Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Sliver

This is exactly why North America doesn't get wagons. Nobody actually likes them (even though they say they do). The Magnum is what an affordable wagon is. Yeah, I've driven one. Mushy feeling, but still better than every single crossover ever. Throw snowboards and gear in the back like nothing. Seat four adults in total comfort. Cruise down the highway comfortably with that soft suspension. Mega cheap to buy. It's not an E-Class; it's a wagon almost anyone of us could get into brand new. At the end of the day it's a Dodge, but if the other automakers made a comparable car you'd have wicked wagons out there. Dodge proved there isn't a market, though. People rather have a Nissan Rogue or a Toyota Highlander than a wagon.

True to some degree. I think the consumer is definitely more likely to buy want an SUV over a wagon and this is largely because of marketing. That being said, I don't think the Magnum was really the definition of an affordable wagon. At that time there were two main competitors that were in the same price range and were much better vehicles (Jetta wagon and Mazda 6 wagon maybe even the Passat wagon.) Prior to the Magnum there was also the Saturn L and S wagons and I would argue that those two vehicles were better executed than the Magnum although the Saturn was truly an economical offering so it is somewhat tough to compare directly to the Magnum.

[Erick Estrada]

The Subaru Outback seems to be the only successful mainstream wagon and that has a lot to do with the mild lift and reputation as an outdoorsy vehicle. It seems like every 5th vehicle in Montana is an Outback.

[Wormius]

It's too bad Subaru discontinued most of their wagons. The Legacy was a nice vehicle.

[edslunch]

I have a couple of vehicles I want to move on from....one a 2005 family van that's given us everything and more, still runs fine, has some wear and tear inside, a bit of rust outside, and some oil leaks that need repair for probably more $ than it's worth. The other a 2008 german sports sedan, a true joy to drive, but apparently the model's history of timing chain issues make it toxic to sell (so says every single person who as replied to my ads) and now it has some rust perforation which is doubly toxic.

What are my options for disposing of such vehicles? I assume I would be laughed off the lot if I try to trade them in? I could advertise super cheap / as-is, take them to the scrap yard, donate to kidney foundation, ...? Is there any reasonable way to recover a few bucks?

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Did you ever drive one? I had one as a rental, and it was a miserable POS. It had blind spots everywhere, and you could barely see out the slit of a window at the back. I hated that thing.

I used to sell them. The only time a Magnum was really palatable was in RT or SRT trim, because the power and suspension changes managed to outweigh the rest of the poor experience. The Base and SXT (2.7L V6 and 3.5L V6) models were slow and uneconomical, the suspension was wobbly and boat-like.

As bad-ass as it looked from the outside in Brilliant Black Crystal Pearlcoat or Inferno Red Tinted Pearlcoat in RT or better, the interior trim was of woeful quality and feel. I mean, just look at it. I still remember remarking "That looks super sick" then opening the door and thinking "well, I guess now I know where the design budget didn't go". It was still a step up in construction quality for Chrysler at the time who were producing hollow plastic interiors like in the SX 2.0 and Sebring, but the interior was all sharp angles and flat surfaces, like the ergonomics were simulated using models with a polygon count reminsicent of those in NHL 98.

Spoiler!

"Hooray, someone finally thought of us when designing a car interior!" - Igor Larionov, Detroit Red Wings

As was mentioned DownhillGoat said, Chrysler's execution was poor on an otherwise great idea. Mercedes, BMW, Audi, VW, etc. don't seem to have issues selling wagons.

[speede5]

I owned a Magnum for better part of a year and really liked it. It wasn't perfect but it was quite a good setup, If they had carried it through to a second gen they probably could have nailed it. Really would like to drive an SRT version.

[Slava]

I've pretty much decided to move along from my SUV to a car. The thing is, I don't know what to go with. I just want a really nice car and something that I will drive year-round. I do want to be able to throw some gear in the back and do things (golf/hiking/fishing/etc).

Car shopping is just painful. Ideally here, I could take a day and go in to check out a few different dealers and see what makes the most sense. But with a car that seems impossible; you can't get a price easily (like an actual price, not the MSRP). Then I have a vehicle to trade-in and obviously that complicates things. Even once I decide it's the "let me check with my managers" and the "do you want extra features?" and then half the features are things you obviously want. It's just such a grind for a deal that I will end up doing and feel badly about when it's all said and done.

[Ahuch]

Originally Posted by edslunch

I have a couple of vehicles I want to move on from....one a 2005 family van that's given us everything and more, still runs fine, has some wear and tear inside, a bit of rust outside, and some oil leaks that need repair for probably more $ than it's worth. The other a 2008 german sports sedan, a true joy to drive, but apparently the model's history of timing chain issues make it toxic to sell (so says every single person who as replied to my ads) and now it has some rust perforation which is doubly toxic.

What are my options for disposing of such vehicles? I assume I would be laughed off the lot if I try to trade them in? I could advertise super cheap / as-is, take them to the scrap yard, donate to kidney foundation, ...? Is there any reasonable way to recover a few bucks?

