Cars?

[EricJ]

Ok, so my car is about to die and I have to start thinking about a replacement, but have no idea what I should look to get. I\'d love to hear good, bad ideas about what I might like or what I should stay away from. I\'m more about reliability and comfort than appearance, etc...

help?

thank you!
Eric

 

[supervike]

hmm...

15 years ago I bought a Nissan Pathfinder. I absolutely loved it. I rarely had to put any money into it, other than regular maintenence. I only just got rid of it last year at the behest of my better half, who said it was looking sad.

I asked if I could get rid of her, when she started looking sad, and that spurred very mean looks, and possible arsenic in my hamburger casserole.

Anyhow, I did \'trade up\' to yet another Nissan. The Nissan Titan is a full sized pickup. As much as I miss my old reliable Pathfinder, I really am digging this new truck.

another anyhow, my point is that Nissan makes incredibly reliable vehicles (in my experience) and I highly recommend them.

I have also leased a few Nissans, both the smaller Sentra, and the very nice mini-van Quest. Again, my experience was one of only having to worry about filling it up with gas, and having the oil changed. Rarely if ever did I have any sort of problem.

Just my two cents, take them for what they are worth.

 

[EricJ]

Thanks Supervike, that\'s exactly what I\'m hoping to hear, I hadn\'t even thought about nissan before! thanks!

 

[supervike]

now on with my Badmouthing...

Just so you don\'t think I have always had good luck with cars, heres a few of the \'lemons\'...

The first car I ever bought was a Ford Tempo. Lasted 8,000 miles before it needed an \'air conditioner clutch\' (whatever the hell that is) at 15, 000 miles it needed some other major stuff, at 48,000 miles the engine light would never go off, After countless trips to the Ford Service Garage, and being countlessly gouged each time... at 48,200 I traded it for my Nissan Pathfinder...lollol


Also, my wife has a PT Cruiser. She liked it because it was \'cute\', but we\'ve only had it for 3 years and its had about 6 different problems. Not real happy with that particular Chrysler product...

 

[frenchkid]

Hummm I think porsch are suposed to be nice, or you might want to try ferrarie too

Ok, and seriously, hummmm I don\'t have that much car experience, only two in fact, peugot 206, and audi A6. both very nice, and don\'t think there ever was a probleme with them But if you want to be really original in the states take a look at the french cars, nobody seems to have those other there.

 

[E-Arkham]

I\'ve got a Nissan as well, and it\'s been extremely reliable. I think I have 150k+ miles on it now... bought it brand new in \'95 when I was in various bands and needed to transport gear to gigs on a regular basis.

The previous car was a Chevrolet Cavalier, and I had a couple of major problems with it. One involved the brakes and the other was the electrical system/alternator. My younger brother got it when I bought the Nissan, and I think he had some problems with it. Then he wrecked it (as is the eventual fate of all cars he drives).

Yeah, I\'m off on a tangent. Short story is Nissan = good, Chevy = not so good.

Kep

 

[SaxonAngel]

Originally posted by supervike
15 years ago I bought a Nissan Pathfinder. I absolutely loved it. I rarely had to put any money into it, other than regular maintenence. I only just got rid of it last year at the behest of my better half, who said it was looking sad.

another anyhow, my point is that Nissan makes incredibly reliable vehicles (in my experience) and I highly recommend them.

I have also leased a few Nissans, both the smaller Sentra, and the very nice mini-van Quest. Again, my experience was one of only having to worry about filling it up with gas, and having the oil changed. Rarely if ever did I have any sort of problem.

Just my two cents, take them for what they are worth.

I have a 4x4 standard transmission 1998 Nissan Pathfinder. I get about 22 miles to gallon on the old V6 it has.
It has 180,000 kilometres on it with only regular maintenance. Considering our winters can get colder than -30 degrees celcius (-25 F) and our summers to over +30 (+85 F) having the thing running like that for so long without a tune up is astounding to me.

I have driven Dodges, Chevs, and many, many Fords. This current vehicle is rock solid and makes any other car I\'ve owned seem like a bucket\'o\'bolts. I came from a die-hard Ford family that had the old anti-foreign car attitude. I\'ve changed.

Almost guaranteed my next vehicle will also be a Nissan. Nissan Armada? Hmmmm, that\'d be nice..

