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In Gaming we have the What are you Playing thread. In Media Madness the TV and Movie threads. So for General it's transportation time.

My vehicle is a 2010 Hyundai Sonata with under 40k miles. I picked it up at a carmax after being dicked around by a Ford dealer. I was going to get a 2011 V6 Fusion, but they had to special order one and then didn't want to give me their end of year offers when it finally came in. My Sonata is only a I4 but it has much better pickups than the 4-cylinder fusions I drove, and it's plenty roomy. Enough space in the back seats for me to sit behind the driver seat after I had adjusted it for my size.

I have a Dodge Neon with 175,000 miles on it. It makes a variety of noises - some benign but annoying and some scary. But it's the only car we have.

Here is a photo of my ride:


I don't really drive it, per se. I more.... sit and read, or sometimes take little naps on it.

I just bought a 2007 Prius with a bit less than 40k miles on it about a month ago, replacing my '05 Chevy Cobalt (which, while a sexy car, wasn't so great for the 700-1000 mile roadtrips I make on a monthly basis to visit family.)

Dat feel when you get 75MPG in the city...

2010 Sooobaaawoooo (Subaru) Impreza Sport.

Ol' Thunderhawk has seen me through some things.

I drive an 03 Hyundai Accent (2 door/hatchback) with...I think 115,000 miles on it. I think it's adorable, but..my poor husband doesn't have the same sentiments. It's nothing fancy, but it gets us from A to B and not having a car payment is AWESOME. =^^=

My wife has a 2010 Corolla XRS with a manual transmission (her request... I love it). My daily driver is a 2000 Honda Civic that really needs some major repair work done this spring. My fun car is a 2001 Honda Prelude that I have modified extensively (supercharged, Hondata S300 ecu upgrade, springs and struts, high performance tires and brakes, lightweight flywheel, upgraded clutch, wideband O2 sensor, wideband and boost gauges).

Unfortunately my fun car sat sidelined last year as it developed a vacuum leak somewhere (not a good idea to drive a supercharged high compression engine around with unmetered air getting in). I plan on getting it back to joy riding status as soon as possible.

'09 Chevy HHR (terrible name, decent car) 33,000 miles 33 months. And I just sneaked in a free warranty repair on my sun-roof.

HowDroll said:

I just bought a 2007 Prius with a bit less than 40k miles on it about a month ago, replacing my '05 Chevy Cobalt (which, while a sexy car, wasn't so great for the 700-1000 mile roadtrips I make on a monthly basis to visit family.)

Dat feel when you get 75MPG in the city...

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Have you done some kind of custom modifications to your car because there should be no way you are even approaching 75MPG in that vehicle.

2002 Saturn SL.

It used to make terrifying noises..but last August we managed to save enough money to get it fixed.

$3000.00 later and the car is running pretty good!

94 honda accord with almost 200,000 miles

Azurephoenix said:

Have you done some kind of custom modifications to your car because there should be no way you are even approaching 75MPG in that vehicle.

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Oh, it's not my overall average. Not even close. If I'm driving around rural Missouri, where I live, I'm usually in the mid to high 40s (mostly because of the hills, I think). But I have a LED screen on my car that gives me updates every 5 minutes of what sort of fuel economy I'm getting, and if I'm gliding around Chicago? I've hit 75 MPG before, yes, although I probably averaged in the 60s for the trip. I'd be happy to take a picture when I'm back up there this weekend if you don't believe me

HowDroll said:

Oh, it's not my overall average. Not even close. If I'm driving around rural Missouri, where I live, I'm usually in the mid to high 40s (mostly because of the hills, I think). But I have a LED screen on my car that gives me updates every 5 minutes of what sort of fuel economy I'm getting, and if I'm gliding around Chicago? I've hit 75 MPG before, yes, although I probably averaged in the 60s for the trip. I'd be happy to take a picture when I'm back up there this weekend if you don't believe me

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Naw, I believe you... I was thinking you were averaging 75mpg and was going to have to come steal your car because of it's physics defying awesomeness .

