Ship of Fools: Cars we drive

Thread: Cars we drive Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

To visit this thread, use this URL:
http://forum.ship-of-fools.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=70;t=026841

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

What sort of car are you driving? I have a metalflake black 2013 Ford Focus LHD saloon which is the top of the range Titanium with nearly 100 horsepower per litre. It has black leather seats, satellite radio, a sunroof and a 2000 cc four cylindre engine with a five speed manual gearbox. It is not lightning fast in several circumstances but is fast enough and light years ahead of my lovely bride's four cylindre Vectra LHD estate which has a similar configuration but is over 2 seconds slower in the quarter mile. I am saving up to purchase a fresh turbocharged engine for it...

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :

I don't.

I cycle, walk or take a bus fuelled with biodiesel.

No use having a high performance car here due to the state of the roads or the stop - go of the traffic. In the last 3 years the number of 4 wheel drive vehicles has increased dramatically.

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :

We have a jolly nice Ford Focus econetic diesel estate. Around town we get over 50 mpg (it's a hefty car remember).

We are currently reassessing our needs and considering one of these.

Posted by blackbeard (# 10848) on :

I have a MINI. As it's red and has a rev counter, I can dream it's a Ferrari.
It lives outdoors in the drive, The garage is occupied by a boat which, with current weather, could be more useful.

Posted by Bob Two-Owls (# 9680) on :

Before my eyesight got fubar-ed I had a lovely Ford Anglia 105E in bright yellow with flames from the wheel arches. I still have the severed leg I was going to mount on the bonnet for car shows...

(UK shipmates of a certain vintage will know which comedy show ruled my life as a teenager)

Posted by Emendator Liturgia (# 17245) on :

I have a 2006 SAAB 6-cylinder turbo convertible - at only just turning 55,000kms it has a lot of distance left in it: autumn and spring it is so great to let the wind ruffle through what's left of my hair. For trips down to our country property, we use a Jeep Grand Cherokee which we bought 2nd hand owing to the terrain after floods!

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
We are currently reassessing our needs and considering one of these.

I'm considering getting one of these. When the petrol runs out, or I get stuck in a traffic jam, I can just rise above it all and still be on time for work.

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

The Amandamobile is a Jeep Patriot. Although for especially adventuresome moments I switch to this.

Posted by samc (# 18009) on :

I drive an Impreza WRX, with some additional witchcraft called a PPP which means it makes noises like mighty Thor is trapped under the dash making love to a lathe.

It's very fast vroom vroom kapowWW MY NECK

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

Hello samc, and welcome aboard! Good first post, and glad to have you with us.

Be sure to check out the board guidelines at the top of each board, as the boards all have different flavours. And you're welcome to pop over to All Saints and introduce yourself here if you wanted (it's not compulsory).

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask and someone will be pleased to help you out - we've all been new at some point.

Cheers

Ariel
Heaven Host

Posted by Mere Nick (# 11827) on :

Wife drives a white 2010 Lexus i250c. I drive a 2013 Honda Civic.

Posted by jbohn (# 8753) on :

My main vehicle is an '01 Jeep Cherokee; the previous owner kitted it out for off-roading but didn't do any, leaving us with a very capable vehicle in very good shape. It's been a blessing this winter, I can tell you!

Posted by St Everild (# 3626) on :

Pootling around car is a VV Up (small city car).

For fun, we share a Mazda MX5 coupe. (Not much fun in this weather, TBH...)

Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :

Winter: a Norco bicycle bought for $10, with $250 worth of Schwalbe Ice Spiker tires on it. Coldest ride this winter was -39°C. But cycling means never cold.

Summer: a Kona Dew Deluxe, a 9 speed road bike with front and rear baskets, Planet Bike saddle, spring loaded seat post and a handlebar riser.

Mileage for both: ∞ , 24 km travel per day.

Wife drives a Honda Civic hybrid, 2009. City driving: It gets about 5.2 l/100 km in the summer, but closer to 7 in the winter. Which is about 57 mpg (imperial) or 45 mpg USA in summer. 40 mpg in winter, or 33 mpg winter. Weather is a big deal.

For travel out of the city, we have a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe, 4WD. Typical vehicle for variable roads, driving through blizzards and towing things. Mostly highway travel. It gets close to 40 mpg when I drive, about 35 when anyone else drives it. [Biased]

I also take longer to get places.

