Thoughts on different brands of vehicles.

[apl16]

Buy the best quality you can afford. If you have to have a European car, lease it. If you want to own it for a long time, Japanese. Make sure it was made in Japan! The exception is the Toyota plant in Ontario.
Avoit CVT transmissions. They garbage! Turbocharged engines are built to fail. They are generally unreliable and are too stressful on the engine.
I'm lucky in that I bought a high end Lexus from a company executive about 10 years ago and it is built......no....... overbuilt..... it's 20 years old and has no signs of quitting any time soon.
And, maintenance is key to having a car lasting a long time.

 

[johnnydepth]

No CVT? Well that certainly cuts the choices down. Like it or not, anything that doesn't have a CVT is outdated.

 

[wetnose]

I would never consider buying new, especially luxury cars. The second you take possession, you just lost 10%...or more. Not worth it, IMO.

 

[storm rider]

No CVT? Well that certainly cuts the choices down. Like it or not, anything that doesn't have a CVT is outdated.

I guess you have no idea about how to drive a stick shift....with that whole silly idea about being able to match horsepower with road speed.With the idea of gaining mechanical advantage for both accelerating and decelerating and not having something do it for you as the driver.

Give me a manual or give me nothing at all.

SR

 

[sensualsixty]

I happen to be an advocate of Consumer Reports and their annual auto issue in April. There are comparative ratings on just about every vehicle, as well as copious quantities of advice on accessories, sales tactics, etc. If you have an open mind about selecting a car (new or used) it is a very good starting point.

sensualsixty

 

[Linden]

good thread...……..love cars

 

[m_clock]

There are essentially 2 types of automatic transmissions being manufactured today:

1-CVT They are fine now, automotive manufacturers have gotten to the other side of the "growing pains" that go with new product development.
2- Dual Clutch Transmission. Built like an manual transmission, but instead of a stick shift and clutch pedal, shifting is controlled by solenoids.

Euro tends to gravitate towards DCT. They are more fun to drive. CVT has to be the most boring experience ever, the engine just hovers at 1200 RPM. Yawn.

For the argument new vs. used:

The best way to purchase is at year 2. The vehicle has depreciated about 30%, but still has a lot of warranty and service life left.
Just remember that at year 7 for euro vehicles, maintenance and repair costs soar. Budget accordingly if you plan on keeping it longer (Average Canadian owns the same vehicle for just around 12 years)

 

[johnnydepth]

I guess you have no idea about how to drive a stick shift....with that whole silly idea about being able to match horsepower with road speed.With the idea of gaining mechanical advantage for both accelerating and decelerating and not having something do it for you as the driver.

Give me a manual or give me nothing at all.

SR

A few of my cars are manuals and they are fun to drive. However, for a new car, daily driver all year round in Winnipeg can't really think of anything with a manual. Most that I have looked at have been CVT's. Its just the way things are going. Even trucks will be switching over in the next 5 years.

 

[Deguire]

I had a car with timing belt. Recommended changing it at around 80,000miles, if I remember correctly, so I did. Timing chain? Forget it, keep driving. I've had the fancy cars but no more, cost too much. 'Ordinary' cars are so good these days, as good as or better than, say, BMW twenty years ago. The car magazines don't like CVT's but I have never driven one so can't complain. Must admit though, I'd rather have a manual or auto. With the outrageous price of gas in this part of the world, next time out I'll be looking at hybrid, mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid or pure electric. Had to Google that lot to figure out the differences. Don't agree that turbo-charged engines will fail. That may have been true in the early days but there's loads of them around now and they will run and run. I had a 1999 that ran forever, no problems.

 

[AMG-GTR]

All depends on what you want out of a car.

If you want a reliable car, minimal problems and good resale value, Toyota is the way to go. Lexus would be another great alternative if you’re looking for something with more options and the status.

As my screen-name says.... unless you have a personal love, extra money to spend, don’t waste your money on higher end stuff as there is no logic to it at all.

My car is loud, slow, expensive, difficult to drive at times due to ground clearance etc, bad on gas an depreciates like a rock. I wanted it so I purchased it.

For what you may gain in a European car, it has to be a personal choice. If the concept of value is anywhere in the equation it’s better to stick with other brands.

With that said, I had an Audi SQ 5 SUV and it was a bargain at the time. Sometimes some brands have some deals here and there because they aren’t as popular.

I ended up getting a newer NSX as well for way below what they were selling for. Some dealers in the US got the car even if they didn’t want them and the cash reserves to buy were very low.

I picked it up to flip but I ended up keeping it as well. Anyway, point is, buy what you want and if price matters then get something more affordable. Vancouver sucks for driving anyway. In 2 years it will all be bike lanes and crosswalks.

