Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

[potownrob]

Ya'll still here, I see. Just checking in, although I've not owned a manual car for a while now. I guess I'll stay for now since I do own a manual motorcycle still, although it may go as well. After 5 years of riding I'm thinking about hanging it up. Bored of it, mostly, and it seems that driver distraction has gotten worse, IMO. More and more I see people watching YouTube and Netflix in traffic and a it just takes what little joy there was in city riding right out.

I told myself if I don't reach X number of miles by this spring, then it's going to go and it's sure looking that way. I'll use the cash to buy a new MTB or maybe even a side-by-side once we get to CO.

OH NOES!! what about when you get to CO, won't you want to ride your motorcycle through the hills and dales there??

I'd be more interested in offroad things than onroad things, really. Would rather have a side by side I can haul to the trailheads than road riding. Or a snowmobile.

Is a side by side a motorcycle with a side car?? For puppy of course.

[watkins]

I'm overdue but I'm still here... though my GTI is not. I ended up re-selling it back to the dealership I bought new 2 weeks ago and ended an era. I loved the car and I'm grateful for all the assistance and guidance this forum has provided me for years. This car never stranded me, but definitely was not reliable and kind of felt like a grenade with the pin out. I did feel quite attached to it though and was sad to see it go.

I've entered PHEV realm as much as that pains people here but I went with a 2019 Hyundai Ioniq. Got the full tax credit making a car that stickers for 33.5k to just above 20k. The car just makes sense for me at this point where my commute of actual driving has degraded to about a less then 10 mile stint to the train station a day. I've had the car since 02/16/20 and still haven't put gas into it yet...

Will check in from time to time here and hope that standardshift continues onwards--- I'll never say never in terms of going back to manual transmission. I'm hopeful but still very appreciative of all the help from the regulars here over the years.

i'd be more disappointed in your choice of hybrid (that's a plug-in hybrid or regular hybrid? too lazy to check) than that you went with one. i of course would recommend the accord hybrid or the civic equivalent (too lazy/tired to remember the name of that one ATM); new accord is close to luxury feeling and riding, especially in ex-l or higher trim. ex is a nice compromise though. have driven sister's '18 accord hybrid and it is a nice ride indeed, though not quite as nice riding as the almighty lexus. either way, glad you got out of the grenade and into something that should make more sense for city driving.

Youre fanboying too hard. New Hyundais are almost all superior to new Hondas in terms of build and comfort.

[ClutchFork]

Since this thing looks like a hearse, why would they even sell it in black. Every time I see one of these I think there must be a stiff in the back.

[Teamwork]

I'm overdue but I'm still here... though my GTI is not. I ended up re-selling it back to the dealership I bought new 2 weeks ago and ended an era. I loved the car and I'm grateful for all the assistance and guidance this forum has provided me for years. This car never stranded me, but definitely was not reliable and kind of felt like a grenade with the pin out. I did feel quite attached to it though and was sad to see it go.

I've entered PHEV realm as much as that pains people here but I went with a 2019 Hyundai Ioniq. Got the full tax credit making a car that stickers for 33.5k to just above 20k. The car just makes sense for me at this point where my commute of actual driving has degraded to about a less then 10 mile stint to the train station a day. I've had the car since 02/16/20 and still haven't put gas into it yet...

Will check in from time to time here and hope that standardshift continues onwards--- I'll never say never in terms of going back to manual transmission. I'm hopeful but still very appreciative of all the help from the regulars here over the years.

i'd be more disappointed in your choice of hybrid (that's a plug-in hybrid or regular hybrid? too lazy to check) than that you went with one. i of course would recommend the accord hybrid or the civic equivalent (too lazy/tired to remember the name of that one ATM); new accord is close to luxury feeling and riding, especially in ex-l or higher trim. ex is a nice compromise though. have driven sister's '18 accord hybrid and it is a nice ride indeed, though not quite as nice riding as the almighty lexus. either way, glad you got out of the grenade and into something that should make more sense for city driving.

I spent time with the Honda Insight but def was the worst of the 3 clearly between Prius, Ioniq, Insight. The lease deals were also non-existent as this was essentially a sign and drive 36mo/12k for $475 a month (goodbye). There is no EX-L trim for the Insight and I was tweening too hard between EX and Touring- was going to either feel compromised or spent too much guilt. Wasn't too fond of the power train; very on and off switchy with the hybrid system. Noises with the drivetrain and transmission don't correlate to speed or actual driving intent which would've drove me nuts. Also, shame on Honda I really think they are going through some QC issues but the driver seat the bottom cushion felt deformed and almost like I was sitting on cardboard (have the same sensation in my wife's Civic). I think the best hybrids out there though are the Accord / Camry but I didn't want to go too upmarket.