[ 14. February 2014, 14:13: Message edited by: no prophet ]

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :

Pasha (my truck) is a 2001 Ford F150. She's beat all to hell - dings, dents and various mashed, smashed and smushed bits. 220K miles on her so far, so she's just good and broke in. * She's stick shift, manual everything, the a/c doesn't work, and you need to use a pair of vice grips to open the tailgate. She's caked in mud, been pulled out of ditches, pulled other trucks out of ditches, and currently has some gunk and feathers stuck in her grill from where I hit a buzzard in mid-air the other day. Fixin' to drive her til the wheels fall off...

*as a requirement of living in the South, one must speak redneck when speaking of one's beloved truck [Biased]

Posted by dj_ordinaire (# 4643) on :

Don't really do 'motoring' very much but finally passed my test last year in my [reasonably] reliable 14-year old Fiat Seicento. The boot is full of specimens from botanic collections, and there's a bit of a hole in the roof where some young folk jumped on it in order to set fire to a shed (while parked a long way from my house, I hasten to add)...

But, I'm rather fond of it. He's called Alejandro, after the Lady Gaga song.

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :

Two Toyota Camrys, one 1994 with 250,000 miles on it (and boy, does it look it!) and the other 2002 with 130,000. My mother gave us the second one. Good thing is, we never worry about parking these all over the city. Who'd steal them? [Biased]

We also have a tiny Jeep Wrangler X (2005) which gets pulled out for fun and when one of the other two oldies is not running.

Posted by Kyzyl (# 374) on :

2002 Chevrolet Malibu. I call her "Stacy", that's a Simpson's reference. She's a little rough with wear on the interior carpet but the exterior has held up well through these Minnesota winters. Mileage is about 135K and she still gets 30mpg on the highway, not bad for an old lady.

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
The Amandamobile is a Jeep Patriot. Although for especially adventuresome moments I switch to this.

Is a toque legal as a helmet where you are?

I'm driving a Benz, the model sold here as the E350 CDI - the mid-size sedan with the 6 cylinder diesel. I do a bit of out-of-Sydney work, and have always had regular Canberra briefs. This has been my first diesel and I'm extremely pleased with it. Once the car starts to move beyond a walking pace, it's smooth and silent, if not quite as much as its petrol predecessor. Bags of torque. It just glides up Cherry Tree Hill or Victoria Pass as if they weren't there, and the same on the climbs between here and Newcastle. And on the trips, it's very fuel efficient; not quite as much around here, but still much more so than the petrol.

On the basis of this, Madame gave her old Volvo V40 wagon to Dlet, and bought herself a C250 CDI coupé, and is very satisfied with her purchase. That's the small 2 door. Plenty of performance, enough space for her needs, but not too large in shopping centre carparks.

Both are white, as have been all our cars for years. I waited a bit after ordering mine to get a blue interior. That's not one normally sold here but is available if you don't mind not driving out the showroom door as it were. That choice was not open to Madame so her's is light fawn.

For reasons which I don't understand, diesel fuel is not cheap here, the usual price being just about that of premium unleaded petrol. It takes less refining than petrol, but that does not seem to matter to the suppliers. So far, no govt has seen fit to follow European practice and reduce the tax on it.

Posted by OddJob (# 17591) on :

Diesel's dearer here too, due to higher tax. But it didn't stop me choosing a diesel engined, used Volvo S60 diesel for long journeys and caravan towing. Much less popular second hand than a Volvo estate (station wagon to some shipmates), therefore cheaper.

Round town and when loads need to be carried, a thoroughly unglamorous old Suzuki Wagon R. Bought as an insurance write-off eight years ago, written on again and worked hard since, it owes us nothing. Much less unpleasant to drive than you'd expect, too.

Playthings are a 1957 Rover and a 1970 Morris Traveller - the latter should soon be back on the road for the first time since 1992.

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Gee D:
Is a toque legal as a helmet where you are?

Yes, actually, as helmets are not required by law.

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

A fellow I know, and brother of shipmate, drives an S60 diesel sedan with AWD, about two and a half years old. He's very pleased with it.

