Post Your Car

[ThirtyThree 141]

Pretty simple. Post a picture of your car and tell us about it if you want. 

 

Here's mine. 

I drive a 2002 Nissan X-Terra. We bought it brand new that year and since then, we have had no major problems with it. The only recent one was that the battery died on me in a parking lot around the corner from my house. I had to tow it back to our street with my dad's truck at around 11:30pm at night. Wasn't fun, but I still can't believe I was able to do that considering how narrow the streets around me are.

 

[Duke87 1,070]

I currently drive a 2011 Nissan Sentra, which I've owned for a bit over two weeks. Purchased at 25k miles, has 26k now:

 

This is what it replaced. 2009 Ford Focus, purchased brand new, traded in five years and 96k miles later:

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

My current steed:

 

 

2007 Mazda Premacy (Americans know it as the Mazda5).  I bought it last summer as we began to outgrow our previous car.  It has recently passed 80085 km, and we have driven it all over Shizuoka and Kanto.

 

It was preceded by this 2002 Impreza with a 1.5L boxer.  It was not fast, but it handled well and looked extremely cool.

 

I'll be looking for a Subaru Legacy when we move back to America.  Shopping for my next car is always fun!

[Easy Bakes 253]

My current steed:

 

 

 

2007 Mazda Premacy (Americans know it as the Mazda5).  I bought it last summer as we began to outgrow our previous car.  It has recently passed 80085 km, and we have driven it all over Shizuoka and Kanto.

 

 

It was preceded by this 2002 Impreza with a 1.5L boxer.  It was not fast, but it handled well and looked extremely cool.

 

I'll be looking for a Subaru Legacy when we move back to America.  Shopping for my next car is always fun!

Nice shot of Fuji

your moving back to the US?

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

Thank you!  That was a spectacularly beautiful day, we had a lot of fun, and yeah, we're moving back in March next year.  And getting a Legacy, which will be my fourth Subaru.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Thank you!  That was a spectacularly beautiful day, we had a lot of fun, and yeah, we're moving back in March next year.  And getting a Legacy, which will be my fourth Subaru.

Going back to Michigan?

[SAGG 4]

2011 Hyundai Sonata. Hate the look of newest one...

 

 

[Duke87 1,070]

Thank you!  That was a spectacularly beautiful day, we had a lot of fun, and yeah, we're moving back in March next year.  And getting a Legacy, which will be my fourth Subaru.

 

Of what vintage? I have a cousin who recently bought a 1999 Legacy with manual transmission. I'd say buying a car that old and using it as your primary vehicle is silly unless you only ever drive locally, due to the inevitable reliability issues. Although something about a car with a tape deck is kinda cool, I will admit.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

 

Thank you!  That was a spectacularly beautiful day, we had a lot of fun, and yeah, we're moving back in March next year.  And getting a Legacy, which will be my fourth Subaru.

 

Of what vintage? I have a cousin who recently bought a 1999 Legacy with manual transmission. I'd say buying a car that old and using it as your primary vehicle is silly unless you only ever drive locally, due to the inevitable reliability issues. Although something about a car with a tape deck is kinda cool, I will admit.

 

 

Having owned a pair of very old cars during college, that age of a vehicle doesn't scare me that much.  The condition it's in is important, and if it's older and has a few issues, it doesn't bother me that much.  That said, I'm aiming for something like an '05-'07, because I should be able to find one in excellent condition at a reasonable price.  Maintenance and your driving style are incredibly important to keeping your vehicle reliable.  Unless you're buying a European car, I suspect you could make anything last as long as you want, provided you're keeping up with preventative maintenance and not driving it like a stolen car.

[Duke87 1,070]

provided you're keeping up with preventative maintenance and not driving it like a stolen car.

 

Like a stolen car? I just call it driving like a New Yorker.

