Mercedes 2018 E400 twin turbo six. Best car I have ever owned, the electronics are amazing! My last 13 cars have all been Mercedes, although I used to have british sports car disease (3 Austin Healeys, a Lotus Europa), all fun all a pain to keep on the road. Wish I had them all back, LOL
What do you drive and why?
Just got a 2019 Subaru Forester. Had a 2012 till someone decided to T-bone me on the drivers side. The car held up very well to the impact. Walked away even though the damage was such insurance called it a total loss. Safety was a main consideration in getting the new one, plus the AWD system, improved mileage and reliability of the brand. Had an older Honda CRV (2006) and almost bought another, great small SUV.
So what do you drive and why?
So what do you drive and why?
248 responses
'12 Focus SEL Hatch; nimble, quick enough in 'combat traffic', mpg acceptable even if driven with brio, comfy in long hauls, space for our stuff with the dog aboard. Would prefer the R version, but without the trim level that comes standard. Wears the sticker "My Other Car / IS THIS CAR / but in another dimension" '02 Dodge 3500 Diesel 4WD Dually: (a.k.a. "Queen Latifah") Big, black, & powerful enough to tow a 16' trailer with a Bobcat with it's bucket, forks, earth boring rig + bits, its' boom (not the OSHA b/s one...mine can lift to 30'...), and the tools for the day And generally some materials and/or some pre-fab'd elements ditto. That's it's job. DON'T pull out in front of me. Bad Idea. You'll lose. If we're still alive and I can do so, I'll sit on the wreckage and ask you which breakfast cereal boxtop you sent in to get your D.L. Likely, both dead or maimed to the point we'd rather. Grew up & in SoCal freeways & byways, driven miles through many locales, major and minor. I've seen Enough; Please refrain from showing me 'something different'. In an old issue of SciAmer, in the 'Amateur Scientist' column, a fellow studied the flux & flow of his commute traffic. Posited that we behave as a whole like the flow of water through pipes, hoses, and the various 'fittings'. Or, if you must, think electron flow.. Guess what? We seem to be following the laws of hydrodynamics. Even with the 'rubbernecks', the 'lane leapers', the 'sprint 'n brake' batch, general irritation, or outright cluelessness. If everyone would practice the 'zipper merge' (lrlrlr...), it will 'flow' at the maximum rate. Even if you should have been there Already. Your panic is NOT my problem. Please don't make it so. *J kicks the soapbox into the Dark* (If given the disposable $ and the general situation to have this 'tame' enough to drive on the street without making every law enforcement officer drool like Pavlovs' puppy, This would be my choice. Yes, I'm still nimble enough to get in...and, more importantly, get out...*L*) BTW...Turn your volume up...*smirk* https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a10022304/lotus-elise-hillclimb-car-uses-v8-formed-from-two... ...only thing to add would be air horns....(small car...)... |
asvjerry - I was thoroughly entertained and laughing at your post. Haha. And it looks like the Lotus runs at ludicrous speed..... https://youtu.be/ygE01sOhzz0 |
2014 Honda Ridgeline pickup for crazy comfortable drive (unibody instruction) and convenience (there is a full-sized locking trunk under the floor of the pick up bed and the bed door opens both ways, drop down and swing out). Also all wheel drive for rough dirt road at remote summer home. 2011 Subaru Forester for reliability, safety and all wheel for summer home. 1996 Porsche 911 6 speed in Speed Yellow. Last model with air cooled engine and factory optioned with most RS features less the 3.8. My one guilty pleasure. |
"Englishness"! I've owned four English cars, 3 MGs and an E Type. In my experience their reputation for failures is exaggerated. One of my MGs was a bad example, a '68 MGB roadster. But that was not all MG's fault. The new stricter emissions and safety requirements in the US for 1968 caused multiple problems, for both performance and reliability. But that affected many brands. I don't believe some '68 US models were joys to own either. Many of the British car failures could be traced to their electronics, thus all the jokes* about Lucas, "Prince of Darkness". I will admit that a buddy in college had a Morris Minor convertible which was laid up in a repair shop waiting nearly two months for an electrical part replacement. But those who paid real money to have their Jag sedan motors replaced by a Ford or Chevy V8 just threw it away. They could have replaced only the electronics for far less, and would have then owned a fun, reliable car. *Show me an Englishman who drinks warm beer and I'll show you a person with a Lucas refrigerator! |