My father, for some inexplicable reason, changed from Buicks to Rovers in the mid-fifties. Beautifully made and finished and excellent engineering, even if to an out-dated technology, but small! I was about 8 when the first arrived and my 2 sisters quite a bit older. Very little room in the back seat, and a tiny boot/trunk. Having bought the 90, he then traded that in a few years later for a 105S. It was only when I was 15, and my sisters did not spend all that much time travelling with us any more, that he bought his first Benz, a fin tail 220SE. That was a car that was years ahead of the market and set new standards. Unlike the Rovers, it had good space for a family and itsluggage.

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

Well this is one of the more unusual threads started on Valentine's Day that I've seen. I know some people prefer their cars to their wives, but still....

VW Polo - big enough for 2 to go on holiday but small enough to fit through narrow high-sided Creamtealand lanes.

And, of course, silver, like almost every other car on the road, so that I spend hours looking for it in car parks. Doh! [brick wall]

Posted by Alicïa (# 7668) on :

Diesel Vauxhall Astra estate, which is great for fuel economy and also good for moving dogs and family around.

Posted by Meerkat (# 16117) on :

Me: VERY late 2006 Kia Magentis 2.7 V6 semi-auto. VERY low mileage. A couple of days later it would have been a 2007-registered car!
Mrs. Kat: 2011 Kia Picanto LS Auto; again low mileage.

Both lovely cars... with Kia you get a lot of car for your money, in the way of 'features'.

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

There is another car in our drive: my wife's large green 1969 Plymouth Fury III convertible. What's left of the interior is black as was the roof which is completely gone. It has a 5.2 litre V8, automatic transmission and manual windows. The air conditioning went out in the late 70s and it's been off the road since the late eighties. I taught my wife how to drive in it on our honeymoon in 1978; my sister learned in it the previous year...

We are in the process of selling it to one of my colleagues who plans to make it flat black with a white interior and hot-rod it a bit.

Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :

For commuting and driving in horrendous Weather I have a Toyota iQ which is white with daisies on the side to prevent it looking too much like a Stormtroopers helmet (although it still has been referred to as a washing machine because it is so square & so white).

For smiley driving I have a classic red MG Midget (rubber bumper) - I try to keep the roof down all year but this year conceded to putting it up so I can drive it in the current conditions - at the moment I avoid roads with lots of old trees with branches dangling over the road, which restricts it to around one route, but there's a nice cafe (or three) along it. Roll on summer for open-top days!

Posted by Horseman Bree (# 5290) on :

Recently had to let the old Mazda MPV go (when the gas tank fell off, and revealed the state of the framing)

Moved up (literally) to a GMC Sierra - not boastable for gas mileage, but great for moving stuff, and for comfort, and for visibility in traffic.

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Meerkat:
... with Kia you get a lot of car for your money, in the way of 'features'.

You do? When we moved here we bought a year-old, low-mileage Kia Rio that IIRC had no features whatsoever. About 7 years later it died, fairly spectacularly. There wasn't much in the way of mourning.

We now have a (very) late 2010 Hyundai Elantra, also with very few features, but it gets us from A to B.

[ 17. February 2014, 14:43: Message edited by: piglet ]

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

quote:
Originally posted by piglet:
When we moved here we bought a year-old, low-mileage Kia Rio that IIRC had no features whatsoever.

Wheels? Doors? Engine?
[Devil]

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

Did not the ads say that seats were an option?

Posted by Meerkat (# 16117) on :

@Piglet... we have had many Kias and nary a problem. How many now (thinking cap on)... Six in all. Hyundai, btw, are from the same stable, being 'sister' companies. With so many being produced, you'll always find one or two vehicles which are a 'PITA' .

Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :

Speaking of options. Electric windows are no options, they put them in all cars it seems. So $700 later, the driver controls now lower and raise the passenger side windows again. What exactly was wrong with crank windows anyway?

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :

I don't know, but I'd spec them in a heartbeat if they were available. Unfortunately the only car we could find them on was the Jeep, which is about as no-frills as you can go before you hit go-carts. [Devil]

Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on :

Can you still lock crank windows from the front seat? I'm not above revoking window privileges for 13 year olds or drunk people who have proven themselves incapable of not yelling at people as we drive by.

(I personally like being able to roll down the back seat windows for my dog while I am driving, rather than pulling over, turning off the car, stepping outside, and cranking them open. But that may just be me.)

