Automobile Thread

[southsider2k5]

I am actually considering swimming against the current and looking at a slightly used VW Passat or Jetta to replace my car. I'd go for the gas engine, and not the diesel. They are so stinking cheap right now, and I don't really care about trade in, as I run whatever I drive into the ground. The car I am driving now I bought new in Jan 04.

[Jenksismyhero]

I am actually considering swimming against the current and looking at a slightly used VW Passat or Jetta to replace my car. I'd go for the gas engine, and not the diesel. They are so stinking cheap right now, and I don't really care about trade in, as I run whatever I drive into the ground. The car I am driving now I bought new in Jan 04.

 

I've considered doing the same thing.

[DBAHO]

The Golf is the better VW but they don't really sell that over here.

[southsider2k5]

The Golf is the better VW but they don't really sell that over here.

 

I don't want to go that small.

[Texsox]

I love my F150. Great towing. Room for five full size adults without them sitting in each other's laps or knocking knees. No worries about hauling something home from the nursery or Lowes, I can see over traffic, smooth and quiet on the highway . . .

[iamshack]

I love my F150. Great towing. Room for five full size adults without them sitting in each other's laps or knocking knees. No worries about hauling something home from the nursery or Lowes, I can see over traffic, smooth and quiet on the highway . . .

Yeah, not a pickup but we took our Pilot out to Red Rock Canyon here in Vegas this past weekend and we had my wife, our 9 month old, my brother, and both my parents, as well as myself. It was nice to be able to fit everyone in one vehicle and drive through the canyons together.

 

Makes me want to actually consider another SUV when the Pilot becomes too dogged up to drive anymore.

[southsider2k5]

I love my F150. Great towing. Room for five full size adults without them sitting in each other's laps or knocking knees. No worries about hauling something home from the nursery or Lowes, I can see over traffic, smooth and quiet on the highway . . .

 

I have driven my FIL's F150 and I absolutely hated it. It is like driving a tank. It loud and bulky, and not user friendly.

[Chisoxfn]

I have driven my FIL's F150 and I absolutely hated it. It is like driving a tank. It loud and bulky, and not user friendly.

[green]Just like Tex [/green]

[southsider2k5]

[green]Just like Tex [/green]

 

Gage.For.The.Win.

[RockRaines]

I have driven my FIL's F150 and I absolutely hated it. It is like driving a tank. It loud and bulky, and not user friendly.

The way that some trucks are built vs "car-based" SUVs and trucks are night and day with the way they feel. I like driving big vehicles but I cannot bring myself to like driving those ladder-framed/body on frame vehicles. it's like I can feel the frame and body twist independently.

[RockRaines]

Yeah, not a pickup but we took our Pilot out to Red Rock Canyon here in Vegas this past weekend and we had my wife, our 9 month old, my brother, and both my parents, as well as myself. It was nice to be able to fit everyone in one vehicle and drive through the canyons together.

 

Makes me want to actually consider another SUV when the Pilot becomes too dogged up to drive anymore.

The third row in the pilot is the only thing that would keep you from going with the Jeep GC. My Jeep can handle anything you throw at it on road or off road with the caveat you have to take off the lower air dam if you want to do serious rock crawling.

[Iwritecode]

So I found out last night I can basically get locked out of my car if my remote stops working even if I HAVE MY KEY IN MY HAND.

 

I went to the store to pick up a few things. Use the remote to pop the trunk. Put the stuff in the trunk and close it. Push the unlock button. Nothing. Just that quick my remote completely stopped working. None of the buttons would work at all.

 

So I used the key to open the door. As soon as I put the key in the ignition the alarm started going off and the car wouldn't start. The only way to turn the alarm off is with the remote.

 

So I get out and shut the door and the alarm finally turns off after about 10 seconds. After a few more times of tripping the alarm I decide to go back into the store to get some new batteries hoping that will fix the problem. No such luck.

 

What's even more odd is that I was using my backup remote because the one I was using was acting up as well. I ended up having to call my wife so she could send my daughter up to the store with the other remote. Luckily it decided to work and I got home. I switched the batteries in that remote and it seems to be working ok now.