Finally circling back to the "why" on my wheels. Simple answer: We drive. A Lot. A Whole Lot. The TDI came home on 31 August 2015 and already has 92K+. The Miata came home on 30 March 2009 and has 105K+. That's an average of 3000+ miles per month on 2 cars. Not including the Mustang, the MH, the company car or the pit bike. The TDI gets nearly 650 miles per tank @ ~48 MPG. The Mazda goes about 300 miles at 27 MPG (tiny tank). The VW is fast, comfortable, quiet, handles well, has great brakes, is reliable and damn efficient. The Mazda is a ball to drive and hands-down one of the best cars we've ever owned. Some people are passionate about the Second Amendment. I can tell you that those 2 cars will get pried out of our cold, dead fingers. I can also shed some light on a Subaru Forester. We had a 2011, loaded with leather, sunroof, everything but the turbo. We put 151K+ on it in a bit over 4 years and can say with confidence that Subaru simply doesn't design their cars for that kind of use. The engine used a quart of oil every 5K miles and Subaru said that was normal. Really? My 72 Chevelle wagon with a 350 never used any and it had 172K on it when it was stolen. Neither has any other vehicle, from a 74 Fiat 128 to a 92 F350 crew cab dually diesel, to anything I own now. The catalytic converter failed at 82K miles. I've been driving cars with catalysts for 48 years and have never had one fail. Ever. The driver's seat frame broke a weld. Neither my wife nor I are large people either. The PCV breather failed at 30K miles. The spark plugs have to be replaced at 60K, and because we racked up the miles so fast, they were dealer-only parts the first time around @ $80 each. The sunroof leaked, thankfully replaced under warranty. We're not talking a 70s Corvette with T-tops either, but a fully modern, rigid integrated chassis. A brake caliper failed at 105K. It got 25 MPG on average and never was better than 27. Under 20 on a cold day. And it was noisy as hell. The radio was a waste of space in the dash, the noise was so bad. 3 different sets of tires from Yokohama and Bridgestone, no change. I got to where I wore my noise cancelling headphones without any input to keep my head from exploding on long drives. Not a good car for a road warrior. We wouldn't consider another. As others have noted, YMMV. Thanks for the fun thread! |
I'm in sales and drive lots of miles. Just bought my third Honda CRV. The first two I drove to well over 200,000 miles. REEEEALLY wanted a new Passport but found a remaining 2018 CRV for $8600.00 less so I couldn't justify the additional expense. Ended up paying $99.00 more than my 2012 so I can't complain. The CRV has been very reliable with a low cost of maintenance. I owned a Subaru once and never again. |
My entire Austin Healey exhaust system fell off during a trip back East and another time both clutch and brakes failed simultaneously whilst tootling down the highway due to the space saving collocation of both master cylinders. Heaven forbid I would drive over a puddle in the road. My Triumph 7 overheated and caught fire 🔥 ....probably just bad luck. |
The older British sports cars have a charm all their own. I have attempted to buy several, alas, nada, apart from one pre-war model. I lusted after an XK140 Drophead- more a boulevardier than a sports car. Every one I looked at had a story. Or was "restored" but cosmetically and often not so well. One had a fabulous paint job-owned by a collector, but I think it started life as an automatic, and did not have the provenance that the Jag enthusiasts demand. The E type was probably one of the most beautiful cars ever made, at least as a coupe. I remember the first time I saw one in the early '60s at a car display. I was unlike anything else. I gather they can be 'fettled' as the Brits say, to a high driving standard. I love all old iron (and alloy). I had a hankering for a Morgan for a while- sort of the worst of both worlds. :) (But to me, attractive- old school style built new). That 3 wheeler is a hoot! I wish I had the inclination to drive one-- it would be something in the Texas heat. My brain would boil. |
The detail that rarely, if ever, gets mentioned about Jaguar E-type is that is unusually spacious inside. For that kind of car, of course. It is slightly tricky to get in, but once inside, there is enough head, elbow, knee, and even foot room for a 190+ cm driver. Way better than any of the newer ones I am aware of. It even has a usable trunk. Cleaning wheels (spokes) is royal pain, though. And it is not hybrid so your mileage will not vary. It will be low. |
Flapjack and falconquest, Thanks for the heads up on the Subaru and specifically Forester problems. I will keep an eye on those issues and some other ones I have heard about. I have had two Hondas and one Toyota and really like those brands as well. I think it can be helpful to share stories and experiences about cars without bickering.... such sharing can be useful. |