And Supervike...
I had a tempo too! an \'85. The thing had no reverse, no5th or 4rth gear and a hundred other somewhat serious problems when I sold the heap back in 1995 for $800 Canadian.

And the husband just traded in his rickety old 2001 PT cruiser last week for a 2005 Chrysler 300!

Just don\'t tell me you also owned an \'80s Monte Carlo. It\'s getting too weird.

Small world:wow:

 

[praetorian0_1]

Ahh, the Monte, our local version of a gangsta car- back in the 80\'s anyways. Good timeslol
The best ride I had was a 1991 Mustang- hot car- ran for ten years before some vandals destroyed her. It was a funky deep green too, bought her new.
Now I got a Grande Am- good ride, but no \'stang.

 

[Nelson]

Hmm, I\'m not a car man, I don\'t even have my full license yet, but I have to recommend the 1988 Honda Civic Station Wagon. It\'s as old as I am, yet still running incredibly well. Very reliable, and incredibly roomy in the interior.

Not the most glamorous of cars, though. lol

Ours looks almost exactly like this, although it has many, many more dents, due to an encounter with a telephone pole on an icy road.

 

[Legacy Account]

Err, don\'t buy anything American!!

Sorry, but US cars (mostly) suck! Honestly, the Daewoo Matiz and Kia Picanto have better quality interiors than most American motors!

Get something European or Japanese. Anything made by VAG - Seat, Audi, VW or (if you don\'t mind getting the piss ripped) Skoda. BMW and Mercedes, Renault, Peugeot (don\'t bother with Citroen.....:|~). Toyota and Nissan have bucked their ideas up too. Mazda always win the \'least problems and complaints\' prize over here - the RX8 is to die for (and you have cheap oil over there for the thirsty rotary!).

12 more months until I can change....

 

[Beelzebrush]

I suppose it depends on what you need it to do really. I used to like nippy, sporty cars but I go camping quite a lot and own a large dog so I bought a Volvo V70 estate (stationwagon in the US?) - which probably isn\'t the \'coolest\' car around but it\'s still quick, reliable and above all practical... just makes you look like a vet!

A friend owns a Mitsubishi Shogun Sport, which is pretty nice - I\'d definitely be tempted.

Best vehicle I\'ve ever owned was an old Land Rover - it went forever and didn\'t cost a great deal to own either.

 

[praetorian0_1]

I am always blown away at the wee size of euro cars- definately shows that you are sure of your manhood at the bight end of itlol
Land rover is about my fav Euro car invention by far. Maybe because the name sounds like Land raider.

 

[vincegamer]

Someone recommended French cars but I would disagree mainly for the reason he recommended them. No one drives them in America. That means no mechanic is familiar with them.

Anyway I recommed a Toyota Prius only because it\'s the most environmentally friendly car out there and it gets good reviews from Consumer Reports. In fact before buying a car check out Consumerreports.com. You might be able to get enough info without membership, but membership is super cheap and worth it.

My current car is a \'98 Ford Contour. My wife actually bought it and she came from a die-hard buy American, Ford-loving family. Of course now Fords are made in Thailand and Hondas are made in Milwaukee so there\'s no telling anymore.
-as to the car I don\'t recommend it. I once met a Ford mechanic socially and mentioned he\'d probably worked on my car. When I told him it was a Contour he said \"those have had more recalls than any other car ever.\"
-that said, it has been a comfortable car and the mileage is good and I\'ve gone literally coast-to-coast in it. I\'ve had it almost 8 years now but I bought it brand-new from the dealer.

Before that I drove a \'73 VW beetle. Great car for a college student but if you\'ve got family or if you have a problem with being stopped on the side of the road while you use a paperclip and rubber bands to repair your accelerator (true story) I don\'t suggest it.

 

[supervike]

Originally posted by SaxonAngel

Almost guaranteed my next vehicle will also be a Nissan. Nissan Armada? Hmmmm, that\'d be nice..

And the husband just traded in his rickety old 2001 PT cruiser last week for a 2005 Chrysler 300!

Just don\'t tell me you also owned an \'80s Monte Carlo. It\'s getting too weird.

Small world:wow:

We do have a very similar taste in automobiles!!

Sorry, no Monte Carlo here, but my buddy had one about that same year, so I spent alot of time \'cruising\' in them....