 

I sort of understand why they built the alarm to go off if the car is unlocked without the remote (i.e. someone breaking into the car) but I can't even use my key? WTF?

Edited April 8, 2016 by Iwritecode

[RockRaines]

Hmm really? If my fob runs out of battery I actually push the button with the backend of my dead fob and it disarms the alarm and starts the car.

[iamshack]

The third row in the pilot is the only thing that would keep you from going with the Jeep GC. My Jeep can handle anything you throw at it on road or off road with the caveat you have to take off the lower air dam if you want to do serious rock crawling.

Yeah, tbh, I don't really even care for the Pilot...it was my wife's car...but it did make me reconsider potentially going back to an SUV when we need to get another vehicle, which I wouldn't have necessarily thought I would do.

 

With both sets of parents in town here, it may actually come in handy to have something with a third row, so I will probably look into vehicles with that capability.

[southsider2k5]

The way that some trucks are built vs "car-based" SUVs and trucks are night and day with the way they feel. I like driving big vehicles but I cannot bring myself to like driving those ladder-framed/body on frame vehicles. it's like I can feel the frame and body twist independently.

 

We had a CRV before (for the family car) and traded it in this summer for the Odyssey. Even that tank handles a ton better than an F150.

[Chisoxfn]

Man, sounds great. How much does the hybrid cost?

A little less than 25K after the various discounts (MSRP was ~31K), etc (if you look earlier in this thread I have a detailed post about it). Difference between it and the hybrid (both after discounts) was pretty minimal (just over 1K). Mine is a limited version but doesn't have all the bells and whistles like Navi. One thing to warn you all, based upon what I read researching the vehicle prior to purchasing, hybrids tend to perform better in mild to warm temperatures and aren't quite as fuel efficient in lower temperatures (say chicago winters). I think Matt has/had a hybrid Escape (not sure if he still does) so he might be able to comment whether he saw better mileage in winter vs. summer (and for all I know maybe gas engines have this same issue).

 

Not an issue where I live (in fact I get pretty ideal conditions, hence why my mileage, which is mainly stop & go / city type driving, is a bit above what the average on the sticker would indicate).

[RockRaines]

Yeah, tbh, I don't really even care for the Pilot...it was my wife's car...but it did make me reconsider potentially going back to an SUV when we need to get another vehicle, which I wouldn't have necessarily thought I would do.

 

With both sets of parents in town here, it may actually come in handy to have something with a third row, so I will probably look into vehicles with that capability.

I would never buy a honda SUV ever again, the 4WD is crap IMO and the build quality was s***ty. My wife's cherokee is 200% better than her CRV

[Chisoxfn]

I would never buy a honda SUV ever again, the 4WD is crap IMO and the build quality was s***ty. My wife's cherokee is 200% better than her CRV

I have the exact opposite impression. My Pilot has 175,000 miles and outside of getting rear ended a few months back which is what made us relegate it to basically just 3rd car that is a junker, it is the only issue we had. I've known multiple people with Jeeps and I don't know one person who kept one for any extended time who didn't have issues and that included major issues. Even my dad, who loves his Limited, Diesel Jeep (1.5 years old now with about 40K miles), has had quite a few issues (he still loves it) but it is stuff I would have been annoyed about if I owned the car (by the way, my fear with owning my Hyundai is these same sorts of build quality issues which usually you never identify until you own a car for at least a few years).

 

I will say Jeeps drive very nice and are really really beautiful cars. If you are doing real 4x4 I would also agree...I wouldn't buy a Honda if I needed legit offroading (just not at all in there wheel house). Jeeps off-road functionality is second to none when it comes to that....and if i was going luxury, I'd go with Audi AWD or Volvo's SUV with All wheeler drive. That new Volvo SUV is absolutely amazing (If I wasn't such a tight wad, I'd look at it as our eventual replacement for our highlander).

[Chisoxfn]

Jim...since I blasted you earlier on your F150 comment, I should point out, I absolutely love how trucks ride. Albeit, if money was no matter, I'd go with the Tundra, but F150's are really nice vehicles, imo. I prefer the more truck riding SUV's as well to the car based versions, but that is more because I like sitting higher, etc.

