I bought a new car (the "I wanna be like Gugs" thread)...

[lurch70]

ok whatever ... just don't get a MINI.

 

[dorian gray]

Why?

 

[lurch70]

because of you really wanted one ... there would be no second choice

plus ... it really would be 2 small for too kids.

 

[dorian gray]

Goddamit!

Time to look at vans.

 

[einride]

Is there a make these days that doesn't break down by 50,000 miles?

i don't think so bro

shit's made to break, or if it's not actually made to break, it's made of so many god damn components it's just inevitably going to fail horribly

new cars are stupid shit, just like new almost anythings


why can't anyone make a basic, robust car without dumb bullshit, but with some of the modern advances in safety etc.

 

[lurch70]

Miller, if you are going to blow big bucks on an out of warranty car that could give you out of pocket headaches after a week ... why didn't you just keep the Ranger and fix it?

 

[einride]

also for what it's worth i think the c30 has a particularly poor reputation re: reliability (folks talk a lot about volvo in sweden)

big volvos have always been good, small volvos have always been dumb and stupid


edit: never mind, looks like i was thinking of the s40. the s40 is the crappy one

 

[dorian gray]

@Erik: I agree with ya. The improvements in safety (merely a perception?) and the inherent electrical complexity cause lots of repair headaches but even more responsible are the emissions controls. I'm all for a cleaner environment and whatnot but when it costs $350 just to fucking find a LEAK in the EVAP system things are getting ridiculous.

Regarding reliability: back in the late 80s and early 90s, Toyota was actually over-engineering their cars. I saw a documentary on it once. They would do stuff like paint the inside of the bumpers. Their cars were lasting so long that they were losing new costumers and actually had to bring their quality down a few notches. I found that fascinating. From personal experience, I remember friends in high school owning Corollas and Camrys and I hated them because their fucking cars simply WOULD NOT BREAK. Meanwhile, I was driving an Escort GT, quite possibly the worst car ever built.

Re: C30. Thanks for the tip. The C30 and S40 are essentially the same car and probably have the same problems.

@Aurel: Where did I mention buying an out of warranty car? I can't remember. Are you talking about the PMs I sent you? Just curious. I'm really thinking of buying a new car, maybe even leasing one and just figuring on having a small car payment for the rest of my life. I'm too busy to have shit breaking on me. The Ranger, btw, is basically a two seater. The wife and I currently live in the same house so we can get by with having just one family car but it won't be that way for long.

AND speaking of the family car: whilst posting earlier I got a call from the wife saying the Subaru broke down HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHDashfasdjfadsjhfasdkjfhskdfhaksdhfakjsdfd...fuck
The starter gave out. So...we can barely communicate without a mediator and yet here we are, sharing one car. And it's not even ours. We had to borrow her Mom's Volvo haha

dorian gets a new car tomorrow.

 

[lurch70]

yeah, some 7 years ago I found an 1993 Corolla in "lung" color as i'd like to call it ... it was for a friend of mine.
the bastard I think only changed the battery in it since then. best $2500 he ever spent. he still buys me drinks because of it.

i don't know where I got the out of warranty idea ... i guess from the pm's.

but this thought is golden ...

even leasing one and just figuring on having a small car payment for the rest of my life.

i make a $470/month payment on my financed MINI, but a $199 a month lease is looking super awesome right now.

 

[dorian gray]

lol@ "lung"

goddam! $470/month?! I wonder what Adrian's new payment is
Yeah, $200 sounds great. $300 is about all I'm willing to spend no matter how much money I make. You can lease a GTI for $300 a month right now. You can also get a Golf (non-TDi) for 0% for 34423452352435 months

 

[dorian gray]

1993 Corolla .

lol YES that's the exact year I'm thinking about when I picture a particular friend's car although by that time it must've been a few years old. Maybe a '90. Anyway, I used to try and sabotage it. It would piss me off to no end that it was so boring it didn't even have a fucking FM radio but shit like the heater would break on my Escort. THE HEATER.