(Edited to add a key "not" to the top paragraph.)

[ 18. February 2014, 17:51: Message edited by: Og, King of Bashan ]

Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :

quote:
Before my eyesight got fubar-ed I had a lovely Ford Anglia 105E in bright yellow with flames from the wheel arches.

You da man, Bob!

We pootle on this , from time to time, though these days it looks a little healthier, or sometimes on this.

Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :

...and for kid moving purposes, we are moving towards the 'renovation' (ahem) of one of these.

Posted by no prophet (# 15560) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan:
(I personally like being able to roll down the back seat windows for my dog while I am driving, rather than pulling over, turning off the car, stepping outside, and cranking them open. But that may just be me.)

Agreed, but I would stop to roll them down if it left 700 clams in my pocket, or rather off the credit card bill. They have you right where they want you with these special repairs, can't do it yourself, can't get the part because you don't know what's electrically wrong etc*

*etc = whining, crying, weeping, and gnashing of teeth

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mark_in_manchester:

We pootle on this , from time to time, though these days it looks a little healthier, or sometimes on this.

Is that a watercooled triple with a two-stroke like the unmissed Suzuki 750-3 "Water Buffalo"? How many cylinders in what configuration?

I recognize the first bike as a postwar BMW in horrible cosmetic condition. Does it actually start, run and drive?

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mark_in_manchester:
...and for kid moving purposes, we are moving towards the 'renovation' (ahem) of one of these.

My dream vehicle, among others, but of a three-wheeled variant, would be a bright red Ducati Monster or a 1970s Honda CBX which has six cylindres and sounds like a Porsche 911 under hard acceleration. I actually saw some half-wit pull a wheelie on a two-wheeled CBX when I was a young newlywed working for a builder down by the sea near where we lived in the late 70s.

My 'daily driver' at the time was a jet-black Suzuki 550-4. It ate sparkplugs, but it was v. smooth and comfortable two-up with the Mrs. on day-trips up the coast. If you PM me, I'll ship you an excerpt from my book which details one of these day-trips. V. exciting!

Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :

Oh - thanks for being interested. The story is here. The bikes look like 1950s BMWs, but started out as early 70s Urals - a Russian derivative.

Blue one is MOTd now, but there was much I couldn't save. Snails living in the tank - had lived in a hedge for 20 years.

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :

I drive a little POS sedan with over 250K miles on it and fantastic milage. it's named Elmo, because it's the little red monster.

it has an engine. it runs. four studded tires. heater works. trunk held closed with a bungee. two bumper stickers: one from the Denali Dames Burlesque Troupe and has a picture of all of our butts on it, and my favorite, that reads "Books not Bombs" and got me heckled in Wasilla.

'cause, you know, reading books is how the commies get you.

Posted by Photo Geek (# 9757) on :

I currently drive a Red 2002 Toyota Celica. I'd like something a bit newer, I but haven't seen anything in my price range, that I would like to drive.

Posted by jbohn (# 8753) on :

quote:
Originally posted by comet:
my favorite, that reads "Books not Bombs" and got me heckled in Wasilla.

'cause, you know, reading books is how the commies get you.

To be fair, their former mayor may have something to do with this - not exactly the top of the intellectual food chain, that...

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :

quote:
Originally posted by jbohn:

quote:
Originally posted by comet:
my favorite, that reads "Books not Bombs" and got me heckled in Wasilla.

'cause, you know, reading books is how the commies get you.
To be fair, their former mayor may have something to do with this - not exactly the top of the intellectual food chain, that...

she is a product of her community, believe me.

they have a bumper sticker there that reads "proud to be Valley Trash"

Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :

Chorister wrote

quote:
And, of course, silver, like almost every other car on the road, so that I spend hours looking for it in car parks. Doh!

Mrs BA has just solved that problem by buying her third consecutive Hyundai sedan - this time in sunflower yellow. No chance of missing that one in the carpark!

We do a lot of long distance country driving so our other vehicle is a Nissan X-Trail SUV. Not the most stylish vehicle but incredibly reliable, comfortable and with lots of carrying space.

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Kyzyl:
2002 Chevrolet Malibu. I call her "Stacy", that's a Simpson's reference.

