I might be looking for a new car, input?
- Thread starter digitalwanderer
- Start date
tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
I assumed by transmission Digi meant an automatic transmission that isn't a CVT. I think there are only very few cars available with a proper manual transmission in the US. Sadly Japan is just as bad and Europa is getting just as bad or maybe its just as bad already because I think pretty much everything somewhat sporty now comes with a dual clutch? I think Porsche is the only one that still offers manuals on their sports cars. Then you got some Japanese cars such as the MX5/Miata or Suzuki Swift Sport but those cars are on a different level.
It sucks because I've been searching for a affordable used Porsche Cayman with the steering wheel on the wrong side and a manual transmission but they are super rare in Japan. And if one does show up, its often in a piss poor spec (I refuse to buy a white car, especially a sports car) and over priced. But I really want one because its the only "real" sports car (mid engined, more than 4 cylinders, no turbo) on the market that is attainable working a normal job and with the public mindset and ever stricter rules cars like the Cayman simply won't exist anymore in the future. At least not at a affordable level.
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tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
Is there any real solid evidence for that? I know the argument is that there are less moving parts so less that can go wrong and simplicity = cheaper but its not like your average ICE needs is in constant need of expensive maintenance. My parent have a Ford Mondeo with 300.000km on it and that never needed any work on the drivetrain. I can't imagine repairs on all the electronics, battery or regen braking systems are cheap either. Right now a lot of electric cars are still fairly new and well maintained as a lot of them appear to be bought by people that "love" them. The real test comes when you got 10+ year old cars that aren't really properly maintained anymore by the 3rd or 4th owner.
Electric motors go on pretty much for ever in comparison to the mechanical wear and tear of a combustion engine. The drive train should be simpler as well and, with less heat to deal with, you'd home some of the ancillary systems might last a bit longer as well. Main point of failure ought to be the batteries. If it is at all possible to replace battery packs, it wouldn't surprise me to see electric cars go on and on for decades. If driven sensibly, of course!
One of my friends bought an Alfa some years ago. Loved it, up to the point that the cam belt went ping after about 40k miles...
One of my friends bought an Alfa some years ago. Loved it, up to the point that the cam belt went ping after about 40k miles...
Tkumpathenurpahl
Veteran
Fuel.
I've read only the thread title.
I've read only the thread title.
The CTR has a manual transmission. But you're right I might have misunderstood what @digitalwanderer meant by transmission
Some BMW and VW still have manual transmission.
Yeah I think sport cars are dead for the rest of us. I hope we'll see some affordable hybrid sport car in the coming years (I'd accept dual clutch transmission).
tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
Not that I don't believe electric vehicles can/are more reliable, but that report is useless. They're data on miles and age is very limited.
https://advocacy.consumerreports.or...09/Maintenance-Cost-White-Paper-9.24.20-1.pdf
Funny enough a plug in hybrid, according to their figures, is actually cheaper to maintain than a full electric car. This makes no sense as they claim the simplicity of electric vehicles is what makes them cheaper to maintain yet the most complex cars turn out to be the cheapest.
They also make some other vague assumptions and comparisons. They say an ICE can fail suddenly but a batter pack doesn't. Okay, but first of all a batter pack isn't an engine, and secondly an electric motor or batter pack can't suddenly fail? Though I find it a fair fetched comparison to begin with as how many engines fail if they are properly maintained? They also say even though a batter pack replacement ($5000) is more expensive than a ICE replacement, you don't really have to worry about it because the batter packs last at least ten years. Well, I'd hope so given that most cars are on the road at least 20 years. They also kinda ignore that a electric motor replacement is $6000 ~ $9000 so electric cars actually have more very expensive parts that can fail. Though again I think the comparison is rather poor because I don't think a ICE, electric motor or batter pack is very likely to fail if somewhat properly maintained. Basically it is not something the average driver will have to worry about.
They also use warranty to show EVs are more reliable but for fun I compared the warranty Tesla offers in my home country to that of other manufacturers and it basically isn't any better. Drive train and battery is 8 years or 160.000 - 190.000Km (depending in the model) and limited 4 years for the rest of the car. Kia offers 7 years and 150.000 for the whole car. Toyota offers 5 years and 200.000 for the whole car and Mazda offers 5 years and unlimited mileage for $500.
