The cars and bikes thread!

[thewalrus]

I mean, an 850R, S60R, V70R, yeah, those are cool (though I don't think we ever got the 850R with a stick in the US, which is annoying), and some older Volvos are cool too, but ever since the China takeover, modern Volvos have lost their allure.

My friend had an S60 T5 before getting a Volkswagen CC. While he really enjoyed the S60, he loves his CC. The S60 was kind of fragile and very expensive to fix.

VW lost me forever with the TDI issue. And I'm digging the newest Volvos. Though I'll always prefer a boxy Volvo design to the newer swoop looks. Part of why my wife's appeals to me. I can't speak of the S60, but the XC70 definitely doesn't feel fragile, and the reviews I've read seem to back that up - though, like all European cars I'm sure it'll be pricy to maintain. Still. The room, the interior quality, the performance, all fantastic in my mind. I'm done with coupes and convertibles and sports cars for now. We need two vehicles that we can throw bikes and scuba gear and tents and kayaks in. The Mazda 3 can do that for me. But the XC70 seems like it was custom designed for that kind of use.

[Raza]

VW lost me forever with the TDI issue. And I'm digging the newest Volvos. Though I'll always prefer a boxy Volvo design to the newer swoop looks. Part of why my wife's appeals to me. I can't speak of the S60, but the XC70 definitely doesn't feel fragile, and the reviews I've read seem to back that up - though, like all European cars I'm sure it'll be pricy to maintain. Still. The room, the interior quality, the performance, all fantastic in my mind. I'm done with coupes and convertibles and sports cars for now. We need two vehicles that we can throw bikes and scuba gear and tents and kayaks in. The Mazda 3 can do that for me. But the XC70 seems like it was custom designed for that kind of use.

The TDI issue is a really weak one to get upset about, I'll be honest. They got around testing procedures that everyone tries get around, and people got better gas mileage because of it (and slightly worse emissions). It's really a nonissue in my book. And not anything less than any other manufacturer would try to get away with if they could.

[scottjc]

The TDI issue is a really weak one to get upset about, I'll be honest. They got around testing procedures that everyone tries get around, and people got better gas mileage because of it (and slightly worse emissions). It's really a nonissue in my book. And not anything less than any other manufacturer would try to get away with if they could.

I agree. I recently took delivery of my Passat with the new generation TDI engine and it is extremely impressive.

[geoffbot]

Yeah I'd buy another vdub +that issue bothered me not one bit

[gnuyork]

I'm done with coupes and convertibles and sports cars for now.

[Domo]

I've always been a bit of a Volvo fan. I can't believe they canned the C30, the post update 2.5L one was the coolest/best looking hatch you could buy.

[thewalrus]

The TDI issue is a really weak one to get upset about, I'll be honest. They got around testing procedures that everyone tries get around, and people got better gas mileage because of it (and slightly worse emissions). It's really a nonissue in my book. And not anything less than any other manufacturer would try to get away with if they could.

Not a chance. They lied to my face about what the car did, they sold it on merits that didn't exist, and the emissions were not slightly worse, they were significantly worse. it's a huge issue for me, and it always will be.

Also - not everyone tried to get around those testing procedures. Mazda, for one, couldn't get a diesel engine to work without expensive urea equipment. So they gave up trying and developed alternatives. They didn't develop a cheat code that faked out testing equipment. Other companies faced similar facts and simply didn't bring cheap diesel engines to the North American market. And you can't tell me that any of these companies couldn't have pulled the same BS that VW did - if they wanted to badly enough. VW isn't that much more sophisticated with their engine software.

[thewalrus]

I've always been a bit of a Volvo fan. I can't believe they canned the C30, the post update 2.5L one was the coolest/best looking hatch you could buy.

Poked around for a used one for a while - but they're pretty rare up here. Especially with a stick shift - which is what I would have wanted since it was available with one.

[thewalrus]

Yeah - it kinda sucks - but we just don't have a space for one anymore. When we get an actual house, and there's a spot for a third car, I can definitely see myself getting a little used Miata, or another classic. But for at least the next couple years I'm going to be roughing it with a 5 door hatch and a wagon. The 3 is pretty fun to drive, though, all things considered. Responsive handling. No power, though.

[Raza]

Not a chance. They lied to my face about what the car did, they sold it on merits that didn't exist, and the emissions were not slightly worse, they were significantly worse. it's a huge issue for me, and it always will be.

Also - not everyone tried to get around those testing procedures. Mazda, for one, couldn't get a diesel engine to work without expensive urea equipment. So they gave up trying and developed alternatives. They didn't develop a cheat code that faked out testing equipment. Other companies faced similar facts and simply didn't bring cheap diesel engines to the North American market. And you can't tell me that any of these companies couldn't have pulled the same BS that VW did - if they wanted to badly enough. VW isn't that much more sophisticated with their engine software.

You have a higher opinion of companies than I do. The only reason they didn't cheat is because they couldn't figure out how.

I think you're taking it a bit personally, wouldn't you say? They cheated a test to get possibly too-stringent regulations. Toyota and GM have deaths on their hands. GM has a lot, actually. Less recently, so did Ford. Honda spent YEARS covering up massive transmission failures that left their customers stranded and on the hook for brand new transmissions, because of a poor design.

Cars are complicated machinery subject to complicate laws. There isn't a single company that makes cars that hasn't had ****ups in their past.