Another 2002 Malibu owner here (do love the Stacey reference, wish I'd thought of it!). I inherited it from my dad, who didn't drive it much, and it has just under 60,000 miles on it. It's beginning to rust out and the "check engine" readout told my mechanic that the transmission is ultimately going to fail, but not for a while yet. My other car is a 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager with 158,000 miles on it and in pretty bad shape. It served us well through lots of long-driving vacations and the semi-annual college pickup-and-delivery trips for two kids. It has a wheel that is so rusted out that the tire keeps losing air and going flat.

I'm getting rid of both of them in a few months. I'm thinking of a Ford Focus (noting a fair number of Focus owners on this thread) or a Subaru.

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

Please, go with the Focus: there are three 2012-14s on my block!

Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :

I love my mazda 3. Whole extended family has always driven Japanese cars, so just went with what I knew. 2nd choice would've been a Honda civic, but I found a mazda first in the right age/price/mileage range.

I would've preferred a more boring colour but at least it's not bright purple, like the other car at the dealership that day!

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

Hondas are jalopies: they are mostly slow and they don't last. At least Mazda were part-owned by FORD who controlled their board. My dream car would be an MX-5 convertible hardtop ( American racing blue plus white stripes ) with the flat-crank V8 and six-speed gearbox from the 2015 Shelby (Mustang) GT 350 with a custom nose and front clip. I would call it ( with permission ) the Masserini-Ford. It would sound like a Ferrari and give Maranello a run for its money!

Posted by Wet Kipper (# 1654) on :

I'm still driving the same car as I was ten months ago.

Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :

I have a new Smudgemobile [Big Grin]

It was hard to part with the old one. As the boy commented, it was iconic - everybody knew my lovely green Kangoo as it was so instantly recognisable. It had done me good service for nine years or more but was just too tired to continue, poor thing.

The new one is the same make, just fractionally more powerful and considerably more gadgetty (for example, the central locking works and the windscreen washer actually squirts water onto the windscreen). What's more, it makes progress along the road without the slightest hint of giving up the ghost, which is always a relief. It's a tiny bit wider than the old one, though, as I discovered when I first tried to park it!

I love the height and visibility of it and the fact you have lots of headroom. And the boot is just sooooooo useful. It also helps that it is incredibly easy to spot in a carpark. I do rather like my new Smudgemobile.

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

Glad you're happy with your vehicle. I firmly believe, given the money, that every one should be able to buy the ideal vehicle for their needs: that said, I would dearly like to buy a new top-of-the-range Mustang Shelby GT 350 convertible with a manual gearbox next year or some sort of hot rod, but my lovely bride is against it as I had light-years too much fun with the black Mustang convertible that I leased back in 2003...

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Wet Kipper:
I'm still driving the same car as I was ten months ago.

Me, too. Except that it now has almost 117,000 miles on it. [Biased]

Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :

I own, free and clear, a 1996 Geo Tracker. The DMV (Dept. of Motor Vehicles) insists on calling it a Chevrolet convertible. Long story. It has been very handy for snowy bad roads this winter, since it's a 4 wheel drive.

Posted by Felafool (# 270) on :

I love my 4 year old Toyota Prius, which is paying for itself after my previous gas guzzling Honda Accord coupe. I loved that car also, but the Prius is bigger, more luxurious, better equipped, and over 50k miles of mixed driving it is averaging 54 mpg. If I keep to 55mph I get 74mpg!
And I get to creep up behind people in car parks!
I like the hybrid engine so much, I'm buying a Yaris hybrid for the woman I love.

Posted by mark_in_manchester (# 15978) on :

Sir Kevin wrote:

quote:
Hondas are jalopies: they are mostly slow and they don't last.

Au contraire! My best mate has a 16 year old Civic hatchback with nearly 250,000 miles on it. The head has never been off it, the body has yet to start looking scabby, and I don't think he's spent more than £150 on it in any year. Many years, he's spent nothing except oil and filters. Great car. If your ego can deal with a beige velour interior [Big Grin]

Posted by Mr Curly (# 5518) on :

2007 Toyota Tarago 3.5 litre V6 (Previa in other markets) 8 seater in gold. 86000 kms. That's 200KW pushing through the front wheels of a large van. Replacing front tyres is a regular activity.