Since its mileage that causes wear and tear all you can say is that A) it doesn't appear Tesla thinks their cars are more reliable, and outside of the drive train probably less given the 4 years limited warranty and B) they simply expect EV drivers to drive less.
tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
I don't know, weight is the big issue. Not just for performance and fun but also reliability and fuel/energy usage. The lighter the car, the more fun but also less wear and tear and less energy required to make it move. Which is why I don't get people that claim to be all for the environment and then drive a SUV... even if its electric its big, heavy and just incredibly inefficient.
Though the battery in the Suzuki Swift Sport only adds 55kg to the car. I guess on curb weight of only 970kg that is still quite a bit and the battery model actually has less power but I suppose it is manageable in a sports car.
I don't care how fast the car is at all. It's the absurd that attracts me in this case. Corvette is a dozen in a dime, that kind of modified car, especially custom built is much more unique.
Do you have a dislike of the letter Y?
WhiningKhan
Regular
I'm sure you can get a batter pack for much less money if you explore your options.
The Alfa is out of my price range. Heck, I'm not even sure what my price range is but apparently $420/mos for 72 mos is ok with my wife right now.
Finally talked to the Nissan dealer and told them who'd I'd be buying my car from so they all stop pestering me, my wife's best friend works at the local dealership and I like the guy so there's no way I'd buy it from anyone else there. I just got back to his e-mail to me, it's a generic e-mail so he has no clue who I am. An advantage of having a different last name than your wife, my wife kept her maiden name in case it didn't work out and is still playing it safe 25 years later.
I told him the car I wanted, (2020 Altima Platinum VC-Turbo), and explained that we want the longest possible interest free financing we can get so the ball is in their court now. Also told him where the Storm Blue Metallic one with the gray leather interior is that I want, so I might be getting a new car sooner than I thought. I told my wife about him writing me with no clue who I am and she laughed 'cause he'll enjoy finding out it's us since his wife knows how car crazy we are and how we tend to not go looking for them so much as go buying them and all she said was, "do they have the one you want there?".
I think I'd damned better best get busy fixing my car today so it can pass emissions. I'd REALLY like to not trade her in. I'm cool with getting a new car if she wants, but I wanna keep mine. It's worth a lot more than we'd be trading it in for and I'm pretty sure I can make it work right for either free or cheap...at least I'm gonna put my overalls on and try damn it!
Thanks for all the advice, I just haven't seen any cars that have the price/performance/packages that are exactly right but the Altima is the closest by far that I can find with the financing I want/need.
The Jeep Renegade Trailhawk is $383/mos right now scarily enough, 0% financing for 84 bloody months! It's just not anywhere near comfortable enough, I have to sit in my car for hours a lot so I needs my comfy!
Finally talked to the Nissan dealer and told them who'd I'd be buying my car from so they all stop pestering me, my wife's best friend works at the local dealership and I like the guy so there's no way I'd buy it from anyone else there. I just got back to his e-mail to me, it's a generic e-mail so he has no clue who I am.
An advantage of having a different last name than your wife, my wife kept her maiden name in case it didn't work out and is still playing it safe 25 years later.I told him the car I wanted, (2020 Altima Platinum VC-Turbo), and explained that we want the longest possible interest free financing we can get so the ball is in their court now. Also told him where the Storm Blue Metallic one with the gray leather interior is that I want, so I might be getting a new car sooner than I thought. I told my wife about him writing me with no clue who I am and she laughed 'cause he'll enjoy finding out it's us since his wife knows how car crazy we are and how we tend to not go looking for them so much as go buying them and all she said was, "do they have the one you want there?".
I think I'd damned better best get busy fixing my car today so it can pass emissions. I'd REALLY like to not trade her in. I'm cool with getting a new car if she wants, but I wanna keep mine. It's worth a lot more than we'd be trading it in for and I'm pretty sure I can make it work right for either free or cheap...at least I'm gonna put my overalls on and try damn it!