 

As for driving style, my issue is that I have a tendency to drive long distances on tight schedules. This means I don't have room for snafus. I can't say "if the car breaks down, I'll get it towed and fixed", I need it to not break down. It's somewhat of a play it by ear thing since some cars will hold up better than others, but the car I just traded in at 96k had to go. It was getting close to needing some substantial work and even with that I wouldn't have trusted it to make it through another without incident. Certainly not if this coming winter looks anything like last winter.

 

Whatever incident wouldn't be a fatal incident, sure, and would probably be something quick and easy to fix. That car has plenty of life left in it and will probably be good for at least another 50k miles under its next owner(s). But that's not good enough for me since I can't have my road tripping interrupted by having to deal with any crap. I already had the serpentine belt come loose on me last fall and thank god that happened locally rather than five state lines from home. I had half a mind to get a new car right after that but I was talked into keeping the Focus around a little longer when my father offered to sell me that Sentra you see above once his lease ended.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

@EasyBakes: Heh, I just re-read the posts, and yeah, I really, REALLY hope I can find a job in Michigan.  Wherever I end up, I want to be north of the Mason-Dixon line to avoid the summer heat and humidity of the south and the giant insects that live in that kind of climate.  I'm better off dealing with a harsh winter.

 

@Duke: I've read that city driving puts more strain on a car than highway, but I understand your situation.  It's a lot different from mine.  I have no urgency if I'm traveling that kind of distance in an older car.  In fact, the two cars I've had here in Japan have been the only ones I've driven that had less than 100,000 miles on them since my Hyundai back in high school.  The Outback I had for a year in Michigan just crested that point after I bought it.  The Impreza I drove in college was up around 225,000, the Jeep before it was at 150,000 and the Hyundai I actually bought at about 25,000, but I ran it way over 100,000 in the years that I had it.  My dad's Honda Accord went 350,000 miles, and my mom had a '96 Caravan that they put well over 200,000 on before they got sick of replacing transmissions.

 

So like, I want a car with very low miles (and I envy you a bit), but high miles don't bother me all that much, given my mostly positive experiences with the aforementioned vehicles.  Also, we have no money for that

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

@NMUSpidey:  Since you are used to living internationally, don't overlook skipping the Michigan winter and coming to live in Southwestern Ontario.  It's only a short hop across Lake Huron.

[Duke87 1,070]

I've read that city driving puts more strain on a car than highway, but I understand your situation.

 

It absolutely does, not only due to stop and go but in some cases also due to pavement quality. I squarely blame the poor condition of the suspension system in the Focus I sold on New York City's gazillion potholes.

[47ply 1,100]

My 1983 Camaro 383 5sp 425hp

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Clearly well maintained.  How much original equipment is left under the hood?

[47ply 1,100]

Well I bought the car in 83 as a demo it had 10,000 miles for my high school graduation the day I got it home I pulled the engine and in stalled one of my hot rod engines I built I have been a mechanic my whole life the car now has 35,000 miles on it  one third of them at the dragstrip lol. now I just use it at car shows as I cant race any more due to my wreck I had still recovering from that but some day

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Ooooh!  how pretty!  It takes a professional to keep a car in that kind of shape.

[Zelgadis 638]

For me, a 2007 Saab 9-5. This car is an amazing amount of fun and I will keep it for a long, long time.  

 

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

For me, a 2007 Saab 9-5. This car is an amazing amount of fun and I will keep it for a long, long time.  

 

snippity snip

 

That is a SWEDE RIDE, bro!  I'm not apologizing for that.  I'm hilarious.

 

Is it difficult to find a job in SW Ontario?  Or anywhere in Eastern Canada, I'm fine with winters, really.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Well, it was a thought.  A job doing what?

[Zelgadis 638]

 

For me, a 2007 Saab 9-5. This car is an amazing amount of fun and I will keep it for a long, long time.  

 

snippity snip

 

That is a SWEDE RIDE, bro!  I'm not apologizing for that.  I'm hilarious.

 

Oh dear...  

 

Well, it was built in Sweden, so that's fine, I guess.    One of the things I like about it is that it is a true Swedish car, despite being built when GM owned Saab. A good portion of it is overengineered to the point of being ridiculous. 