1996 VW Golf Cabriolet 2.0 litre 4 cyl manual. Silver. 102000 kms. In need of a new exhaust, and generally starting to show it's age.

The fleet is under review with Biggest about to start learning to drive. I fear there is no option but for said fleet to expand to three, but I don't want to do that until Middle starts to drive, lest his brother irrevocably takes possession of the third car. Finances permitting, the end result will be one of the three cars being of my choosing and for my use in my mid-life crisis mode. It will have a folding roof and enough kahunas to ensure rapid progress. It will be some vintage Americana or something like a Benz CLK500.

mr curly

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

Mr Curly - a very early Ford Thunderbird lives in a well-known large house on the highway not far from us. Just the bench seat in front, no rear seat and a folding top. With one that age, you could probably swap to right hand drive easily enough, with parts from the period Ford Customlines. If you're talking really old and classic, just remember that Pierce-Arrow did not change the steering over to the left until 1921; almost all quality French, Belgian and Italian cars kept the wheel on the right until WW II, Lancia until 1955.

As to Biggest's learning to drive - before either of us took Dlet out for his first drive, we booked him into full day course at a well-known driving school, with its own track, and just opposite St Ives Showground. Very useful, well worth the money, and he went back for half day courses about halfway through his L plates and again just before he went for his test. If you book the test at Belrose, Biggest can have a lesson beforehand, and then the instructor will drive him to Belrose RMS and he do the test on the same car. Dlet had to do 120 hours, and these counted double or triple time, can't remember which. There's also a lot of night driving to be done. Since Madame took him out in daylight, I covered the night.

Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :

1998, Dodge Neon. 58,000 miles on it. Looks brand new, smells like cats. It's been perfect for me, I hope it lasts another 16 years.

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :

I have a 1998 Saturn wagon with 123,000 miles on it. It's a great car; I especially appreciate the fact that the body is not metal. It still looks very good.

I hope it lasts as long as I do.

Moo

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mark_in_manchester:
Sir Kevin wrote:

quote:
Hondas are jalopies: they are mostly slow and they don't last.
Au contraire! My best mate has a 16 year old Civic hatchback with nearly 250,000 miles on it. The head has never been off it, the body has yet to start looking scabby, and I don't think he's spent more than £150 on it in any year. Many years, he's spent nothing except oil and filters. Great car. If your ego can deal with a beige velour interior

1986 Accords built in Japan are v. unreliable. I was working in downtown LA when the '86 hatchback I was going to buy from my sister blew its engine and it had well under 100,000 miles; my late mother gave me her '86 saloon and the automatic gearbox went south and it was not rebuilt properly, circa 120,000 miles...

Posted by Campbellite (# 1202) on :

I am still driving the same Ford Focus I had when I came aboard the Ship. I am less than 2k miles short of the distance light travels in one second.

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Felafool:
I love my 4 year old Toyota Prius, which is paying for itself after my previous gas guzzling Honda Accord coupe. I loved that car also, but the Prius is bigger, more luxurious, better equipped, and over 50k miles of mixed driving it is averaging 54 mpg. If I keep to 55mph I get 74mpg!
And I get to creep up behind people in car parks!
I like the hybrid engine so much, I'm buying a Yaris hybrid for the woman I love.

I've got a Yaris Hybrid that I use as my driving tuition vehicle and for personal use. I love it and it cut my fuel costs overnight. My pupils love it too, but in the early days it confused the driving examiners who though the candidates had forgotten to switch the engine on!

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :

Campbellite,
Still with the original catskin seat covers?

[ 28. February 2014, 16:43: Message edited by: lilBuddha ]

Posted by Stercus Tauri (# 16668) on :

After suffering with one of the vilest of Mitsubishi's crapulous creations we've had nothing but VW diesels, though the current Golf has not entirely been a transport of delight. It had an abusive previous owner, but like all diesels, there is something pleasantly sensual about the sound and feel of it. The previous VW Jetta/Bora (depending on where you live) was still so good at 365,000 km that it was worth stealing, but not worth the effort of the police to even try to find it. It was a lovely car and much better than its successor. It flew like the wind and its fuel consumption was negligible. A Good Car.

There was a time with a Triumph Stag, a case of unashamedly yielding to pure lust. It had its flaws, but a gorgeous beast, so it was.

