have (like heated seats and AWD for us) but it's cool. Wonder when someone is going to crack it to display video.
 

Bjorn Le

Hobocop
May 17, 2010
19,590
605
Martinaise, Revachol
no ventilated seats though. :(

Virtual cockpit is kinda nice. Not sure i'd call it a must have (like heated seats and AWD for us) but it's cool. Wonder when someone is going to crack it to display video.

Jetta does. Don’t think the Golf R does but the new Jetta on the top trim has them.

23B78248-CBFC-4CA4-9858-ED019C8F2300.png

Don’t mind the “internal dealer use” only, it’s from before dealers could order them. That’s a list of the top line features. AWD is nice and the Touareg is a beast in the winter but when I bought it I drove a lot of highway and now it’s only city, so it’s annoying. And I’m not really in the mood for a wagon or a Golf R (and I don’t want to pay Audi prices).
 
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rynryn

Reluctant Optimist. Permanently Déclassé.
May 29, 2008
33,295
3,338
Minny
no way! jeez. never thought i'd see the day non lux compacts would have ventilated seats. I've never actively searched for them as a needed option and only tested them out a couple times but man do they make a difference in summer leather.
 

Bjorn Le

Hobocop
May 17, 2010
19,590
605
Martinaise, Revachol
no way! jeez. never thought i'd see the day non lux compacts would have ventilated seats. I've never actively searched for them as a needed option and only tested them out a couple times but man do they make a difference in summer leather.

Hey everything trickle's down eventually. It wasn't that long ago the only cars with virtual cockpit were the R8 and similar price range vehicles. VWAG has had a few things they've fell behind on historically, like USB ports and heated steering wheels.

I also suspect that they've put some pretty difficult to crack blocks in to make sure people don't use the digital instrument cluster for anything other than what it was designed for. While video would be sweet, it's also extremely dangerous.
 

rynryn

Reluctant Optimist. Permanently Déclassé.
May 29, 2008
33,295
3,338
Minny
Hey everything trickle's down eventually. It wasn't that long ago the only cars with virtual cockpit were the R8 and similar price range vehicles. VWAG has had a few things they've fell behind on historically, like USB ports and heated steering wheels.

I also suspect that they've put some pretty difficult to crack blocks in to make sure people don't use the digital instrument cluster for anything other than what it was designed for. While video would be sweet, it's also extremely dangerous.

well they cracked VIM for the regular screens. I've been thinking about doing it just to play videos on road trips but it really makes no sense considering the kids have tablets anyway.
 

Bjorn Le

Hobocop
May 17, 2010
19,590
605
Martinaise, Revachol
well they cracked VIM for the regular screens. I've been thinking about doing it just to play videos on road trips but it really makes no sense considering the kids have tablets anyway.

Not sure, I'd like to think there's safeguards on the instrument cluster. The centre console is one thing, but the display which shows your speed, fuel, and more being hacked to show video? Crash waiting to happen.
 

Slap

Registered User
Sep 28, 2017
875
1,081
2003 MG ZT-T 190 and 2003 Renault Kangoo :help:
I've had the MG for 4 years. Excluding the pricey clutch failure it has been great.
The Renault is just a shit box I bought for 50€'s while blackout drunk. It's the most hideous car I've ever seen.
 
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