The Automobile Thread

I can't get over the overly done ground effects and tail wing on the Type R Civic. Too youthful for my taste and it looks like it should remain on a track, not in a parking lot at the grocery store. I do like the simplicity of the Sport and I suppose I could live with the si if I was gonna own a Civic.

 

I’m driving a Bolt EV. The only macho aesthetic in this car is me...

 

Audi did a commercial for the Q5 a few years ago that featured a black Q5 pulling past a sea of beige RX350s in a school pick up line, with the father driving. Maybe it resonated with me due to context of my life, but I thought that was very effective marketing. I had a customer the other day that was shopping for a spare car for the nanny, that he would occasionally drive as well. The Q5 hybrid ticked all of his boxes, but he shunned it as a "chick car". I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I applaud your fine vehicle selection.

 

I resemble that remark with my C-HR. It's all good though. My wife drives a Tundra.

 

I would love a Si with a hatchback and bumpers not designed by a 13 year old.

@Sidewalk Golf Alltrack with a manual is on my radar. Would like to get one in a couple years after the original owner covers the depreciation for me. Right now I have an '06 Mazda 3 hatch with a manual, and I basically can't let it go. Hatch, manual transmission, physical controls, and the grand touring leather interior can't be replicated except for a GTI right now. I'd like to replace it with something a little more mature than a GTI, hence the Alltrack consideration. What I'd really like is an Audi A5 Sportback with a manual transmission, but no such animal. Also I would like to avoid anything modern with a center touchscreen. The new GTI is going to have that, yuck.

 

so true.

The new Mazda turbo hatchback looks great. But, sadly, no M/T. My only gripe with my '10 is that the steering wheel leather started to look like Sh!t after about 6 months.
I'm with you on the excessive-tech in newer cars too. You chip a windshield, that'll cost you a grand. Some d-bag knocks-off your side view mirror on a tight street that's at least a grand.

 

Cost to replace the cracked windshield in my Tacoma and perform the requisite recalibration of the windshield mounted cam is $2,200. I’m struggling to find the motivation to get it fixed.

 

what? Is this by the dealer? That is outrageous, is this for the TSS?

 

I kinda like it. And really, it should be on the racetrack A LOT. But think of it like any other Jeep; a vehicle that is supposed to be off road but spends most more time getting the kids to school than getting scratched up.

If I did have a Type R, I would be doing a lot of track days. I already had a bunch planned when my Fiesta was totaled. I had new stickier tires on and a brake upgrade was already on the UPS truck at the time

 

The base model Crosstrek has very little tech, which I am happy about. No X Mode, center diff is viscous coupling. No Eyesight for auto braking and all that. Not as basic as a basic Jeep (crank windows and manual locks!), but basic enough.

 

On my F150 it was close to 2k to fix the sunroof! They had to remove half the truck to get to the wiring. I took it to 3 different places for quotes, and finally decided to just seal it shut myself for 20 bucks. When the transmission started locking in first gear and the a/c was on the third fix, I sold it and bought a Tundra. No more bells and whistles to break.

 

I know a few folks that have the C-HR and they like them. What are your thoughts on it so far?

 

A guy I rode with locally last week had a brand new VW Tiguan R-Line Black and that thing was verrrrrry nice....aside from the white seating. I've always like the Audi's (and still have one) but these look so much nicer on the exterior. I only rode in the back seat but there was plenty of room and it was pretty darn comfy.

 

Tiggies are pretty nice... I can't say anything bad about them. But I want a manual transmission. That's kind of my starting point. I might have to give up on a hatch or wagon and settle for a sedan. A Honda Accord with the 2.0 and a MT is pretty high on my list because of that. Along those lines and older Acura TL with manual and six cylinder would be pretty nice. I hate to give up the utility of the hatch, but it might have to happen. Volkswagen Golf wagons and Alltracks will obviously work, but I'm scared to death of VW reliability.

 

I actually like it. It's got plenty of zip, gets decent mileage and has lots of room. I can get my gravel bike inside or my MTB with the front wheel removed.

 

I'm just the opposite, I couldn't imagine going back to a stick....especially in SoCal with all the stop and go traffic. One of the guys on Team AARP paid big $$ for a totally fixed up 196? Chevrolet truck and he too wanted a stick so he paid some hot rod shop even more $$ to make the conversion.

 

I've been mulling over the costs of doing a manual transmission swap on E46 BMWs... I love me a manual transmission!

 

I learned to drive on a 1970 VW Bug. I've had several stick shifts. I like my automatic transmission these days.

 

Back in the day manual transmissions were faster for the most part. Not anymore. Personally I'd rather have an automatic manual. They sound so good going through the gears.

 

My CX-5 can be shifted manually - I think I've used it twice in the last 4 years.

 

https://vorshlag-store.com/collections/bmw-e46-lsx-swap

(Fix the issue with missing cylinders in the engine while you're at it)

 

No. A manual transmission that shifts automatically such as a DSG.

 

Yep, and I even have a good relationship with my service advisor. He said they would install after market glass if I like, to save a few hundred bucks, but if the cameras didn't calibrate properly then I'd have to pony up for another piece of glass. Such a racket, on any car, but especially for a vehicle of this type and price. It warrants a quote from a second dealership, but as the crack is not in my line of site I just haven't been too compelled to deal with it yet.

 

Oh, you mean like the Ford Fiesta POS automatically shifted manual? Which falls to pieces in no time? I don't know what a DSG is....But I do know that Ford screwed the pooch big time on that one.

 

I like six all lined up in a row!

Yeah, I don't know if I want to sink that much into an old car, hence why it's still just a though!

 

Agreed, although they make some purty autos!! Coming electric models look cool.

 

I know if you get a good one they're great, but soooo many horror stories. The 2.0T after 2013 is supposed to be a good engine though. I would love a Golf wagon with the 2.0T... a long roof GTI!

 

Don't get me wrong, I love a straight six (have one myself in the garage), but in the land of cheap LS's I'd be putting them in whatever I can fit them to.
We don't talk anymore in my house about how much money I've sunk into my old car anymore one day it'll be finished.

 

The V8 growl is soooo nice, but I prefer a high-revving I6. Best car I ever had was an e30 325i... damn that was a fine one.

 

Although I admire your thinking here, I’d simply make an insurance claim and pay the deductible in this case, due to the high cost. If the insurance company screws it up, it’s on them to get it right, not you.