[RockRaines]

I have the exact opposite impression. My Pilot has 175,000 miles and outside of getting rear ended a few months back which is what made us relegate it to basically just 3rd car that is a junker, it is the only issue we had. I've known multiple people with Jeeps and I don't know one person who kept one for any extended time who didn't have issues and that included major issues. Even my dad, who loves his Limited, Diesel Jeep (1.5 years old now with about 40K miles), has had quite a few issues (he still loves it) but it is stuff I would have been annoyed about if I owned the car (by the way, my fear with owning my Hyundai is these same sorts of build quality issues which usually you never identify until you own a car for at least a few years).

 

I will say Jeeps drive very nice and are really really beautiful cars. If you are doing real 4x4 I would also agree...I wouldn't buy a Honda if I needed legit offroading (just not at all in there wheel house). Jeeps off-road functionality is second to none when it comes to that....and if i was going luxury, I'd go with Audi AWD or Volvo's SUV with All wheeler drive. That new Volvo SUV is absolutely amazing (If I wasn't such a tight wad, I'd look at it as our eventual replacement for our highlander).

I should have clarified 2013 and later jeeps. And my only experience is with the Crv which sucked royal balls. People seem to love the pilot. The GC didn't get good until Mercedes built it.

[Texsox]

I have driven my FIL's F150 and I absolutely hated it. It is like driving a tank. It loud and bulky, and not user friendly.

 

I'm not certain why it would be loud. Mine is quieter inside and out than most tinny compacts. They are large and take some getting use to. It helps that here there are so many being driven that parking lots are basically designed to allow bigger vehicles. I usually will back into most parking spots so the back up camera is a big help. And user friendly? Mine has nice big controls so driving with gloves on is easy. Voice activated most everything works nice. Lots of steering wheel controls, etc.

 

Are you certain it wasn't just driving a strange vehicle for the first time?

 

 

[Texsox]

Jim...since I blasted you earlier on your F150 comment, I should point out, I absolutely love how trucks ride. Albeit, if money was no matter, I'd go with the Tundra, but F150's are really nice vehicles, imo. I prefer the more truck riding SUV's as well to the car based versions, but that is more because I like sitting higher, etc.

I thought it was hilarious

 

The built in San Antonio, Texas Tundra is a very nice truck. If their dealers were better at internet sales I would have given them a better look. But they would not even quote me a price, I had to come to the dealer ship. For passenger comfort I just don't see how anyone could prefer a sitting on the floor with no legroom car over a crew cab truck. But Texas roads are wider, our distances between towns is greater, and like I mentioned earlier, the state is basically set up for Suburbans and pickups so parking isn't a problem.

[southsider2k5]

I'm not certain why it would be loud. Mine is quieter inside and out than most tinny compacts. They are large and take some getting use to. It helps that here there are so many being driven that parking lots are basically designed to allow bigger vehicles. I usually will back into most parking spots so the back up camera is a big help. And user friendly? Mine has nice big controls so driving with gloves on is easy. Voice activated most everything works nice. Lots of steering wheel controls, etc.

 

Are you certain it wasn't just driving a strange vehicle for the first time?

 

It was 5 or 6 years old and had none of that stuff on it.

[Texsox]

It was 5 or 6 years old and had none of that stuff on it.

 

The past couple design changes have given the crew cab pickups more car-like interiors. There still are the single bench seat, big bed, HD work trucks out there. But the super crew F150s are really more like passenger vehicles today than the trucks of old. There is a driving adjustment to rear wheel drive and maneuvering a big vehicle is different. But you just can't beat the ride of a long, wide wheelbase while sitting up above most other vehicles on the road. The roomy interiors make long driving trips a joy. A full size adult can cross and uncross their legs in the backseat without hitting the seat in front of them.

[iamshack]

Ordered a 2017 Audi Q7 the other day. Should be here in 3-4 months.

 

Test drove one last week and was sold.

 

Some awesome tech in this vehicle. Can't wait!