 

[einride]

Regarding reliability: back in the late 80s and early 90s, Toyota was actually over-engineering their cars. I saw a documentary on it once. They would do stuff like paint the inside of the bumpers. Their cars were lasting so long that they were losing new costumers and actually had to bring their quality down a few notches. I found that fascinating.

yeppers

i drive a $500 car, a 1988 audi 100 avant (what you overseas folks would call an audi 5000) which has over 20000 miles (30000 km) on it -- not sure about the mileage because not only has a previous owner rolled it back about 10000 miles, the odometer is now broken so yeah, i have no idea but it is a lot

it has had 12 owners or something, and has obviously been abused by some of them. there is no service history, probably been thrown away fifteen years ago. when i changed the oil it was blacker than the blackest pitch ever. there was dust and bird crap all over it and the paint was duller than plastic nathrakh, but i gave it a good rinse, scrub and wax, and now it has a healthy shine to it, with the occasional rust spots (battle scars give it personality don't ya know)

but yeah. the point is after 22 years of being shifted around between various young first-car owners and not even being serviced correctly, pretty much everything still works and it just runs better and is smoother, quieter and cheaper to drive than i think it has any right to. you can sort of feel the aura of german precision and efficiency emanating all over the place. i get the feeling from the manual and from looking under the hood that at one time, people actually were less cynical and were trying to make a car that was DESIGNED to last for 30+ years with (or actually, even WITHOUT) proper maintenance. which is a very novel concept

nowadays, a car is really cool for the first five years, but when little shit starts breaking on a computer car and the repairs cost $1000+ each, the glamour wears off fast. shit just don't age gracefully these days. really, i will be interested to see how many of today's computer cars are even drivable in 22 years

you know what else is great about buying a $500 car? working cars just don't drop below $500, so i'm going to come out of this financially unscathed as long as i keep it running. worst case scenario, i have to scrap it and buy another $500 car. best case scenario, i sell it in better condition than i bought it in (it's already there) and actually make some money. for now, though, i'm leaning towards keeping her FOREVER because i love this car

AND speaking of the family car: whilst posting earlier I got a call from the wife saying the Subaru broke down HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHDashfasdjfadsjhfasdkjfhskdfhaksdhf akjsdfd...fuck
The starter gave out. So...we can barely communicate without a mediator and yet here we are, sharing one car. And it's not even ours. We had to borrow her Mom's Volvo haha

it's almost comical how life is shitting all over you these days. hope you get out of all this shit alright

 

[dorian gray]

Thanks, man. It will be OK with time....I presume.

Glad the Audi is working out for you. I know and agree with what you're saying about $500 cars. I would totally go this route, especially considering I have a garage and a million tools, but one of my job requirements is that I have very reliable transportation. I suppose I could have a whole *fleet* of $500 cars to choose from when one doesn't start

 

[dorian gray]

Currently e-negotiating on a Jetta Limited Edition. It's cracking me up because they'll do anything to suck you into the dealer in person. I'm literally going to try and do the entire thing without getting off my ass. I'm going to have them deliver the car to my front door haha.
Hmm...ok, that's if I can afford it.

 

[General Zod]

Currently e-negotiating on a Jetta Limited Edition. It's cracking me up because they'll do anything to suck you into the dealer in person. I'm literally going to try and do the entire thing without getting off my ass. I'm going to have them deliver the car to my front door haha.

Don't do it. Somewhere earlier in this thread, I mentioned buying a VW GLI (which in and of itself is a limited version of the Jetta). I have owned many cars, my many manufacturers, and a VW is the only one I would never buy again. Shit is always rattling. The dealer is capable of fixing nothing, until the 3rd attempt. It's boring and uninspired. Thank goat the lease expires in March.

 

[dorian gray]

Thanks for the heads up. The only problem is that every other car manufacturer puts out pieces of shit too. It's a matter of picking your poison.

 

[dorian gray]

Oh, and the Jetta has really high safety scores. That's usually a trump card for me. I could get a new MINI for the same price and have something fun but the lurch70 recommended against it, with my two children and all.

 

[lurch70]

Don't do it. Somewhere earlier in this thread, I mentioned buying a VW GLI (which in and of itself is a limited version of the Jetta). I have owned many cars, my many manufacturers, and a VW is the only one I would never buy again. Shit is always rattling. The dealer is capable of fixing nothing, until the 3rd attempt. It's boring and uninspired. Thank goat the lease expires in March.

I can see the rattles and such, but boring and uninspired on a Euro car is hard to fathom.
I did hear about the inability/refusal to deal with even simple issues from VW dealers before though.

so what's next for you Greg?

 

[lurch70]

I could get a new MINI for the same price and have something fun but the lurch70 recommended against it, with my two children and all.

i was half kidding. You can get 2 kids in there and they will love the ride.
also if you want to experience world class service for a relatively low priced car ... well, they'll spoil you.

 

[dorian gray]

*Now* he tells me

I *do* think the MINI would get old the first time I needed to stuff Anders's hockey equipment in it.