Great thread. One of the very few drivers of the short lived Subaru SVX... loved that car. Currently experiencing a first year with the Tesla model X with kookoo mode. Wanted to support North American manufacturing, try electric (perhaps out of guilt of too many years running class-A monoblocks) Best family car ever (for young children) and amazing 4-wheel drive performance for Canadian winters... plus got a great price on a 1 year old used vehicle. So far impressed, with some small areas of improvement noted. j |
joshfilm, You are my hero. At least when it comes to that Subaru. I assume it was 4-wheel-drive. Have you ever met the other guy who bought one of those cars? I mean, you are really my hero. How is the Tesla heating in those Canadian winters? I heard that is a weak point. Also, to touch some audio-related topic, have they finally made it possible to attach some source in a non-Bluetooth way or USB ports are still just for charging? |
@glupson haha... one of only 17k drivers worldwide during the car’s 7 year (?) production run.... a great car, 1st 4 wheel drive “super car”... that got squashed by the unexpected rise of the SUV. Definitely more of a cruiser that an all out sports car, but perfect at the time. I have an indoor garage with a 220v charger (whatever the stove style plug is) and I do mainly city driving, so I don’t find it hard to keep the Tesla warm. I wouldn’t want to park it outside overnight on a deep freezer night. good question re: audio. Mine only does Bluetooth, but I should enquire re: usb connect. I discovered the explicit comedy streaming channel and now I spend my drives laughing rather than grooving to music. A real unexpected joy. j |
I drive a Mazda Miata MX-5 for fun, a Jeep Wrangler for fun and towing a small trailer with my Toni go-kart and a Mazda CX3 Sport Ute with AWD for winter and year-round errands. The Miata has all of Mazdaspeed's performance upgrades; LSD, Coil-Overs, Sway Bars, Air Intake and chassis braces. Mazda MX-5 Cup parts for the Roll Bar, Brakes w/ ducts and racing muffler. Enkei F1 wheels and Dunlop Z1 rubber. The car is set up for the road, but can be tracked. Road America is only about 45 minutes from the house, so when I feel the need I can usually find an SCCA a NASA track day. My Jeep Wrangler is a TJ model with the rear seat removed to give me some room for carrying stuff. I tow a small 6x8 foot trailer that holds a Toni Kart (Yamaha Pipe class) and my tools and fuel. The Jeep is also used for camping and picnics in the woods. I don't do any real off-roading or Jamborees, just camping and Wisconsin fire roads in the state and national forests. My Mazda CX3 Sport Ute is probably more my daily driver. The Hatch is convenient for groceries and the hardware store. In order to get the AWD, leather and sun roof Grand Touring model I also had to take the Bose stereo w/ subwoofer. I'm no fan a Bose gear, but in a car the Bose approach to equalization customized for the specific interior makes some sense, and doesn't sound too bad. Mazda's Infotainment system will play uncompressed WMA and Redbook CD Wave files along with 256K MP3, so I just rip CDs to WAV on USB sticks and play those instead of carrying a bunch CDs. The two Mazda's live up to Zoom, Zoom fun, and the Jeep is a different kind of fun to drive, although trail braking and those late apexes are out of the question. I'm waiting for Mazda to introduce their new RX-7, and may add one of those to the stable when they're released. |
What? A 2012 Stohr WF1 Why? Easy answer: I am a professionally licensed racing driver. https://1drv.ms/f/s!Apqv5gIFm0vBzyIZJ6VqtPSz9w9e Rick Mears, four times winner of the Indy 500 stated, "Motorsports is not about the cars or winning. It is about self-improvement. So, if you are not out there getting better, then you are simply getting in the way of everyone else. Get off the track and go and play golf or do something else." |
I like quick good handling cars, lil older but great quality. Daily driver is my 2011 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 390hp RWD four door. It’s a blast at 90. Fun car is my 2000 Porsche 911 Carrera 2. The value is low due to an potential engine flaw which is easily fixed before anything goes bad and of course, I did the upgrade, common sense. GREAT PRICEs if you ever want to enter the world of Porsche, just be careful as the are now classic and nearly 20 years old. Mrs Y drives a 2005 Lexus Rx330 In like new condition with 49,000 miles on it. All in, these cars saved me enough money due to their value status that I have money to also enjoy higher end audio and very enjoyable autos. |