I'm by no means a Hyundai/KIA fan boy but they probably have done some right to get me coming back. A big thing came down to not feeling compromised on feature set, Toyota still being allergic to Android Auto/Apple Car play, and ultimately a transmission that wasn't a CVT. I actually attribute Android Auto / the DCT two of the strong suits of this car because it's implemented well and actually feeling shifts and sounds that "make sense" was long welcomed. I've only filled up once now in 3+ weeks which is a pretty great feeling.

[AHTOXA]

OH NOES!! what about when you get to CO, won't you want to ride your motorcycle through the hills and dales there??

I'd be more interested in offroad things than onroad things, really. Would rather have a side by side I can haul to the trailheads than road riding. Or a snowmobile.

Is a side by side a motorcycle with a side car?? For puppy of course.

No, it's an ATV with two seats side by side. Generally more sporty.

[potownrob]

Since this thing looks like a hearse, why would they even sell it in black. Every time I see one of these I think there must be a stiff in the back.

probably because it's often used for livery service

[potownrob]

I'm overdue but I'm still here... though my GTI is not. I ended up re-selling it back to the dealership I bought new 2 weeks ago and ended an era. I loved the car and I'm grateful for all the assistance and guidance this forum has provided me for years. This car never stranded me, but definitely was not reliable and kind of felt like a grenade with the pin out. I did feel quite attached to it though and was sad to see it go.

I've entered PHEV realm as much as that pains people here but I went with a 2019 Hyundai Ioniq. Got the full tax credit making a car that stickers for 33.5k to just above 20k. The car just makes sense for me at this point where my commute of actual driving has degraded to about a less then 10 mile stint to the train station a day. I've had the car since 02/16/20 and still haven't put gas into it yet...

Will check in from time to time here and hope that standardshift continues onwards--- I'll never say never in terms of going back to manual transmission. I'm hopeful but still very appreciative of all the help from the regulars here over the years.

i'd be more disappointed in your choice of hybrid (that's a plug-in hybrid or regular hybrid? too lazy to check) than that you went with one. i of course would recommend the accord hybrid or the civic equivalent (too lazy/tired to remember the name of that one ATM); new accord is close to luxury feeling and riding, especially in ex-l or higher trim. ex is a nice compromise though. have driven sister's '18 accord hybrid and it is a nice ride indeed, though not quite as nice riding as the almighty lexus. either way, glad you got out of the grenade and into something that should make more sense for city driving.

I spent time with the Honda Insight but def was the worst of the 3 clearly between Prius, Ioniq, Insight. The lease deals were also non-existent as this was essentially a sign and drive 36mo/12k for $475 a month (goodbye). There is no EX-L trim for the Insight and I was tweening too hard between EX and Touring- was going to either feel compromised or spent too much guilt. Wasn't too fond of the power train; very on and off switchy with the hybrid system. Noises with the drivetrain and transmission don't correlate to speed or actual driving intent which would've drove me nuts. Also, shame on Honda I really think they are going through some QC issues but the driver seat the bottom cushion felt deformed and almost like I was sitting on cardboard (have the same sensation in my wife's Civic). I think the best hybrids out there though are the Accord / Camry but I didn't want to go too upmarket.

I'm by no means a Hyundai/KIA fan boy but they probably have done some right to get me coming back. A big thing came down to not feeling compromised on feature set, Toyota still being allergic to Android Auto/Apple Car play, and ultimately a transmission that wasn't a CVT. I actually attribute Android Auto / the DCT two of the strong suits of this car because it's implemented well and actually feeling shifts and sounds that "make sense" was long welcomed. I've only filled up once now in 3+ weeks which is a pretty great feeling.