I had a perfectly adequate 2001 subaru legacy, but when I went away to college my mom decided to give it away for free to a who is now getting rid of it from what I hear. She said it was because she didn't want to pay the insurance when I wouldn't be there, but I'm still pissed that she didn't even offer to let me pay for it.

And yes..

WTF?! She could have just ended the policy! You're only required to have insurance on vehicles driving on the road.

Except without the tinted windows. I miss my Malibu but we opted to become a one car family for a while when we moved. It was probably the right choice. Someday we'll get a second car but it will probably be a couple of years.

Covar said:

WTF?! She could have just ended the policy! You're only required to have insurance on vehicles driving on the road.

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Yeah, I said that too, but no luck.

2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited



Once the 2013's come out, we'll be upgrading to that; better gas mileage, more horsepower, etc.

I've got a 2007 Ford Fusion SEL with just over 91k miles on it. It's the first time I've felt like I had a grown-up car, since all of my others were either a) really really used, or b) a Ford Focus. It's nothing special, but it's got a nice smooth ride (except on some of the freeways around here that haven't been repaired in the past... since they built them originally), and it's roomy and comfortable, and has a decent sized trunk. My wife has (and I swear this is a complete coincidence, since we went to find her a used car at a Toyota dealership) a 2008 Ford Fusion SE, which is also a nice car, but somewhat less roomy, which is fine for her since she's so damn short. I, on the other hand, find that I cannot make the driver's seat comfortable enough for me to drive the car without a lot of fine tuning. Unfortunately, she can't drive my car at all, because hers is an automatic and mine is a manual, and I haven't had the time (and I fear I won't have the necessary patience) to teach her drive a manual yet. Dual car payments are killing us right now, but mine will be paid off this time next year, at which point I will very happily continue to drive my car, if only for the pure pleasure of not having to make a damn car payment every month.

I'm actually getting my first ever car in like 2 days! A 2002 Honda Civic that I'm buying from my grandparents.

A Fischer 21-Gear racing bike.

We have a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, which was fine in a small town, but a gas eater in a big city. My daily commuter is either my 2004 New Beetle convertible (which I managed to steal with only 36K miles on it) or my heavily customized 1991 Honda Nighthawk 750. I've added a flat black paint job, custom seat, fairing, and a massive oil leak to it. When I was a prof, the Nighthawk was my main means of transportation.

Used to drive an Impreza, now I cruise a 2010 Impala.

Moral: If your car doesn't start with an I, I won't drive it.

1991 Toyota Camry with 231,000+ miles on it, extensively repaired. I've put 108,000 or so of those miles on it.

Frank said:

Used to drive an Impreza, now I cruise a 2010 Impala.

Moral: If your car doesn't start with an I, I won't drive it.

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????

1995 dodge caravan
I call him Bob- beast of burden.

he's a good van really. The ac just went out but overall he gets me where I need to go. I should take him in for an oil change and top of some various fluids here soon.

I had a ford focus that I adored but it was a real white elephant in my life. When I rolled it it was probably the best thing to happen really.

The point.

Adam said:

????

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I'm in.

Frank said:

I'm in.

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That's good, because only you would fit.

Barely, there's a reason I love my Impala. It's basically the car version of the TARDIS. Outside, looks like a regular sized sedan. Insaide, there's enough space to pop a 10 man tent.

So, one might say your impala is a CARDIS...

2008 Hyundai Accent. It only had 100 miles on it when I purchased it mid 2009, now I think its just over 20k. I should have it payed off soon, and that will be awesome. It's a good little car and get's decent gas mileage.

