Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by FCAV

Won't lie. Wish we were getting the Suzuki Jimny. I'd go out and get one just for the fun. They look great with a little lift. Damn if they wouldn't be fun and completely impractical.



https://www.motortrend.com/news/2020...-bronco-notes/

Those seemed really popular in Iceland, but they didn’t have much cargo room.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Oh we both know it won’t.

I don't know how much it really matters if it doesn't compete with the M340i and C43 AMG in a straight line. I think an Audi S4 is probably a more realistic benchmark. These cars are for buyers that typically buy Honda or Japanese as I don't think Acura gets a lot of German converts.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I don't know how much it really matters if it doesn't compete with the M340i and C43 AMG in a straight line. I think an Audi S4 is probably a more realistic benchmark. These cars are for buyers that typically buy Honda or Japanese as I don't think Acura gets a lot of German converts.

I dunno, one poor German maintenance experience, and reliability is front of mind.

[FCAV]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Those seemed really popular in Iceland, but they didn’t have much cargo room.

Yeah. Wouldn't be my primary driver for sure, but would be great in the summer months to boot around in. Now I'm addicted to checking Kijiji for 2004ish Jeep TJs. Used to have an 06 TJ (and a 2012 JKUR), and the Jeep bug is biting. Comes around every so often. It's an itch I'll scratch when I have a place to park two vehicles.

[shane_c]

Originally Posted by FCAV

Yeah. Wouldn't be my primary driver for sure, but would be great in the summer months to boot around in. Now I'm addicted to checking Kijiji for 2004ish Jeep TJs. Used to have an 06 TJ (and a 2012 JKUR), and the Jeep bug is biting. Comes around every so often. It's an itch I'll scratch when I have a place to park two vehicles.

I been searching Kijiji quite a bit lately as well. I haven't had a Jeep in quite a while but they've always been a vehicle that I'd like to get again. I used to have an 81 CJ7 and then an 87 YJ. Sure they were rough and unrefined but both had a lot of character.

In the next few months I'll be making some big life changes and I'll be paying off my 14 Impreza hatchback and will no longer have long commutes. Part of me wants to make the move back to a Jeep, likely a reasonably priced 2 door JK Wrangler. But I haven't fully convinced myself yet.

The other option that also keeps crossing my mind is to get another Mustang GT (maybe an 04) and keep my Impreza for the winter. I had an 86GT convertible and them a 96GT and both were a lot of fun.

Or a final option is to do nothing and continue driving the Impreza year round which is what I'll probably end up doing.

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by FCAV

Yeah. Wouldn't be my primary driver for sure, but would be great in the summer months to boot around in. Now I'm addicted to checking Kijiji for 2004ish Jeep TJs. Used to have an 06 TJ (and a 2012 JKUR), and the Jeep bug is biting. Comes around every so often. It's an itch I'll scratch when I have a place to park two vehicles.

I've been dailying a 2000 TJ (4 cylinder no less) for a couple of years now since one of my teenagers needed the car I was driving for school. Sure, they are rough and tumble but I'm old enough to appreciate a car that is simple to work on and gives me a good sense of what is going on. Parts are absurdly cheap compared to the Audi my wife is driving. I don't take it out on the highway much, may get it out to Mclean a couple of times this summer. Right now I have the top and doors off and am having a ball tooling around town with the wind in my hair. I just leave it in the garage when the weather is crap. But getting out for a bit of a tool around these days when I am otherwise pretty housebound has been good for the mental health.

[woob]

In the ever present and frustrating category of "vehicles I wish we could get in North America", the Toyota Fortuner looks pretty sweet.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/33913/...-the-best-suvs

[Ironhorse]

No thanks. They can keep it as far as I’m concerned.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by shane_c

I


The other option that also keeps crossing my mind is to get another Mustang GT (maybe an 04)

I have an 02 that I have not used for a couple years that I would like to drag back out this summer. But right now I am not getting any fuel to the Schrader Valve. I am hoping it's a relatively inexpensive electrical issue as I don't hear that click buzz sound when I cycle the key. But I just don't have the confidence in my poor mechanical skills to chase down the electrical stuff outside of blown fuses.

[speede5]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

I have an 02 that I have not used for a couple years that I would like to drag back out this summer. But right now I am not getting any fuel to the Schrader Valve. I am hoping it's a relatively inexpensive electrical issue as I don't hear that click buzz sound when I cycle the key. But I just don't have the confidence in my poor mechanical skills to chase down the electrical stuff outside of blown fuses.

Fuel pump is usually pretty easy to diagnose, just disconnect the harness at the tank and look for power. I checked online and you have to pull the tank to change it unfortunately, I really don't get why so many cars don't have access panels in the trunk.

I have an 03 Mach 1, fun summer car!

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

I dunno, one poor German maintenance experience, and reliability is front of mind.

Or maybe a poor Acura experience? The MDX is after all one of the least reliable vehicles you can buy.

https://driving.ca/chevrolet/auto-ne...le-models-list

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

No thanks. They can keep it as far as I’m concerned.

I'm jealous of a lot of ROW options, but not this one. It has the qualities of the worst of today's design. Squinty eyes, useless swoops, high beltline (funnily enough which that article seems to be glad about?), and bad rearward visibility. It looks more like a RAV4 than a 4Runner. I'm sure it's still a great truck, but if there's something to be jealous of, for me it's one of the more utilitarian options like the LC 70 or a manual LC 200. Or the previously talked about Jimny.

I hope the next gen 4Runner doesn't start looking like that Fortuner.

[woob]

Eh, I don't think it's that bad. Besides, its the inner workings that got me more excited about it. But you're right, an LC 200 is better looking.

[bagofpucks]

Anyone have experience buying with the Ford X Plan? Pricing out a new truck to see if it makes sense to buy this year vs waiting a year.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by bagofpucks

Anyone have experience buying with the Ford X Plan? Pricing out a new truck to see if it makes sense to buy this year vs waiting a year.

Redesigned F150 will be announced on June 25. Either production or delivery is expected in October, I think. Definitely wait to see what that one is all about.

[Sliver]

Oh yeah, and I don't know anything about Ford X Plan, so can't help with the meat if your question.

[bagofpucks]

Sounds like production will start in October. I don’t generally buy the first year of a re-design, so my plan is to either order a 2020 or wait until 2022.

[Sliver]

I'm a sucker for a new design. At the end of the day, it's under warranty. I wouldn't want a 2020 if I could help it - don't like the idea of driving around in a brand new vehicle that is virtually indistinguishable from a 2014.

[burn_this_city]

I think the avoid first model year thing is overblown, our last two vehicles have been first year and neither has had anything wrong.

[81MC]

I would *never* trust Ford with a first model run. It's bad enough that customers are the guinea pig, dealing with recurring issues time and again before a TSB or recall fixes the problem, but then you face some serious parts delays.