The Nissan Armada is incredible, but forget about getting 22mpg with that!lol
I think the frame and engine are the same as my Titan, and the best I have gotten is right around 15.5 mpg. Still though, every morning on my way to work, I pass a young lady driving an Armada going the other way. It always catches my eye (and we\'ve actually begun waving at one anotherlollol)

The funny thing is I\'ve been hinting at my wife to trade off the PT Cruiser for the 300. Those things are very impressive looking, but I\'ve yet to talk to anyone that has owned one. Let me know how that one works out!

 

[marineboy]

EricJ,

Have you ever considered a Danish ride? Something like this, perhaps...

Here are some stats:

Monark Long John Transport Bike

A classic and practical Danish transport bike. Super robust: Moped rims and tires, heavily-reinforced frame and massive carriers.


A long-wheelbase transport bike carries a huge load, but still squeezes through traffic. The low platform keeps it stable under load.



Uses-

Delivery, general urban utility, promotion & advertising.

Load capacity-

100kg Front, 50kg Rear (120kg max combined)

Key specs-

*
Heavy-duty 20/26\" wheels
* F Drum & R pedal brakes
* Center-stand

I had two, the newer one (anno 1973) got stolen last year, the other one (pre-1943 vintage) is still going strong.

These are highly reccommended.

 

[solaria2k]

I was shopping for a new car just 3 months ago.
Nissan and Toyota have the best reputation for good, long lasting vehicles, however, the price reflects that.
I ended up purchasing a chevy Blazer, Chevy seems to have the best rep for American cars... admittedly not as good as the other two, but still more affordable.
I had a ford... wouldnt touch Ford again with a ten foot bargepole.

 

[EricJ]

I had thought about a Prius, as it seemed to combine both reliability and is very good for the environment, however it seems there is a big waiting list for the things, and I\'m not sure mine will live that long.

What I\'m getting rid of is a Ford, and I probably wouldn\'t have it except it was cheep in the first place (from family). And I just about everything either has gone wrong with it, or is currently wrong with it. The last time I took it to the shop about a week ago to fix one thing, they actually recomended I don\'t fix it because there were so many other things wrong as well...At least I figure I have an honest car mechanic!

Since a prius may not be an option I had thought about a Camry, but after all these possitive stories about nissan I may take a look there for something. I had also thought about the Honda Hybrid as well...but it doesn\'t seem to be as well recomended.

Thanks all! very helpful

-Eric

 

[Gin1906]

My husband has a 2002 Nissan Altima, very nice car, lost of get up and go, gets very good gas milage also, he has a 35 mile commute each way, he fills up twice a month and with gas currently 2.14 gal, here, he is putting in $30 each time...
It also has lots of leg room and lots of head room, at 6\'4\" he needs his space. Its has been a good car no problems with regular Maint. There was one recall thing I think, was fairly minor or I would remember better.
Hope that helps.
Gin

 

[minimaker]

Origineel geplaatst door praetorian0_1
I am always blown away at the wee size of euro cars- definately shows that you are sure of your manhood at the bight end of itlol

Er, you\'re telling me US cars are big because buyers there are uncertain of their thingy?
I\'ve no idea why cars are \"small\" over here by the way. Possibly because the cost of petrol has always been higher here (i.e. you want a lighter, more fuel efficient car) and many cities are difficult to park and drive in with a large car (many of the old ones were designed with carts in mind, not cars). In any case, large cars don\'t seem to be popular apart from those SUV\'s for families.

I\'ve got an Opel Astra which is really a middle class car. My reason was that I wanted a car big enough to put my bike in the cargo space and small enough to be cheap on fuel. Anyway, I\'m used to them. By the way, this is the one built in mainland Europe factories. Not Vauxhall. I\'ve heard there are some differences in quality. Oh, and it seems to have a homing device for Opel factories. When I got lost in Germany I ended up near one and the same in Poland. lol

To get back to Eric\'s question. What do you use the car for (city, highway, long/short trips, goods transport, personal transport, etc.), how often, and what should it be capable of (trunk capacity, fuel consumption, safety, etc)?

 

[freakinacage]

i have a ford fiesta nice car. as for bigger saloons, the vw bora\'s and passat\'s are nice.

if you want the best - ford gran tourino from starsky and hutch. and let me borrow it!