I think my biggest problem with my Focus was the fact that it was neither a good car nor a bad car, it was just kind of there. It wasn't as good as the 1984 Corolla I had as a first car, which was 12 years old when I bought it, had fairly high-ish mileage, but still drove exceptionally well and handled snow awesomely, was comfortable and fun to drive. It wasn't as bad as my 1989 Chevy S10 pickup which I can't even remember how many miles it had on it, but you had to be really careful using the parking brake because it was one of those foot-pedal brakes, and the release handle had come off so you stood a good chance of shattering the bones in your hand if you weren't careful when the thing came flying up on release - but the pickup was bad enough that it had character. The Focus had neither comfort, nor character. It wasn't fun to drive, but it wasn't challenging to drive. It had a little bit of get up and go off the line, but no real staying power. It could handle small hills with ease, but lost momentum quickly on really long hills, like the mountain pass that I used to cross frequently. It didn't have cruise control, it didn't have power anything (except steering), it didn't have a CD player or an MP3 player jack, and it only barely had A/C.

My Fusion, on the other hand, has all of the good things that my corolla had more. It's comfortable and fun to drive. It has a (very) little bit of style. It has a little bit of get up and go off the line, and staying power. It can handle Snoqualmie pass like nothing. It has cruise control, power windows and locks, a 6-disc CD changer and an MP3 player jack, and because it's an SEL model it has a digital heating and cooling system which can be controlled from the buttons on the steering wheel, and a nice little compass on the main instrument panel as well as a thermometer to tell me the temp outside the car. It's not a luxury car or a sports car, but it does make a nice commuter car (and still gets pretty decent mileage even in my hellish commute, 23mpg city and 34 - 38 highway, 40+ highway if it's been recently serviced and I'm really watching my driving), and it's great for long trips.

I just had to buy a car because mine had a garage door (and part of a garage) fall on it. Picked up a Honda Pilot. It's funny, because I remember picking out new cars based on looks and sound systems. Now it's all safety ratings and how many people/groceries I can fit in it.

Old man awaaaaaaay!

Fun Size said:

I just had to buy a car because mine had a garage door (and part of a garage) fall on it. Picked up a Honda Pilot. It's funny, because I remember picking out new cars based on looks and sound systems. Now it's all safety ratings and how many people/groceries I can fit in it.

Old man awaaaaaaay!

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I know how you feel. I keep waffling back and forth about my next car, because the fun-loving side of me wants to pick up either a current model year (meaning 2012) Mustang or a classic ('69 styling) Mustang; and the practical part of me wants to pick up a hybrid.

My best friend had bought last year's Mustang. He's already traded it in for a more practical car.

Practical schmactical... I want my damn Porsche GT3!

(I'll never have a Porsche GT3... my next vehicle is destined to be a minivan )

Gared said:

I know how you feel. I keep waffling back and forth about my next car, because the fun-loving side of me wants to pick up either a current model year (meaning 2012) Mustang or a classic ('69 styling) Mustang; and the practical part of me wants to pick up a hybrid.

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Unless you are only doing city driving, hybrids aren't that practical. You have to own one for years before they make up the extra cost. For example, a Ford Fusion hybrid is $8000 more than an equivalent regular engine Fusion. You get an average of 10 more mpg (Standard is 23 city / 33 highway; hybrid is 41 city and 36 highway; avg mileage is then approx 28 mpg standard and 38 mpg hybrid). 17.5 gallon fuel tank, so that's 175 more miles between fill-ups. That's one less fuel stop per month, maybe? If gas continues to be around $4 a gallon, each fill-up will run you $70. So each year, you save $70 per month, or $840 per year. That means it'll take 9 1/2 years before the car has paid for itself in terms of savings. That doesn't take into consideration how much higher each car payment will be (at least an extra $133 per month on a monthly car payment, 5 year plan). So actually, by driving the hybrid, you're losing $63 a month.

'97 Nissan Primera GX, bought with very low milage three years ago. Still only 86K. Great car.

2006 Crown Victoria with 83301.9 miles on it at this moment.

My wife's car is a 2004 Ford Focus which is in dire need of replacement.

I miss my Nova...