forgot about the weird insight trim gap. the ex does have a decent amount of features, but does feel cheaper without the leather seats and a couple of other things you can only get on the touring. don't think i could have a car without adjustable lumbar though. accord has most of the trims offered for the hybrid, but more expensive. they were trying to sell my sister a clarity or whatever the plug-in thing is, before the new accord hybrid came out. when we drove the camries, they felt cheap compared to the accords, especially the new accord. the exterior of the new camry is probably the nicest looking sedan out there (at least in its class), but the interior is definitely not as nice as i expected. definitely best bang for the buck is going to be the koreans. not sure how their hybrids are (i remember them using toyota systems in the past though). if i lived in or near the city, i'd want a hybrid. heck, i'd like one now living up in the burbs. low to mid twenties in the lexus in the winter (car's sensitive to gas type etc.) vs. at least 40 for a hybrid, if i could go back i'd forego the cool engine sounds, smoothness and power for 20 extra mpgs. even 30 mpg in the warmer months vs. 50 for a comparable hybrid, that's significant if you drive a lot. did get a good deal on the lexus though. would've had to spend several thousand more for a comparable hybrid. the weird noises and switching between electric and gas is odd at first, but then you get used to it and wonder why it took you this long to try a hybrid. i remember my sister hating the drivetrain the first few weeks, but now she loves it.

[potownrob]

I'd be more interested in offroad things than onroad things, really. Would rather have a side by side I can haul to the trailheads than road riding. Or a snowmobile.

Is a side by side a motorcycle with a side car?? For puppy of course.

No, it's an ATV with two seats side by side. Generally more sporty.

ahhh, sounds like fun. not road legal though, i assume...

[potownrob]

Youre fanboying too hard. New Hyundais are almost all superior to new Hondas in terms of build and comfort.

not a fanboi (or else i'd be driving a honda), but they hit it out of the park with the new accord. newer hyundais are definitely better overall than they were even a few years ago, but i still wouldn't compare them to similar hondas. the exteriors on models like the elantra and sonata look like they belong on another planet (not that the accord is that much better looking on the outside), and the interiors, despite looking very nice at first glance, are not as nice as the ones on newer hondas. if there's one thing i wish honda would really work on, it would be their exterior designs. they're either too conservative or too out there. also wish there weren't so many dumb oaf car shoppers who blindly walk into the honda dealer and pay top dollar for their cars...

[Rope-Pusher]

Youre fanboying too hard. New Hyundais are almost all superior to new Hondas in terms of build and comfort.

not a fanboi (or else i'd be driving a honda), but they hit it out of the park with the new accord. newer hyundais are definitely better overall than they were even a few years ago, but i still wouldn't compare them to similar hondas. the exteriors on models like the elantra and sonata look like they belong on another planet (not that the accord is that much better looking on the outside), and the interiors, despite looking very nice at first glance, are not as nice as the ones on newer hondas. if there's one thing i wish honda would really work on, it would be their exterior designs. they're either too conservative or too out there. also wish there weren't so many dumb oaf car shoppers who blindly walk into the honda dealer and pay top dollar for their cars...

Maybe they are marketing toward blind drivers. They can give them more of what really matters for their money and less off all that frou-frou visual stuff.

[Rope-Pusher]

Since this thing looks like a hearse, why would they even sell it in black. Every time I see one of these I think there must be a stiff in the back.

probably because it's often used for livery service

I'm pretty sure that our butcher has his livers come to him in the same refrigerated truck that the other meats come in.

[potownrob]

Youre fanboying too hard. New Hyundais are almost all superior to new Hondas in terms of build and comfort.

not a fanboi (or else i'd be driving a honda), but they hit it out of the park with the new accord. newer hyundais are definitely better overall than they were even a few years ago, but i still wouldn't compare them to similar hondas. the exteriors on models like the elantra and sonata look like they belong on another planet (not that the accord is that much better looking on the outside), and the interiors, despite looking very nice at first glance, are not as nice as the ones on newer hondas. if there's one thing i wish honda would really work on, it would be their exterior designs. they're either too conservative or too out there. also wish there weren't so many dumb oaf car shoppers who blindly walk into the honda dealer and pay top dollar for their cars...

Maybe they are marketing toward blind drivers. They can give them more of what really matters for their money and less off all that frou-frou visual stuff.

a parent lee sow

[potownrob]

Since this thing looks like a hearse, why would they even sell it in black. Every time I see one of these I think there must be a stiff in the back.

probably because it's often used for livery service

also read that they can be had as armoured vehicles, maybe for the secret service...or other important people

[watkins]

Random complaint:

New dash switches for the bus could cost up to $400 for a full set of sixteen custom pieces. I really need to find cheaper options.

[Rope-Pusher]

Random complaint:

New dash switches for the bus could cost up to $400 for a full set of sixteen custom pieces. I really need to find cheaper options.

As a high-schooler, I had an opportunity to sit in an E-Type Jaguar. I thought the rocker-switches on the dash panel were really special.

What keeps you from going through an on-line catalog and ordering a bunch of rocker switches. People would say "Wow! He turned a Jaguar into a School Bus!"