Posted by JB (# 1776) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Curly:
.. Finances permitting, the end result will be one of the three cars being of my choosing and for my use in my mid-life crisis mode. It will have a folding roof and enough kahunas to ensure rapid progress. It will be some vintage Americana or something like a Benz CLK500.

How about this?

Folding, moving (260hp/265ft-lb, 0-60 in 5.5 for US version), and modern (4-cyl, turbo, direct injection).

Recently discontinued and instant classic; look for Opel GT in Europe.

Posted by Timothy the Obscure (# 292) on :

I'm still driving my 2010 Mazda 3, which I love--it's the best car I've ever owned--though I'd happily replace it with the 2015, with the Skyactive technology that gets 40 mile per gallon... or, if I win the lottery, with a Tesla Model S.

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :

I have a 2010 Prius, which usually spends the coldest, snowiest part of the winter in the garage while we drive DP's venerable Jeep Explorer, but which we've had to call into service this winter because of some repair issues with the Jeep.

We love the Prius' gas mileage, of course; and despite our epic snowfall this winter and the Prius' low clearance, so far we've been able to drive even poorly plowed country roads. (Although we had a close call last week when we found ourselves in a blowing-snow whiteout that was rapidly drifting much of the snowbank right into our side of the road.)

And -- last year we got sideswiped on the freeway by a larger vehicle; it could have been a much worse accident, but I credit the Prius' construction and handling ability for keeping us unscathed and on the correct side of the guardrail. [Eek!]

Also -- we've found that the Prius has incredible storage capacity for such a small car. A couple of years ago we had to go to Florida for almost three months to help our seriously ill son-in-law; we decided to drive, and we were able to pack a lot more than we thought we could.

The only real negative I can list for my car is the tendency of the battery to run down in very cold weather if we don't drive every day (this is remedied by starting it and letting it run in between trips). Having driven heavier vehicles most of my life, I still sometimes feel like I'm riding around in a little tin can; and especially when we're alternating driving the Prius with the Jeep, it's jarring to go from sitting up high ("I'm Queen of the World!") to feeling as if I'm sitting only a couple of inches off the ground.

Posted by sebby (# 15147) on :

Kia Picanto. Less means more. Top of the range or bottom of the range. A Rolls or a crappy beaten up tin can suits.

Posted by Philip Charles (# 618) on :

1987 second hand Japanese import Toyota diesel. A mere 350,000 km. Expecting another 100,000 km out of it. Air Con long gone. No problem with Warrants of Fitness.

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

quote:
Originally posted by JB:

Folding, moving (260hp/265ft-lb, 0-60 in 5.5 for US version), and modern (4-cyl, turbo, direct injection).

Recently discontinued and instant classic; look for Opel GT in Europe.

May I have right of first refusal if you ever decide to sell it? I plan to put the fwd crate motor version into my old "Vectra" surfer wagon when it hits 200,000 miles or sooner if my 160-horsepower 2.2 liter DOHC4 with five-speed manual gearbox fails earlier. Does your car have six speeds like the Focus and Fiesta STs or only five?

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

Not what I drive, but what my mother did 55 years ago:

Borgward Isabella

Her's was white. Comfortable, roomy enough for 3 growing children and the weekly shopping, and well made. My father was a bit worried about the handling in the wet though. In retrospect, it was nowhere near as tricky as a BMW of the New Class and later, and a good set of Michelins would probably have wrought a great improvement.

Posted by Stercus Tauri (# 16668) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Gee D:
Not what I drive, but what my mother did 55 years ago:

Borgward Isabella

Her's was white. Comfortable, roomy enough for 3 growing children and the weekly shopping, and well made. My father was a bit worried about the handling in the wet though. In retrospect, it was nowhere near as tricky as a BMW of the New Class and later, and a good set of Michelins would probably have wrought a great improvement.

Another memory jolt... One of our neighbours had the diesel version of that car. The local kids used to gather round to watch the owner start it - the noise and the smoke were amazing, like a tyrannosaurus farting. Not like my polite little diesel Golf.

Posted by TE Brown (# 11920) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mark_in_manchester:
Sir Kevin wrote:

quote:
Hondas are jalopies: they are mostly slow and they don't last.
Au contraire! My best mate has a 16 year old Civic hatchback with nearly 250,000 miles on it.