Null said:

Unless you are only doing city driving, hybrids aren't that practical. You have to own one for years before they make up the extra cost. For example, a Ford Fusion hybrid is $8000 more than an equivalent regular engine Fusion. You get an average of 10 more mpg (Standard is 23 city / 33 highway; hybrid is 41 city and 36 highway; avg mileage is then approx 28 mpg standard and 38 mpg hybrid). 17.5 gallon fuel tank, so that's 175 more miles between fill-ups. That's one less fuel stop per month, maybe? If gas continues to be around $4 a gallon, each fill-up will run you $70. So each year, you save $70 per month, or $840 per year. That means it'll take 9 1/2 years before the car has paid for itself in terms of savings. That doesn't take into consideration how much higher each car payment will be (at least an extra $133 per month on a monthly car payment, 5 year plan). So actually, by driving the hybrid, you're losing $63 a month.

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Mustang it is, then! No, but seriously, thanks for the breakdown. Looks like a hybrid Fusion (which is the route I was thinking of going) would be perfect for my current commute, and a waste of money for a smaller city like Louisville, where we're hoping to move.

Gared said:

Mustang it is, then! No, but seriously, thanks for the breakdown. Looks like a hybrid Fusion (which is the route I was thinking of going) would be perfect for my current commute, and a waste of money for a smaller city like Louisville, where we're hoping to move.

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As far as hybrids go, the most cost effective one looks to be the Prius c, which starts at around $19k, with 53 city / 46 highway / 50 combined mpg, but only a 9.5 gal tank.

There are a number of gasoline powered 2012 cars that get 33-34mpg that are quite affordable.

Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent, Chevrolet Sonic, Hyundai Elantra and the Honda Civic.

Azurephoenix said:

There are a number of gasoline powered 2012 cars that get 33-34mpg that are quite affordable.

Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent, Chevrolet Sonic, Hyundai Elantra and the Honda Civic.

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I would definitely recommend the Fiesta over the Fusion hybrid. My former boss drives an Elantra and liked it pretty well.

Officer_Charon said:

2006 Crown Victoria with 83301.9 miles on it at this moment.

My wife's car is a 2004 Ford Focus which is in dire need of replacement.

I miss my Nova...

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Wow, if we're talking old cars, I miss my two VW Buses. 1977 and 1969. Curiously, I was the second owner of both, by complete coincidence. Both had every record, original manuals, and the 69 even had the original sales brochure. I got the second from a german friend who's dad brought it over when they immigrated using VW's Tourist Program, which allows you to buy a VW in germany, drive it for a while, and then they ship it back to the US for you.

Officer_Charon said:

I miss my Nova...

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Dude! Badass!

1987 BMW L6. When it's working properly, oh boy is it a treat. 18 MPG (91 octane) on a good day. Probably eke out another 2 if I didn't leave it in Sport, and wasn't an automatic.

It has a mini fridge in between the two back seats.

Ahh, Novas. That girl from the regrets thread drove one in high school.

SIGH!

While juggling doomweasels.

My wife has a '98 Toyota Corolla with 158,000 miles on it and I have a '98 Toyota Camry with 140,000 miles. Both are being repaired now, the Corolla needs brakes and the Camry I have no idea as the check engine light is on and something rattles under the hood whenever I hit a bump.

Adam said:

2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited


Once the 2013's come out, we'll be upgrading to that; better gas mileage, more horsepower, etc.

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Adam, How do they go offroad? Considering a 2 door softop for my new car. Not many people downunder actually take them offroad.

Currently driving a 96 Holden Commodore VR. Nice roomy car with enough luxury features to keep me happy. Nearing 200K KM though, so she is a bit worn out.The only thing I don't like about it is the effing imperial size bolts on everything in the engine bay. WAAARRRGGGBBBBLLLL

2002 Suzuki Aerio SX. That's the hatchback version. In Europe and elsewhere, it's called the Liana. The original Top Gear Star in a Reasonably Priced Car car.

Mine just topped 86,000 miles and still plugging along.

Azurephoenix said:

There are a number of gasoline powered 2012 cars that get 33-34mpg that are quite affordable.

Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent, Chevrolet Sonic, Hyundai Elantra and the Honda Civic.

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Baby, I had to crash that Honda.


Yes, I searched through the thread for a Honda just so I could post that.