 

So far, to my delight, this car has been as reliable as any Japanese car I've ever owned, for the most part, and much more reliable than that junkheap Honda Accord I used to have. The only major thing to go has been the alternator. That one was a bit puzzling to die so early. Everything else has been very, very minor. A small pressure hose and an intake nozzle. 

 

The biggest expense so far has been the tires. I made the mistake of putting Yokohamas on it at first. I've had Yokohamas before and they were junk then. They are still junk now. I replaced them with a set of Michelins and it's oh so much better. Smoother, quieter, and it tracks straighter.

 

One thing I neglected to mention... Why did I buy this car? A few reasons. 

 

1) The insurance was half of anything else I was looking at.

2) The 260hp turbo four is crazy fast.

3) I can see over the damned hood.

 

That last one is a big deal for me. I just do not understand why so many car companies are building up massive engine compartments with high dashboards. I need to be nice and low to have a proper feel for a car and to optimize my reaction times. Since I am rather short, I need a low dashboard to accomplish this.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Just remember that some people call rutabagas Swedes.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

One of the things I like about it is that it is a true Swedish car, despite being built when GM owned Saab. A good portion of it is overengineered to the point of being ridiculous.

 

I read a thing somewhere (maybe curbsideclassics.com or ttac I can't remember anymore) where they speculated that that overengineering of everything is one of the reasons Saab got into trouble.  GM would say, "Here's a Vauxhall.  Slap a new badge and fascia to it and we'll ship it out for you."  Then Saab would Saab-ify it, completely ignoring the General's orders and make an actual Saab out of it, regardless of how ridiculously over budget they found themselves.  Of course, it made their cars better than just about anything GM produced in the 90s, but there was a price to pay, apparently.  I do like the 9-5, though, it's sharp.

 

 

Well, it was a thought.  A job doing what?

 

I actually have no idea, other than not an office job.  Teaching, research, writing, those are the things I'm good at and I enjoy.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

^ Well, luck with that.  There is a crying need for some even-sighted researchers in the Arctic.  We need some people who won't be blinded by local sampling of the Polar Bear population.  At the moment, IMHO, :Polar Bears are not endangered.

[Haljackey 17,241]

I drive a 1998 Pontiac Grand Am. It's been in the family all it's life, and I'm it's third owner.

 

Surprisingly, all the guts of the car are still in decent shape but the secondary systems are starting to go. I think I'd need to sink at least 2 grand into it to get past the winter.

-I've been saving for a new car, and I think now may be the time to buy. I will get a good discount buying a GM car (loyalty discounts and incentives from my work), so I am considering that brand.

 

Anyone drive or have driven a diesel car? There's a Chevy Cruze diesel model I'm considering. Build quality and fuel consumption are big perks, but I have no experience driving an oil-burner.

[hym 358]

Anyone drive or have driven a diesel car? There's a Chevy Cruze diesel model I'm considering. Build quality and fuel consumption are big perks, but I have no experience driving an oil-burner.

 

I haven't driven one personally, but I do know one thing to consider looking into further.  VW's TDI Clean Diesel engines have a known defect with the exhaust system.  Specifically, when driving short distances around town, the exhaust valves never heat up sufficiently, which causes reliability issues.  If the issue is severe enough, it can drive the engine to an early grave.

 

I'm not saying that the Chevy Cruze has the same problem, but it is worth looking into.

[Zelgadis 638]

 

One of the things I like about it is that it is a true Swedish car, despite being built when GM owned Saab. A good portion of it is overengineered to the point of being ridiculous.

 

I read a thing somewhere (maybe curbsideclassics.com or ttac I can't remember anymore) where they speculated that that overengineering of everything is one of the reasons Saab got into trouble.  GM would say, "Here's a Vauxhall.  Slap a new badge and fascia to it and we'll ship it out for you."  Then Saab would Saab-ify it, completely ignoring the General's orders and make an actual Saab out of it, regardless of how ridiculously over budget they found themselves.  Of course, it made their cars better than just about anything GM produced in the 90s, but there was a price to pay, apparently.  I do like the 9-5, though, it's sharp.

