The cars and bikes thread!

[Raza]

haha, all very persuasive points!

And you know, the interest is still there. I think I need a proper garage first, though. The MGB was a ton of fun - but in an apartment with a dim garage half the fun was gone. When we get a house - I can see something else getting in there... lots of time to think. And I'm half tempted by the new 5.0 L Mustangs... and that ND Miata is... wow. Love at first sight.

It's funny, I don't like the newest Mustang as much as the outgoing one, but the ND (and the Fiat version as well) is a very attractive proposition.

For now, though, I have a plan:

1. Finish law school and get a job
2. Buy Evo X or 2011-2014 STI sedan (hatch is a maybe) for bad weather commuting
3. When I finish paying off my credit cards and the like, upgrade my E85 Z4 3.0i to an E85 Z4 M Roadster

[Raza]

Right, just thinking that something might possibly be leaking - a hose, etc up front...but I always worry about stuff like that

Many, you worry too much. You know how I take my mind off these things? I pull my car into the garage, close it, and just take a nap while listening to the gentle hum of the idling engine. Do that, and it'll take all worries out of your head.

[93EXCivic]

It's funny, I don't like the newest Mustang as much as the outgoing one, but the ND (and the Fiat version as well) is a very attractive proposition.

For now, though, I have a plan:

1. Finish law school and get a job
2. Buy Evo X or 2011-2014 STI sedan (hatch is a maybe) for bad weather commuting
3. When I finish paying off my credit cards and the like, upgrade my E85 Z4 3.0i to an E85 Z4 M Roadster

Totally agree on the Mustang. The last one was the best looking Mustang since the '60s. The new one is meh.

Do the Evo X. They have been holding their value better, are way better looking and seem to have fewer problem but to be honest most of what I know about the two cars is from people have tuned them. The STi seems to like to blow up a lot...
The only worry with the EVO X is, is Mitsubishi still going to be around in the US?

[mlcor]

As a diesel driver, I'm now starting to wonder if there are any immediate dangers in driving these cars, given that they pollute more than they say. For example, as a driver, am I at risk breathing these noxious fumes in the cabin on a daily basis, say through the heater vent? Sometimes, I feel like I can smell something coming through, though not sure what. Or when I roll down the window to stick my head out of the window to back out of my steep, long twisty driveway. Am i being paranoid?

I had my reservations going diesel, one of them being that in America they only come in Auto trans, the Audis anyway, but I was skeptical about how clean it was also. Ultimately I decided that the gas mileage and the engine life were worth the other minor shortcomings...BUT...now, it just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

I suspect that the emissions levels of those cars are still far, far lower than a diesel of 20 or 30 years ago, and far, far lower than those of current diesel trucks. Also, emissions standards in the US are much tougher than in Europe--that's why they can fix it with software in Europe without significant compromise of fuel economy or performance, but they are going to have far more trouble in the US. There's a reason why every single other diesel car in the US has a urea system...there's no way to meet the standards here without one, at least not without seriously compromising economy and performance.

Bottom line, other than feeling guilty for spewing more emissions than the government mandates, to the extent that makes you feel guilty, I wouldn't worry about it.

P.S. The above should in no way be read as excusing VW's conduct, which was reprehensible.

[Raza]

Do the Evo X. They have been holding their value better, are way better looking and seem to have fewer problem. The only worry with that one is, is Mitsubishi still going to be around in the US?

That is a worry. Also, I really want the premium package one, with a stick, leather, and a sunroof. The rarity of that package may push me to the STI.

[93EXCivic]

I suspect that the emissions levels of those cars are still far, far lower than a diesel of 20 or 30 years ago, .

Having owned a '70s MB non-turbo diesel there is so much truth to this.

Also it was the slowest car



Having owned that and driven modern TDis, I am never buying a diesel again. I need an engine that revs.



Rotaries and screaming VTECs are the best.

[93EXCivic]

That is a worry. Also, I really want the premium package one, with a stick, leather, and a sunroof. The rarity of that package may push me to the STI.

The EVO X always makes my flutter a little everytime I see one in a way even most Ferraris don't. They are such good looking car.

I am the opposite though as far as what I would want in one though. I'd want a stick in the most stripped out one possible.

[thewalrus]

The EVO X always makes my flutter a little everytime I see one in a way even most Ferraris don't. They are such good looking car.

I am the opposite though as far as what I would want in one though. I'd want a stick in the most stripped out one possible.

A friend of mine has an EVO X. Such a fantastic car. A hot, AWD hatch (or even better, a wagon) would be just about perfect for me. When I bought the 3, I looked quite hard for something like that - preowned WRX was the only thing that really popped onto my radar. Sadly the new ones are sedan only. And finding an unmolested, low mileage, preowned one (that wasn't outrageously priced) was hell of a task.

[Seriously]

[Raza]

The EVO X always makes my flutter a little everytime I see one in a way even most Ferraris don't. They are such good looking car.

I am the opposite though as far as what I would want in one though. I'd want a stick in the most stripped out one possible.

Well, in this scenario, I still have a Z4, and then eventually an M Roadster. So I'm not looking for my fixed roof car to be crazy hardcore. I want something I can drive in snow and take to the shops without worrying about whether everything in the shopping cart will fit in the trunk (I just came back from Sam's, it's a real worry). It has to be a manual, AWD strongly preferred, and it needs a harder edge than your basic Audi. And as I discovered driving my brother's S4, I very much prefer a mechanical handbrake.

That leads me to the Evo, STI, and WRX. But since I'm going used, the WRX is sort of a distant third. GTI (new) and whatever Golf R is available at the time is also a possibility (much more grown up than the other two, but also very rare unless they change it in the future).

As for the leather and sunroof...well, I hate cloth seats and I'm a convertible driver--a car with a steel roof that doesn't let any light in would feel like a cage. I've never owned a fixed roof car without a sunroof or leather (or leatherette, which is fine by me). Just can't do cloth and steel. I don't smoke in fixed roof cars, but still, the discomfort of cloth and the fact that it picks up every smell is annoying. I MIGHT be able to deal with it in these cars, but no sunroof is a deal breaker for sure.