Mr. Brown currently drives the Honda Civic I bought brand new (before I met him) in 1991. It now has 343,000 miles on it and a small bit of rust, but still running strong. Our new car is a 2003 Toyota Camry that has 304,000 miles on it. I'm catching up!

TEB

Posted by ken (# 2460) on :

I never learned to drive.

Did have some lessons once, but I was crap at it, and couldn't really afford them either.

Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :

quote:
Originally posted by TE Brown:

quote:
Originally posted by mark_in_manchester:
Sir Kevin wrote:

quote:
Hondas are jalopies: they are mostly slow and they don't last.
Au contraire! My best mate has a 16 year old Civic hatchback with nearly 250,000 miles on it.
Mr. Brown currently drives the Honda Civic I bought brand new (before I met him) in 1991. It now has 343,000 miles on it and a small bit of rust, but still running strong.

I drive a 1991 Honda Civic hatchback with a mere 156,000 miles on it. If I get as much mileage out of it as you have from your car, it may be the last car I own! [Yipee]

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :

Ruth, I'm with you! I hope my car lasts me the rest of my life! Hopefully I have a lot of miles yet.

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :

quote:
Originally posted by ken:
I never learned to drive.

Did have some lessons once, but I was crap at it, and couldn't really afford them either.

Haven't even had lessons.

There are "bad driving genes" in my family. Aunt T was comfortably the Worst Driver in West London so Mrs Sioni drives while I am navigator and Designated Drinker.

It is a major contribution to road safety.

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :

I'm driving a 1998 Saturn with 123,000 miles on it. I hope it lasts as long as I do.

Moo

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :

Silver 2008 Volvo Station Wagon. So suburban I know but it comes in handy for hauling around my art installations, hay, and other things. Hubby drives a bright red 2013 Hyundai . Alas last year after 40 years of riding without one accident the Harley is no more. Age finally caught up, and good since said time to get off.

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Moo:
I'm driving a 1998 Saturn with 123,000 miles on it. I hope it lasts as long as I do.

Moo

I've got about 134,000 miles on mine and it can still cruise at 100 MPH. I get about 32 MPG on long trips and it is still fun to drive!

Posted by deano (# 12063) on :

2011 Honda CRV Turbo Deisel automatic.

It's nice enough. I'm one of those weirdy blokes who doesn't get excited about cars. I drive 130 miles per day for work and I have a bad back so I need something comfy, easy to drive and good on the motorways or in traffic, and the CRV fits the bill nicely.

When we bought it, mrs deano was the one doing the choosing of the options and such like. I just wanted an auto box and rear parking camera. Everythign else was her choice.

Now ask me about guitars and amps and I might become a little priapic [Eek!]

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :

quote:
Originally posted by deano:

Now ask me about guitars and amps and I might become a little priapic

Redeeming feature: Check.

Posted by sebby (# 15147) on :

quote:
Originally posted by ken:
I never learned to drive.

Did have some lessons once, but I was crap at it, and couldn't really afford them either.

Then you are in good company: Michael Ramsey; Rowan Williams; Ronald Blythe.

But I am not sure if they were crap at the lessons or ever had any.

Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on :

We downsized recently from two cars to one.

My little KA car was sold. I was very sad but agreed it was for the best. We are both semi-retired and someone is always at home for the pooch. Mr Boog cycles as much as he drives and it was a good excuse for him to buy a swish new town bike. But I was adamant that I'd never like the Passat Estate - too big, two difficult to park, nowhere near as nippy as my beloved KA.

I was wrong - I LOVE the Passat! It has become
my car. The cruise control is brill. It accelerates like an aircraft and is no more difficult to park. The big space in the back fits Tatze's travel crate and she loves it too.

Just one thing I miss from the KA car - the heated front screen. Why don't all cars have one?

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :

I ran over something in a dark car park last week so the Focus is at the body shop. Its temporary replacement is a 300 horsepower Chevrolet Impala, a huge car but fast and pretty. It is unfortunately front-wheel-drive with a surprisingly fast-shifting automatic gearbox with manual-shift capability. I wish it had flappy paddles like the Jaguars I drove at an event a few years ago...

UBB.classic^TM 6.5.0