 

[AMG-GTR]

I guess you have no idea about how to drive a stick shift....with that whole silly idea about being able to match horsepower with road speed.With the idea of gaining mechanical advantage for both accelerating and decelerating and not having something do it for you as the driver.

Give me a manual or give me nothing at all.

SR

Some (Porsche) are bringing it back but I’m sad that even the big brands have sort of given up on manual. Yes, I know electronics are faster than my hand, but who the hell buys a sports car to not feel the road and be involved? All a cash grab now to make cars easy to drive. Bunch of pussies. I remember I gave up on the Ferrari brand when I saw a 18 year old girl driving with her knees on oak street while putting her make up on. If all cars were manual half the people would take the bus.

 

[apl16]

The only good CVT transmissions are in the Prius family. Even the reliability king, Toyota is having tons of problems with them in the Corollas.
Nissan's CVTs are complete garbage.

The only CVT I ever really liked was in a snowmobile!

 

[viola]

Wow! 3 pages of replies, and no mention of electric cars? What year is it?

 

[westcoastrider1982]

Some (Porsche) are bringing it back but I’m sad that even the big brands have sort of given up on manual. Yes, I know electronics are faster than my hand, but who the hell buys a sports car to not feel the road and be involved? All a cash grab now to make cars easy to drive. Bunch of pussies. I remember I gave up on the Ferrari brand when I saw a 18 year old girl driving with her knees on oak street while putting her make up on. If all cars were manual half the people would take the bus.

Love what you said here!
It’s really unfortunate that the manufacturers are getting away from manuals!
Driving a sports isn’t always about going fast, it’s the driving experience that comes with it!
Daily driver/commuting in traffic? Yes the manual gets a little tiresome!

 

[johnnydepth]

Wow! 3 pages of replies, and no mention of electric cars? What year is it?

I've been looking at the EV's, however they just aren't there yet. Not a lot of choices and the companies you would expect to step up haven't so far. Korea seems to be leading the way for full EV's right now unless you're spending the money for a Tesla.
Now lots of choices in hybrids.

 

[Amerix]

Wow! 3 pages of replies, and no mention of electric cars? What year is it?

Do you own an electric car?

 

[rlock]

Right now I'm considering a new car. My current one is simple, but nearing 2 decades old; doesn't have too many km on it, but it's age is showing and I'd like to get a newer more fuel efficient one. Considering switching from a domestic to a Kia. I hear Kias have improved a lot since their early days, and have a CVT that actually doesn't suck.

Buying a VW, Hyundai, or a Honda is a consideration too, but the expense is another matter.

I'd gladly own an EV, if the building I lived in was equipped to have charging stations. (And also if they were cheaper, but I also know that saving $1000+ in gas each year would make it worthwhile.)

New buildings are building them, but the older ones don't and in some cases can't. (Government needs to get on this issue rapidly, not just build street chargers, if they expect people to adopt EV's in large numbers.)
People who live in houses are lucky in this regard, since they do not need permission and major structural changes to install one.

I've been looking at the EV's, however they just aren't there yet. Not a lot of choices and the companies you would expect to step up haven't so far. Korea seems to be leading the way for full EV's right now unless you're spending the money for a Tesla.
Now lots of choices in hybrids.

The auto show a couple months ago was a real wake-up with regard to EV's, hybrids, and even hydrogen vehicles. The car companies could push harder, but I think they've finally seen this is the future, not some niche market for quirky people.

Tesla may be making cars for the elite, and run by an eccentric, but give them credit for being the ones to shatter the image of EV's being wimpy cars for wimpy people. The buying public needed to see that.

 

[Amerix]

New buildings are building them, but the older ones don't and in some cases can't. (Government needs to get on this issue rapidly, not just build street chargers, if they expect people to adopt EV's in large numbers.)
People who live in houses are lucky in this regard, since they do not need permission and major structural changes to install one.

There are also plenty of older houses that only have 100 amp service. They aren't charging an EV off that anytime soon. But yes, at least they have the option of paying to upgrade it and being able to charge at home. Assuming they have off-street parking.

 

[80watts]

What is the min amount of amperage service do you need to charge an electric car?

Most new houses come with 200 amp service. For a quick charge rate I'm thinking more amperage is needed??

 

[johnnydepth]

What is the min amount of amperage service do you need to charge an electric car?

Most new houses come with 200 amp service. For a quick charge rate I'm thinking more amperage is needed??

I believe the quick charge stations are 480 and 600. Quick charge stations aren't available for home use. The home ones are 220/240. Some of the EV's also have a 110/120 option, but the charge takes longer than overnight.