Thanks for all the advice, I just haven't seen any cars that have the price/performance/packages that are exactly right but the Altima is the closest by far that I can find with the financing I want/need.
The Jeep Renegade Trailhawk is $383/mos right now scarily enough, 0% financing for 84 bloody months! It's just not anywhere near comfortable enough, I have to sit in my car for hours a lot so I needs my comfy!
Well forget everything I just wrote. My wife found out that 2020 Jeep Renegade Trailhawks which usually retail for $31k are going for $24k locally now, we can pick one up with $1,000 down and $342/mos with 0% interest. :|
Okay, I think my brain might explode just a little. My mechanic friend came by on Sunday and checked out my car with his professional OBD reader and says it's fine and it'll pass emissions testing. Just went and had her tested and she passed with flying colors!
Oddly enough, my wife suddenly doesn't want to buy a new vehicle anymore....she WAS planning on trading my car in! :O
Amusingly, her Jeep's check engine light just came on so I'm gonna suggest we trade it in for the Renegade...
(It's just her thermostat, but I'm not sure when I'll tell her that.)
Oddly enough, my wife suddenly doesn't want to buy a new vehicle anymore....she WAS planning on trading my car in! :O
Amusingly, her Jeep's check engine light just came on so I'm gonna suggest we trade it in for the Renegade...
(It's just her thermostat, but I'm not sure when I'll tell her that.)
Yeah, that's the car I think I'd get if I replaced mine today. Best value with the features/performance I want, not to mention insanely great financing.
As it stands I just jacked up the back of the Jeep and put her on jack stands to put on some wheel offsets, but my wife made me take it down since we have to take the dogs to the vet today and I needed to start dosing Buffy with tranquilizers. (It's the only way the vet will see her now, she's a bit high strung and awful strong)
On a happy note, I just got a new rear brake kit for my 2010 Infiniti M35x. I fucked up last time and got the track model brakes. They were great, but they're not built for longevity. Also had some messed up caliper pins in back so got a rebuild kit for it and I'm doing it up proper. (Fronts are still fine, gonna put off replacing them until I need to since the new ones that I should have gotten cost twice as much.)
But today shall be a puppy day, pray for me. Two separate visits to the vets; Buffy at 1:30 then Pinky at 3. Buffy I know will just be the expected terrible, but Pinky has barely learned how to walk on a leash and has just gotten over her fear of going for rides so that's gonna be interesting! :/
Not automotavy I know, but it interrupted my autoing today so I puts it here.
As it stands I just jacked up the back of the Jeep and put her on jack stands to put on some wheel offsets, but my wife made me take it down since we have to take the dogs to the vet today and I needed to start dosing Buffy with tranquilizers. (It's the only way the vet will see her now, she's a bit high strung and awful strong)
On a happy note, I just got a new rear brake kit for my 2010 Infiniti M35x. I fucked up last time and got the track model brakes. They were great, but they're not built for longevity. Also had some messed up caliper pins in back so got a rebuild kit for it and I'm doing it up proper. (Fronts are still fine, gonna put off replacing them until I need to since the new ones that I should have gotten cost twice as much.)
But today shall be a puppy day, pray for me. Two separate visits to the vets; Buffy at 1:30 then Pinky at 3. Buffy I know will just be the expected terrible, but Pinky has barely learned how to walk on a leash and has just gotten over her fear of going for rides so that's gonna be interesting! :/
Not automotavy I know, but it interrupted my autoing today so I puts it here.
i keep reading on the internet that jeep often got its engine check light lit up. is that true? Any idea why?
Yeah, jammed thermostat. Very insanely common problem on Jeep JKs. Cheap part to replace, I just need to get a drip pan big enough to drain my radiator and more radiator fluid before I can fix it.
Not a big deal in repair or affect, it's not gonna break the Jeep just make it run a little less efficiently and not heat up the cab as well. My wife's seems to be sticking and unsticking at random, I might try a trick they recommend of just taking a heat gun to the thermostat which should unstick it and keep it that way for a while.
