Car Talk Topic

[Sean O'God]

Back on the Taycan, it seems the EPA range is conservative. owners are getting ~250 miles range even in poor conditions. So Porsches are not only underrated in horsepower and acceleration figures, but also now range lol

 

I like the Roma's styling a lot. I thought the Portofino was good looking until the Roma came out, and looking back the Portofino looks messy and cheap in comparison.

The Roma's simpler, more classic styling is easier on my eyes and a welcome departure from the extreme overly-angular design trends out right now. As for whether it looks like an Aston or not, I don't think it does and even if it did I wouldn't care. Hopefully down the line once the Roma ages and stops being evaluated against the rivals of its time, people will drop their comparisons to Aston and just appreciate the car for what it is.

[Tchuck]

The Taycan is an absolute machine. It has the Porsche quality and luxury in it. And apparently drives so damn well. Curious to see how Tesla will react, now that the big carmakers are coming in to eat their lunch.

[Sean O'God]

Shortly after the Taycan took the electric 4-door street legal Ring record Tesla sent up a couple of 3-motor Model S prototypes for testing and lap runs. The cars had widened fenders, a more aggressive tire compound, and various bits of aero varying from a lip spoiler to a wing. 

By the end of it the 3-motor Model S reportedly ran an unofficial time of 7:13 but that was a Bridge-to-Gantry run and not the full-length course. Whatever tech Tesla is developing right now is supposedly going to end up in a track-focused performance trim of the outgoing Model S called the 'P100D+ Plaid.' But I'm doubtful they'll out-Porsche Porsche on the Ring with anything production-ready any time soon - especially one that doesn't overheat after a few laps. Even if Tesla does it may not matter since the current Model S is old news and regardless of outcome Porsche has the better car.

[Misumi]

Anyone have experience with the 2007+ Mazda 3 Hatchback? I'm looking at getting one. It's got 130,000 miles. It looks okay, but really I just need it for hauling my dog around.

[sivispacem]

7 hours ago, KDA said:

Anyone have experience with the 2007+ Mazda 3 Hatchback? I'm looking at getting one. It's got 130,000 miles. It looks okay, but really I just need it for hauling my dog around.

I think they're basically the same as that era Focus underneath- so if nothing else they'll be a pretty decent drive for a midsized hatch.

[Misumi]

I heard both Focuses and Fiestas suck on the reliability front. Not that I'm not expecting a perfect car at that mileage, but something that is on the road more than in the shop would be nice. For this reason I'm mostly looking at Toyota/Honda/Mazda. Apparently, nearly everything else is known for absolute sh*t reliability here in the US.

 

I just had a look at it and it looked decent. Some tiny rust spots were developing on the A-pillar and at the top of the front windshield. Nothing major, but I did read that the Mazdas are notorious for rusting. Interior seems better than the alternative, which would be a similar year Toyota Prius. 

[Lurch]

If you're having trouble with 2007+ Mazda 3's rusting, I'd hate to live where you live. My mom has an 06 2.3 and it's been decent. On its second engine though but I think that's more because your average woman is terrible about maintenance.  If I had to do it again, I'd put the 2nd gens 2.5 in it. Better all around engine (and an easy swap in a 1st gen). Got a friend that has a 2.5 first gen and it's a pretty solid all around car. And if you want to do fun stuff, the aftermarket is decent and they can fit a good amount of wheel/tire up front. 

 

In other news, went and picked up a 01 MR2 Spyder for my dad.

Really like these cars. Some things I like about them more than my Miata. Not a huge fan of the electric PS though. Or PS in general in a car like this. 

Edited January 19, 2020 by Lurch

[Misumi]

The rust wasn't too bad. It's not the typical "salted road" rust where you see fenders and rocker panels literally rusting off. The rust I was seeing was along the A-pillar and roof. It looked like small rock chips where spots of rust had formed. It was not noticeable until I put my head right up against it. I live in California (Silicon Valley), and cars here do not typically rust.

 

I ended up not buying it and bought a Kia Soul instead. Easy to work on, relatively reliable, and had Bluetooth connectivity. Couldn't really ask for more for a beater car. The only thing is now I've got 3 crossovers/SUVs.  Not that two crossovers + a Mazda hatchback would have been much better.

[Lurch]

I don't think there's a car for sale right now that I hate more than the Kia Soul. A rental car place tried to get em one a couple years ago in Philly, and I told them I "didn't want that fecking hamster car" and they gave me a Toyota Corolla instead. 

[Misumi]

 Sorry you hate hamsters so much.

 

The Soul never crossed my mind initially (and neither did the similar car Scion xB), but after seeing it at the dealership, the car was perfect for what I needed it to do. It's almost like a hatchback. The rear bumper is plastic, so my husky won't scratch any paint. The rear is quite roomy. And it came with a roof rack. I think at the price range I was looking at, there was no better car to get. A wagon would have been nice, but the choices for wagons here were terrible. I looked at the Audi A3, but they were all beat up with interiors that were falling apart. Not to mention they were all around the 2006 MY.

 

If there is another car you would have recommended, I'm all ears. No American cars, because I believe they are 100% garbage. I looked at Focus and Fiesta and the automatic transmissions were junk for the generations I looked at. I didn't bother with manual transmissions because I don't want to deal with that anymore. Keep in mind I used to own a fully built 500HP+ Evo with a stroker and a 35R, so it's not like I can't drive manual transmissions. I've just gotten over sports cars.

