The Automobile Thread

Ok... Now that you've decided to trade it, I'll say that it only took one very short test drive in an Atlas for me to decide I'd keep the T-Reg until the wheels fall off. I always look at towing capacity when buying, as we need that occasionally. One of those vehicles is rated to pull two (almost) of the other... I like overbuilt...

Q7 is a very smart choice, and you'll be helping out my Slovak cousins. Now that the T-Reg is only available in every market on the planet except North America , the Q7 would be our only choice if we were looking for another SUV. I drool over the European T-Regs with their diesel V-8s... Bastards.

 

A lady owns this one by my work, recently put an exhaust on it and pulled off the lower valance. Exhaust looks great but I like it with the lower valance on.

 

I love the commitment there!!!

 

Yeah, this is a disturbing trend started by Huracan owners. I think Alex Choi specifically started it.

A buddy of mine did a full custom exhaust with a center exit on his. I think it's a pretty cool take.

 

The "T-reg" was ba

Yep, having the back panel off ruins the lines of what is otherwise a gorgeous vehicle and my personal fav of Audi's.

I wonder if it's street legal here in Cali, with our strict road laws since it has no "bumper".

 

My bike would look good on that!

 

It's fine; there's still a 5mph transaxle and exhaust.

 

After doing some reading on the subject I'm pretty sure thats actually ok here. Yes, I'm ignoring the fact it doesn't look that car has any lighting of the license plate either. The crash structure, which is what the license plate is attached to, is the bit that matters. The plastic bumper offers no crash protection and is merely cosmetic.

I was looking into replacing the bumper of my truck with a roll pan, no can do unless I put some form of 'crash structure' behind the roll pan. Because the rear bumper on my truck is the crash structure. On a modern plastic bumper'd vehicle there is something else working as the crash structure.

 

The bumper impact structure is totally gone from that R8. The lower part behind the license plate is a section of the car's rear frame. Bad news if that gets tapped by the uninsured '94 Camry following closely behind that's texting, drinking coffee, and reading the paper.

For that reason it's not legal in CA as I interpret the law regarding passenger cars. I think pickup trucks are classified differently though. I'm having trouble finding the exact vehicle code for that. Trucks were commonly sold without a rear bumper being standard equipment, so I'd think a roll pan would be no problem unless something has changed.

 

Yep. Truck bumpers used to be an option and not required. There's the whole bed of the truck to crumple and it easily acts to absorb impact.

Things may have changed, but probably not.
Of you want protection put one of these on that R8, or @Lost Kiwi might add it to his truck. Definitely reduce his load carrying capacity though.

 

Protecting what's left of the back end I guess.

My car toys have chromed steel bumpers, but I think they're really for looks. They were designed in an era when a 5mph crash could be fatal.

 

Uh-oh, is Ed getting a new Audi R8?!

 

....no.

 

Here's the weirdest thing about the Q7 and the only reason we haven't traded it already.

The Q7 and Atlas have almost exactly the same exterior dimensions. Less than an inch difference in any direction - length, width, height yet the Q7 has about 1/3 less storage in any configuration. Behind the second row, the Atlas has about 55 cubic feet to the Q7's 37 or so. With all seats stowed or with all seats up, the Atlas consistently has 30% more cargo space? How can that be? Both cars are well insulated and quiet. And the third row seats in the Atlas are far more comfortable and spacious. How is this possible?

One other strange difference - the Atlas has a big, noticeable hood - like a truck. The Q7 hood sort of disappears like the Q5. Thus the Q7 drives much smaller than the same-sized Atlas. The supercharged 3.0 liter Audi engine shits all over the Atlas' VR6 powerplant, with the same gas mileage. If it weren't for the cargo space, we would be trading.

 

The Q7 hatch must taper off more, while the Atlas is much more square. You can fit a lot more cubes in that. The Atlas is made in Tennessee for the NA market, so it's big but decontented. The Q7 is made in Slovakia for the international market so it's refined but costs more. Basically every car made for the NA market is a bigger but cheaper version of the car made in Europe or Asia. Toyota Taco vs Hilux, Honda Accord, Mazda 6, etc.
This is one of my peeves, as I like the smaller, tauter international versions. I'd much rather have the international Accord (sold here as the Acura TL) then the NA Honda Accord we get. In fact previous gen TL with a manual transmission is on my short list. Confirming all stereotypes for everyone!

 

Well since the wifey has the only unreliable Honda CR-V on the planet and it left her walking again yesterday she came home and ordered a new Subaru. I hate buying new cars but hey happy wife = happy life and more bikes for Voodoo.

 

Oddly, it's noticeable on the floorboard, not necessarily the hatch. Both share roughly the same angles if you see them side by side. It's a physics conundrum that I can't seem to answer. I would have to pour through both vehicles with a tape measure to figure out how the Atlas can be so much bigger on the inside.

On another note, I see that someone who drives for a living might be getting a car from Mr. Grimes.

 

What'd she get?

 

Forester sport

 

Ohhhh...Titan huh....

 

Nice!
The new wilderness trim level is pretty cool, more off road centered.

I really liked driving my 2009 WRX, but that was the most unreliable car ive ever owned. Well with the exception a 1976 Ford Maverick. but that was in '77 so....

 

New Maverick compact trucks are just around the corner. They're going to be hybrids, which is great! I wish they were a little more Ranchero looking and less "truck", and they bed is really short. Don't know if bikes will fit in.

 

Maybe a misprint re: cargo space? Or as @Cyclotourist suggested, maybe it's more about less usable cubic inches than square inches? Those are stats I don't have committed to memory, but when looking at the hatch of a Q7 with the seats down it looks positively huge to my eyes.

May or may not be worth noting that, depending on what year Q7 you end up looking at, Audi has switched from the supercharged six to the turbocharged six. I can't remember the model year that it changed, but it was during the current generation. In general I think that supercharged 3.0 was one of, if not the best motors that Audi has made. I hate that it's gone.

 

If the Q7 has a spare, and the VW doesn’t, that would just about explain it.

 

What was the issue with her Honda?

 

Looks to be more of an SUV with the back section of the roof removed, not a true truck.

 

Won’t start or even crank over for that matter…And the extended warranty is a flipping joke.