What do you drive?

[colleen]

I was searching for best/worst car (or truck!) discussions here and found this worst thread here in ‘general automotive discussion’, so that works:

http://ericthecarguy.com/forum/4-General-Automotive-Discussion/49141-yahoo-article-on-worst-used-cars-to-buy#85815

Also wanted a best car thread, and only found this one in the ‘etcg suggestion box’ so wanted to start this thread here in ‘general automotive’:

http://ericthecarguy.com/forum/9-ETCG-Suggestion-Box/38500-what-kind-of-car-do-you-drive-and-why

SO, HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR CAR/TRUCK? Would you buy a newer model of that same car?

I have a 96 Honda Accord 4cyl and it’s the nicest car I’ve ever owned. Which isn’t saying much 😛 . I would buy another one, but would prefer another ‘old school’ one I already know how to work on, with fewer electronic sensors.

PROS:
*engine’s a champ, after all these years. recently checked timing & valves, still at factory spec!
*transmission (manual) still fine
*no major repairs other than starter and radiator.
*good gas mileage

CONS:
*wow, exhaust. I change my oil every 2 months and it’s black. Cleaned out egr passages for major carbon build-up after MIL lamp.

I’ve owned a few other cars, another one I liked was my 94 Corolla. But I wouldn’t buy that car again, unless an old model, due to rampant Toyota recalls. Everything from electronic throttle sensors going haywire to ABS issues. They just recalled over 2 million Prius! Get it together, Toyota!

wiki link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009%E2%80%9311_Toyota_vehicle_recalls

Topic

[Kevin]

I have a 1999 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

Its got 95k miles and I paid $4500 for it this past summer. Unfortunately, it has an automatic transmission but at least it has a 3.23 rear axle ratio.

The color is Bright Green Metallic and only 38 Trans Ams were produced in BGM for the 1999 model year. There were only 98 BGM Trans Ams produced in 1998 which brings the grand total to 136 BGM LS1 powered Trans Ams.

As far as maintenance, it needed a new battery shortly after I purchased it, I had to replace a section of brake line when I first got the car, replace the Alternator ( which I opted to get a 145amp unit for a 5.3L Truck instead of the 102amp stock unit ) the exciter wire pigtail and the driver side headlamp motor. Grand total of $810 because I had to take it to a shop for the pigtail and brake line. I Have no knowledge or tools to deal with brakelines yet ( currently taking a braking class in college ) and not having access to a sufficient area to perform work in these winter months really cut into my patience with the alternator job.

For a breakdown
$100 for new battery
$200 to get the brake line fixed ( shop )
$200 for the AD244 Alternator I used to replace the failing stock unit
$30 for a larger serpentine belt to accommodate the AD244
$80 for the headlamp motor
$200 for the shop to figure out why my Alternator wasn’t turning on ( bad pigtail )

Pros :
*Fantastic LS1 engine. Reliable, very powerful(350bhp), cheap parts, MASSIVE aftermarket support.
*Looks that kill. Seriously aggressive looking car. It just looks so pissed off and I love it.
*Classic American Muscle
*Upper 20s mpg hwy despite a 346cu V8 and 4 speed Auto trans
*T-Tops!
*Extremely comfortable seating

Cons :
*Requires premium fuel
*Automatic transmission
*Damn near EVERYTHING I do to this car has me swearing at those !beeping! engineers!
*Interior is made almost purely out of plastic. Its a mild rattlebox in the cold weather.
*Ride quality is mildly harsh, but I don’t notice it half of the time. Everyone else complains.
*Backseats are laughably small
*Un-needed gigantic hump on passenger floor for the previous generation’s massive catalytic converters ( a lot of parts were carried over from the 3rd generation, which included the floorpans )

[Mike H]

I recently bought a 06 Saturn Vue… Before you judge, know that I bought this because it is one of only two years that Saturn had an agreement with Honda. So my Vue has a Honda motor and trans. I have never been a Saturn fan but have looked at many forums since buying it and see it is very sought after among Saturn enthusiasts. I love this car 3.5L V6 SOHC and still gets about 20 mpg in town and 26-28 highway.

[Dave]

I own a 99 Mazda B3000 SE 4×4 It has been very good to me other than a mysterious oil disappearance recently. It is built by Ford and so it is really a Ranger the most truck like of all of the mini-trucks in America, the GVWR is similar to what 1/2 tons were only a few years ago.

[Keith]

2004 Nissan Maxima SL. My dad bought it brand new, and today it has over 280k miles. Original motor and trans.

Pros:
Fast
Comfortable
Luxurious
Reliable

Cons:
It has the turn radius of a bus.
Not many aftermarket mods
Gas mileage is ehhhh

[Pat Calhoun]

2012 Ford Fusion SE 2.5 Auto 24k miles
Love this car. I drive 100+ miles every work day so I needed something that was good on gas, reliable and comfortable. Its a great car so far. Microsoft Sync is nice too. Plenty of pickup for a 4cylinder.

2004 Ford Explorer XLS 4.0 Flex Fuel 4×4 152k miles
This thing wont die. Its been totalled and rebuilt with a salvage title. I’ve towed quite a bit, driven through countless major storms for hours in 4wd. It took me to the hospital at 110mph when my mom had a heart attack and got me out of my driveway in 30″ of snow and I’ve even fit a full size 20 cubic foot fridge in it with the hatch closed. I’d buy another in a heart beat. I’ve had 0 major mechanical issues with it. It was almost all maintenance. Only con is gas mileage- it averages about 17-19mpg.

1999 Ford F250 SC XLT Flat Bed 4×4 5.4 V8 W/8′ Fisher MM2 126k miles
Its a hell of a plow truck….But I probably wouldnt buy another. I’ve only owned it for 6 months as an unregistered, plow/yard truck and I’ve had a brake line blow, abs issues and a trans cooler line leak. Its ok for a yard truck, but its been higher maintenance than my other vehicles and it only drives a few miles a month depending on snowfall and yard work.

[Lorrin Barth]

My ride = 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

This is Mitsubishi’s WRC Rally Car first sold in the United States in 2003. It has a 2 liter turbocharged engine and full time AWD. The suspension that came on the car is for dirt and gravel, suspension parts of mostly forged aluminum and the brakes by Brembo. The ride is stiffer than that of any other vehicle in my experience and I’ve driven grain trucks.

The car has the bare bones interior of the Lancer and a radio that sounds like a tin can. There is no cruise (I installed one). However the car has a good heater, A/C and power steering. Rip out the interior, weld in a cage, swap the seats and belts for sanctioned parts and go racing. This is the real reason for the car’s existence.

The car the Evo is built off of, the Mitsubishi Lancer, is in itself an amazing car in that it has a roomy front seat, a big back seat with plenty of legroom however the front seats are adjusted and a decent trunk. On the outside the Evo shares with the Lancer the front doors, the roof and the trunk lid. The hood and front fenders are aluminum.

The drivetrain is stout as it would need be for a car with a racing heritage. I recently had to do a clutch and the transmission is HEAVY (about my weight I would guess).

I’m an old guy and I use this as a road car and for trips to the store. On the highway, since the body has little or nor sound proofing it is not quiet and you are always wondering what was that noise. Over on the Evo forum there are huge posts concerning clunking front end noise. The truth of the matter is the engineers didn’t care if the suspension was quiet or not. They all clunk.

I’ve been run off the interstate twice while driving this car and here you get to sample what the car is all about. Driving in the weeds is the same as driving on pavement.

So, other than the usual stuff any car needs, this vehicle being used the way I use it is bullet proof. The only thing that has ever failed was one front strut.

[Author]

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