If you don't want the hassle of trying to sell privately I'd just bring them to the auction. Scrap yard pays almost nothing.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

You can get a V90 inscription with low KMs for like 40k. If you want a luxury wagon, hard to do better value than that. So nice and comfy and practical, with an amazing sound system... nothing sporty about it, of course, but that's not the point.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Wormius

It's too bad Subaru discontinued most of their wagons. The Legacy was a nice vehicle.

We bought an Outback as the closest thing would could get to a full size affordable manual wagon as our kid hauler. The first thing I did was look into the price and availability of legacy wagon suspension parts. With the different tire diameter between the cars it became not only expensive for something that is just not a fun or pretty car, but also something that would be a bit compromised.

There has been once, ever, where I was glad for the ground clearance. I took it up Mount Swansea, but then realized I also hate the idea of off-roading the same car I need to get us back home on the highway after.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

I used to sell them. The only time a Magnum was really palatable was in RT or SRT trim, because the power and suspension changes managed to outweigh the rest of the poor experience. The Base and SXT (2.7L V6 and 3.5L V6) models were slow and uneconomical, the suspension was wobbly and boat-like.

As bad-ass as it looked from the outside in Brilliant Black Crystal Pearlcoat or Inferno Red Tinted Pearlcoat in RT or better, the interior trim was of woeful quality and feel. I mean, just look at it. I still remember remarking "That looks super sick" then opening the door and thinking "well, I guess now I know where the design budget didn't go". It was still a step up in construction quality for Chrysler at the time who were producing hollow plastic interiors like in the SX 2.0 and Sebring, but the interior was all sharp angles and flat surfaces, like the ergonomics were simulated using models with a polygon count reminsicent of those in NHL 98.

Spoiler!

"Hooray, someone finally thought of us when designing a car interior!" - Igor Larionov, Detroit Red Wings

As was mentioned DownhillGoat said, Chrysler's execution was poor on an otherwise great idea. Mercedes, BMW, Audi, VW, etc. don't seem to have issues selling wagons.

But what I always hear online is people wanting an affordable wagon. I'm one of them. Of course Mercedes and BMW and Audi make sick wagons they can sell. They aren't affordable, though. Even the VW Golf Wagon always struck me as really expensive for what you get. I had a Passat wagon with a five speed and it was awesome, but probably not cheap when new and not available anymore, anyway.

I liked the Magnum. Exterior styling was great. Interior was super cheap looking and feeling, but it was a fair compromise for the price. Wagons are about functionality first and foremost. Right now, you can't get a cheap wagon and that sucks. I'd happily drive a modern Magnum with ~400hp even if it had a crappy interior for half the price of a German comparable.

If you want a wagon, you're paying exotic prices and stuck with a luxury car right now. There's nothing below that for the rest of us because lame asses keep buying dull SUVs and sport cutes.

[Manhattanboy]

I miss my old 1993 BMW 325is. Great little car. 5 speed manual.

Looking at the M2 Competition. Haven’t considered a BMW in years. Alway thought my next sports car would be an AMG.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

The M2CS looks amazing. Short of that, notwithstanding that you're paying over MSRP for a ten year old car, the 2011 1M coupe is probably still the best thing they've ever made.

[Manhattanboy]

Thanks Corsi. CS seems hard to come by.

Wondering if I could get a deal on the Comp given this is the last model year I believe.

Imagine the 2022 will have the big grille.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I don't even know if they're making it anymore next year. As for the CS, I can't speak to numbers, but that's a pretty special vehicle. That might be the last good thing BMW ever makes.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Sliver

This is exactly why North America doesn't get wagons. Nobody actually likes them (even though they say they do). The Magnum is what an affordable wagon is. Yeah, I've driven one. Mushy feeling, but still better than every single crossover ever. Throw snowboards and gear in the back like nothing. Seat four adults in total comfort. Cruise down the highway comfortably with that soft suspension. Mega cheap to buy. It's not an E-Class; it's a wagon almost anyone of us could get into brand new. At the end of the day it's a Dodge, but if the other automakers made a comparable car you'd have wicked wagons out there. Dodge proved there isn't a market, though. People rather have a Nissan Rogue or a Toyota Highlander than a wagon.

The problem with the Magnum was it was ugly, and it was a Dodge

[burn_this_city]

There's a new 2 Series coupe coming, with an M2 in 2022 or 23. You can't go wrong with the current generation, the competition and cs are amazing. The spy shots of the new one are iffy looking, but an S58 powered next gen M2 might be the one to get.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

There's a new 2 Series coupe coming, with an M2 in 2022 or 23. You can't go wrong with the current generation, the competition and cs are amazing. The spy shots of the new one are iffy looking, but an S58 powered next gen M2 might be the one to get.

Not if it looks like this.

[burn_this_city]

I could live with that, this looks worse.


https://www.autoevolution.com/news/2...s-147398.html#

[burn_this_city]