 

My theory is that Saab made cars for a certain kind of person. That person being me. They just weren't able to survive the financial crisis.  Let's look at their lineup for the decade before they went belly-up.

 

Saab 9-5: Their flagship, designed by Saab and released in 1998, just after GM bought the company. It was slotted to compete with cars like the BMW 5-series and Mercedes E-class, but in reality, they were very, very different cars. The Saab has what I like. Strong engine, poised handling, an absolute no-nonsense interior without electronic doodads that I hate, and a very mechanical overall feel. It is slightly faster than a Porsche 911. The competitors sank a lot of money into the doodad department, which turns me off, and in refining their cars to the point of being dull. The 9-5 not the sort of car that appeals to your typical luxury buyer.

 

Saab 9-3: Based on GM's Epsilon platform. This was Saab's bread and butter car and the one you are probably referring to having been Saabified. I nearly bought this one, but the lower dashboard and 260hp four sold me on the 9-5.

 

Saab 9-2x: A rebadged Subaru Impreza WRX wagon. Basically, if you wanted a tarted up WRX, this was your car.

 

Saab 9-7x: A tarted up Chevy SUV. Thing is, no Saab buyers wanted an SUV. These things are rare.

 

Bottom line, GM sells more cars in six months than Saab sold in its entire history. They have always been a low-volume niche brand. Ultimately, that's what did them in.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

I'm actually really interested in the 9-7x, if for nothing else than its uniqueness and rarity and, yes, the fact that it's such a weird thing.  A Saab (and superior, if the press is to be believed) version of the portly GMT360 platform is an extremely weird thing, considering how utterly mediocre the original Chevy and GMC versions were.  I probably won't try hunting one down, though.  Wikipedia tells me that the even weirder (and more appealing to me) Subaru B9 Tribeca was going to be turned into a Saab 9-6x, but GM selling off its stake in Subaru ended those plans.  That may have turned into a pretty amazing car.  Uh, I mean, SUV.

[Haljackey 17,241]

 

Anyone drive or have driven a diesel car? There's a Chevy Cruze diesel model I'm considering. Build quality and fuel consumption are big perks, but I have no experience driving an oil-burner.

 

I haven't driven one personally, but I do know one thing to consider looking into further.  VW's TDI Clean Diesel engines have a known defect with the exhaust system.  Specifically, when driving short distances around town, the exhaust valves never heat up sufficiently, which causes reliability issues.  If the issue is severe enough, it can drive the engine to an early grave.

 

I'm not saying that the Chevy Cruze has the same problem, but it is worth looking into.

 

 

Hmm... Interesting. I know this is not a car advice thread but I appreciate the info!

 

Interesting stat I found out: in the US, diesel is about 50 cents more per gallon than regular gas, but here in Canada it's about 5 cents cheaper per litre. Canada's fuel prices are still higher, however.

[Duke87 1,070]

Interesting stat I found out: in the US, diesel is about 50 cents more per gallon than regular gas, but here in Canada it's about 5 cents cheaper per litre. Canada's fuel prices are still higher, however.

 

Two reasons why:

1) In Canada, and in most European countries, the tax on gasoline is higher than the tax on diesel. In the US, it's the other way around.

2) Diesel used to typically be cheaper in the US until 5-10 years ago. Since then it has reliably been more expensive. The reason for the shift is the introduction of regulation requiring diesel fuel to be made "low-sulfur". This has made it more expensive to produce.

 

 

As for a diesel fuel being more efficient in terms of miles per gallon or liters per 100 km, well, that's because diesel has a higher energy density. A gallon of gasoline contains 120,000 BTU of chemical energy (give or take). A gallon of diesel contains more like 140,000 BTU. If you account for this and look at BTU per mile instead of miles per gallon, you will notice that the efficiencies between the two types of vehicle are actually roughly the same.