Krisken said:

Yes, I searched through the thread for a Honda just so I could post that.

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MOTHERFUCKER.

08 Subaru Impreza.

gargoyle_eva said:

Adam, How do they go offroad? Considering a 2 door softop for my new car. Not many people downunder actually take them offroad.

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They offroad better than they onroad. They are a no-frill SUV. Don't expect heated seats or lumbar support or a soft squishy suspension. You'll feel every bump and twist and turn and that's the point I would hesitate to take a brand new Wrangler offroad just because I'm a little cheap and would hate to see a nice vehicle get destroyed, but they're very capable. It's fun just to drive down old logging roads around home without requiring a big ass truck.

Love the Isetta Adam! And Vagabond nice ride, nothing else feels like a BMW! Even a broken one feels better than most cars on their best day! I'm currently beating on a 1997 M3 with 183,000 miles every day and looking for the right 2003-2006 Jeep Wrangler to take over daily driver duties and let the M3 be more of a driveway queen. Puts a smile on my face every time I drive it but this is a car I want to keep and not torture. So the Jeep gets to be my convertible, all-weather vehicle and something I can hopefully wash the crazy giant German Shepherd's fur out of more easily. Would love to go for a new Jeep but we also have the wife's BMW X5, my pickup which my son is thrashing on a daily basis and my daughters will be driving this year so I get to buy two cars! Yay!

Officer I would love to know more about that Nova! The picture is not showing up. Worked on and raced against plenty and those Novas were always badass!

It was a 79 Nova Rally that I got for 1100 from one of the civilian contractors at Camp LeJeune. Only a straight 6 and an automatic, but it was my first car. Unfortunately, the transmission ended up crapping out, and I didn't have enough to repair it, so I parked it in my driveway with the intention of saving up and repairing it.

The city of Savannah towed it from my driveway on Christmas Eve as a result of their "Eyesore" city ordinance - no junkers to be visible from the street. Their main beef? It wasn't registered and had no insurance... BECAUSE IT WASN'T RUNNING!!!

The tow company was going to charge me $500 for towing and storage... I ended up just giving them the car - I couldn't afford anything at the time. God. Dammit.

Why do cities do such ass-hattery just before a holiday?

I have an 04 f-150. I've had it for three years and it's the first vehicle I've had that hasn't fallen apart from the bumpy dirt roads I live on. I'm contemplating getting a cheap motorcycle to drive for my daily commute to work on nice days though. Gas is getting painful when I only get 15 mpg.

Gusto said:

I'm actually getting my first ever car in like 2 days! A 2002 Honda Civic that I'm buying from my grandparents.

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Aaaaand got it.

Damn OC! That sucks! Sorry you lost the Nova like that, those straight sixes were near indestructible.

Congratulations on the new\first ride Gusto!

Around the end of February, I finally got rid of my exhaust-less '94 Taurus in favor of a 2004 Sable. I only got about 250 trade-in for the Taurus and probably paid $1500-2000 more for the Sable than I should've but I needed it NOW and really didn't have the luxury of waiting any longer. I bought it knowing I'd probably have to put $1500-2000 into it to really fix it up (tires, alignment, flywheel) and make it all better but it's good enough now to be significantly safer with our kid in it (and that's what matters).

Oh, and my identity was stolen at the dealership and (separately) my debit card number (that I used to pay the down payment) was also stolen and my account was cleaned out. But it's all better now and I already put all that into the rant thread.

--Patrick

2003 PT Cruiser. Which is probably going to go bye-bye shortly.

Currently I drive nothing, since what with the fatigue from chemo and deteriorated physical condition, and the lightning-fast needs to urinate due to prostate and kidney issues related to the cancer... well, I just don't trust myself behind the wheel of a vehicle. Not that I have much need for it, as my parents have been quite willing to drive me where I need to go. Mainly the hospital and the rehearsals, really.

Before that... I still didn't drive much, and my folks had two cars so I got to drive the older car when they didn't need it.