 

My other two cars are a 2017 Lexus RX and a 2017 BMW X1 (which was actually supposed to be my beater). And now a 2014 Kia Soul beater. Given all that information, if you know another car that would match up better with what I already have, I'll sell the Kia Soul.

 

My only requirements:

- The car is for my dog, not for me. I don't need something sporty, just something practical.

- Plastic bumpers are nice, so my husky won't scratch paint jumping in the back.

- Good reliability

- Good gas mileage

- Easy to work on

- Not a crap American car

- Not a crap Subaru with their headgasket problems

- Not a crap Volkswagen

- Absolutely NO NISSANS. CVT sucks, and Nissan CVT is even worse.

- No manual transmissions

- Nothing over 150,000 miles

- Nothing older than year 2012

- No sedans, coupes, vans, or trucks

- Bluetooth/phone connectivity preferred

- Must have power doors/windows and keyless entry

- Budget $5,000

I got a 2014 Kia Soul (Plus model with the 2.0) with 119,000 miles, one owner, clean title (no damage/accidents), meticulous service history for $4,999. The KBB and Carfax for this car were in the $8,000 range. That is why I jumped on this deal, and I would actually make a profit if I sold this car today.

[Outcast]

I bought an FJ Cruiser for my dogs. Smells absolutely terrible now though and there is fur literally everywhere.

 

Had it deep cleaned a couple months ago and replaced the AC filter as the FJ automatically defaults to recirculation when the AC is on. Was fine for a couple weeks but now it smells worse than ever.

 

But yeah, meets most of your requirements! 

Edited January 21, 2020 by Outcast

[Misumi]

FJ Cruisers are terrific cars. They are unfortunately around $25-30,000 here for a decent one. Really wish I'd bought one a long time ago.

 

The only alternative one within the same price range (which actually was designed for dogs) would have been the Honda Element. But I figured between an old Element or a newer Soul, I'd rather take the newer car. All of the Honda Elements I was seeing had much higher miles as well.

[Outcast]

Ah right, thats about on par with what I paid for a used one over here. Just thought that import taxes (mine came from Dubai I believe as Toyota never brought them over here) added to the cost. Didn't know they were also that expensive in the US. 

[uNi]

Gearbox went on the Astra, put a second hand one in, now it's the clutch playing.

 

I'm so done with it I don't think I can't even bother put it for sale.

[Misumi]

Do BMW 8 speed transmissions shift into neutral when coasting? I'm driving along at 70-75MPH and the engine is sitting at 700-800rpm.

[sivispacem]

34 minutes ago, KDA said:

Do BMW 8 speed transmissions shift into neutral when coasting?

Yes, they do. Certainly mine does anyway, but I think the decision is influenced by things like input from the nav as it won't coast on the approach to junctions or up hills.

Don't think it will coast at all in M/S mode or with the car in Sport/Sport+ either. Or when cruise control is engaged. Seems to only be Comfort and Eco Pro.

[Zello]

The 1999-2004 Mustang

 

I used to find these things ugly now for some reason I want one.

[jpm1]

guys i found a cool wallpaper, but i can't find the brand, and model. any idea?

Edited February 22, 2020 by jpm1

[Misumi]

2016-2018 Chevrolet Camaro 

 

[jpm1]

probably, yeah. Thx.

[jpm1]

a guy turns his 352 hp SLK into a gullwing. The result is pretty amazing if you ask me

https://www.carscoops.com/2017/02/this-mercedes-slk32-amg-has-old-soul/

[sivispacem]

It's a good attempt but those wheels do it no favours and the proportions are a bit off.

[jpm1]

i find these rims great personnally. sport, and light, what else? . i believe tastes for such things change with every user

[sivispacem]

They'd look fine on an SLK32, but look wrong on a 300SL.

[Outcast]

I agree with Sivis. Those rims are too anachronistic.

[Lurch]

No way those wheels are light either. I'm not sure I've ever seen an OEM Merc wheel I'd consider light for its size. OEM wheels are usually pretty terrible in that regard, especially for German cars. 

Edited February 29, 2020 by Lurch

[QuackinAColdOne]

To those of you that own dashcams, I have an Apeman c420 and for some reason the recording is all messed up. I keep it recording all the time on 3 minute loops, and when I plugged the SD card into my computer, there were videos but they were mostly random and not sequential and not everything during my trips was recording. I remember there was an incident where I wanted to go over the video but it was never there, except the video directly after the incident was available.

 

Anybody have experience with this?

[CRAZY AL WARD]

Hi, it's been a while since i posted here

 

No, i don't have a dashcam so i can't help you there, @gagemb9918

But, what i Do have is a picture i want to show of that's car talk related.

 

This is my uncle's Home-made Tractor

He built this thing around late 1990s-early 2000s with Nothing but scrap parts.

Impressive, isn't it?

 

Enjoy this beautiful sight of Canadian enginuity.

[Flachbau]

I need a Jimny in my life so bad. It is an absolute shame there's no demand for it stateside. I'm gutted.

 

[jpm1]

Hi, are these rims reinforced rims for offroading, or is it just something cosmetic