2003 Buick Century. I feel old driving it.

jwhouk said:

2003 Buick Century. I feel old driving it.

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My last one was an 01 Century Custom. It was a decent little driver... very comfy.

No doubt on the comfort. It just FEELS like an old-person car.

2007 Honda Fit Sport, we bought it new with 108 miles on it in cash. About 78000 miles on it right now, had one sensor go out and that has been the only repair that we've had to do so far. It's been a great car for us and we're actually looking at getting a second one if we can't find a good, cheap small truck for me.

2005 Toyota Matrix
&
2010 AWD Toyota Matrix

Feel the power of middle aged suburbia!

Go on feel it, I'll wait...

Adam said:

They offroad better than they onroad. They are a no-frill SUV. Don't expect heated seats or lumbar support or a soft squishy suspension. You'll feel every bump and twist and turn and that's the point I would hesitate to take a brand new Wrangler offroad just because I'm a little cheap and would hate to see a nice vehicle get destroyed, but they're very capable. It's fun just to drive down old logging roads around home without requiring a big ass truck.

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Hey Adam happened to wander back through this thread and yes you can get heated seats! http://www.quadratec.com/products/14159_101.htm Figured you might want to know about those for any cold mornings. Now get out on the trails! I'm off to look for a Jeep now.

My vehicle is a 2006 Hyundai Tucson. I bought it new and paid cash. Only have 35k miles on it after all this time.
We also have a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. My husband usually drives that one. Also bought it new and paid it off last year with our tax return. WooHoo!

I've been thinking about getting a new (or new to me), smaller vehicle for myself once our daughter is in a booster seat rather than a full carseat.

Hell, Neon Pirate ... Haven't seen you in a while.

98 Chrysler Sebring. Just about 145,000 miles on it, and I bought it when I turned 18. It's literally falling apart at this point, but it's still getting me to work and my girlfriend's house, so it's doing it's job. I can say this though, I will never buy a Chrysler again.

Here's a recent picture of it.

Mine's still a '98 Nissan Almera. 89K km on it. My firlfriend has an '07 Skoda Fabia Combi (station wagon version of a small car). I hardly drive my car these days - to and from work, 15 kilometers each way. Not worth having a car for, but we can't do both our jobs with just one car. Blagh public transport.

North_Ranger said:

Hell, Neon Pirate ... Haven't seen you in a while.

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Sorry Ranger, I was cloaked! Well...that and working both jobs and on a soccer field and band and Job's Daughters and all kinds of my kids' other activities. How's life in the sauna?

WasabiPoptart said:

My vehicle is a 2006 Hyundai Tucson. I bought it new and paid cash. Only have 35k miles on it after all this time.
We also have a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. My husband usually drives that one. Also bought it new and paid it off last year with our tax return. WooHoo!

I've been thinking about getting a new (or new to me), smaller vehicle for myself once our daughter is in a booster seat rather than a full carseat.

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Don't do it! Keep the low-mileage SUV! You will hate getting your daughter into a small car. We had a Camry when the twins were little. You could tell I was putting them into the car when on one side you heard thump-ow-shit followed by a matching thump-ow-shit on the other side of the car. I had a Camry-dent in my forehead for a couple of years. Stick with the vehicle you can put a child comfortably into!

Do NOT get a Jeep. You might be able to walk away from an accident, but there's no guarantee your vehicle will be sunny-side up when you do so. I know this for a fact; had a guy in a Jeep and run a stop sign on me. I hit his front wheel and he went rolling over into a farmer's field.

Bumble the Boy Wonder said:

98 Chrysler Sebring. Just about 145,000 miles on it, and I bought it when I turned 18. It's literally falling apart at this point, but it's still getting me to work and my girlfriend's house, so it's doing it's job. I can say this though, I will never buy a Chrysler again.

Here's a recent picture of it.

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Oh come on, Sebrings aren't that baaaa.... ha ha ha haaaaa I tried to type that with a straight face and couldn't.

If it wasn't that my dad gave us his Sebring Convertible, I sure as heck wouldn't be driving it.

Of course, that's why it's my wife's car.