[C17FXR]

Amen Brother 

(I love the avatar too)

I have had the old girl since I drove her off the lot some 14y 11m ago. I've considered putting some bigger all-terrain tire on her, but then I'm not sure I would be able to practice my drifting around the light poles when it snows. A fresh covering of snow in a parking lot makes a perfect canvas to draw/drift on. My buddy was squealing like a girl that we were going get stuck, I kicked him and his skirt out to take this picture.

The avatar is my daily work grind.

loving_it....Nice lift you have there "Loving It",  sometimes I miss my old 79 F250. It had a 6" lift with 38's and a 3 speed w/ a granny low.
I probably couldn't afford to drive it these day, back in the mid 80's I was spending about $5 a day for gas to go about 12 miles to and from work. Looked something like this with less chrome molding and more lights. It was rather fun helping the shorter women up in the cab, they thought I was being nice when I open the door for them. You got to put your hand somewhere when your pushing them in the cab   



Have a good remainder of a weekend guys.
.

[ltr317]

12MPG

  You must make a ton of cash to pay for gas.  Of course you do, that's why you got a pickup so you can stack the dough in the back.

[chip]

Thinking of buying the new 2015 VW GTI, any owners of the MK Vi version here.
Wondering about relaiability, maintenance costs etc. I will be commuting to and
from work 55 miles each way, would like to get over 30 mpg highway also want
some performance to have fun with on winding roads.

I was a tuner before they used that term, had a 87 Toyota FX-16 with alot of up grades
HKS, wheels, springs etc.. Then had a 90 Honda CRX with Japan spec motor, header,
Greddy, springs, fuel system no AC it was a blast I could compete with V8 red light to
red light

We just bought a 2014 Auto CSG GTI and I am loving it so far.  First VW ever.

[gnuyork]

Either of these, depending on which one my wife isn't using. I also have something fun for the weekends.

[Photon46]

Thinking of buying the new 2015 VW GTI, any owners of the MK Vi version here.
Wondering about relaiability, maintenance costs etc. I will be commuting to and
from work 55 miles each way, would like to get over 30 mpg highway also want
some performance to have fun with on winding roads.

You'll get the fun factor & good fuel mileage, but long term reliability with many German cars (V-Dubs included) can be spotty IMO. Spend $30 for a subscription to Consumer Reports and look at the statistics on VW's, they aren't pretty in my book. I spent 15 years working for Mercedes-Benz and VW dealers in a past work life and many of the cars we sold were not what I'd call overly reliable. It's funny though, some were trouble free and others were going home to the dealer for service constantly. I work with one current VW GTI owner that has had no problems for the first three years and another owns a four year old diesel Jetta wagon that is in the shop for major work every four or five months. I love German cars with a passion, but I spend my money on Acuras. They're not as well engineered as a BMW from the perspective of the driving experience, but commuting 75 miles a day to work means I want something  solidly reliable. I'll trade ultimate driving experience for better peace of mind and lower maintenance bills.

[ctviggen]

You'll get the fun factor & good fuel mileage, but long term reliability with many German cars (V-Dubs included) can be spotty IMO. Spend $30 for a subscription to Consumer Reports and look at the statistics on VW's, they aren't pretty in my book. I spent 15 years working for Mercedes-Benz and VW dealers in a past work life and many of the cars we sold were not what I'd call overly reliable. It's funny though, some were trouble free and others were going home to the dealer for service constantly. I work with one current VW GTI owner that has had no problems for the first three years and another owns a four year old diesel Jetta wagon that is in the shop for major work every four or five months. I love German cars with a passion, but I spend my money on Acuras. They're not as well engineered as a BMW from the perspective of the driving experience, but commuting 75 miles a day to work means I want something  solidly reliable. I'll trade ultimate driving experience for better peace of mind and lower maintenance bills.

Isn't that the same with all cars?  I have a VW Jetta wagon (diesel), about 4 (or five?) years old now, no problems whatsoever.  For instance, you give the N=1 example of your Acura, but that doesn't mean Acuras are any more reliable than other cars.  And even if you buy the Consumer Report's best car, you could still get a lemon.  Personally, I can't stand Consumer Reports and many times buy exactly what they say not to buy. 

[macrojack]

In view of the recommendations and observations offered by Consumer Reports on audio matters, my tendency is to dismiss them entirely. But I have to concede readily that what they say about cars, particularly in the area of reliability, is well supported by the reports found in other automobile evaluation agencies, my own experience, and anecdotal tales such as the one shared by Photon46 above.
Do you really employ doing the opposite of qualified and respected test results as a strategy?

I would maintain that the Japanese have eaten our lunch on quality control ever since the 1950s. If not for intervention by the U.S. government, Harley-Davidson would have disappeared due to its inability to compete with Honda, et al. Where are the US television manufacturers? Which American made camera do you prefer? What's your favorite American made stereo receiver?

While I would agree that most Japanese cars seem downright cheaply made vis a vis the offerings from Europe, I maintain that the likes of Toyota and Honda have raised the reliability standards for every surviving car manufacturer on earth.

My two cars are a 2006 Toyota Prius and a 1997 Toyota Tacoma 2wd. Both were bought used, both have over 100,000 miles, and both are impeccably reliable. I have owned, BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, VW in the past and will not do so again after a conversation I had with a man out here who owns a BMW, Audi, VW, Mini exclusive repair shop. He basically said the same thing that you can read in Photon's comment just preceding mine above.

[doorman]

Seems like no car maker is immune from reliability issues. Some recent recall data could be worth looking at.

[Photon46]

Isn't that the same with all cars?  I have a VW Jetta wagon (diesel), about 4 (or five?) years old now, no problems whatsoever.  For instance, you give the N=1 example of your Acura, but that doesn't mean Acuras are any more reliable than other cars.  And even if you buy the Consumer Report's best car, you could still get a lemon.  Personally, I can't stand Consumer Reports and many times buy exactly what they say not to buy.

You've got valid points. One example does not point to a larger trend. As I said, I worked for Benz and Volkswagen for fifteen years and I do have a long term perspective on many examples of the breed. You are of course correct that there are many individual examples of both marques that have been reliable. I knew many owners who remained loyal to both brands and had exemplary luck with their cars. At the end of my stint in the auto business, I also worked for Acura for two years and I saw a number of trouble stricken examples of that brand too. I admit to personal prejudice against one particular aspect found in a number of German cars: a peculiar insistence on making systems (particularly electrical) more complex than necessary. We used to joke that the entrance to German automotive electrical engineering departments were crowned with a banner than read "Why make it simple when we can make it complicated!" It's all a matter of degree and perspective though, the last days of USA Fiat as far as reliability and parts supply issues go make any problems I saw with German cars look miniscule.

I couldn't agree with you more about many of Consumers Reports recommendations. Their perspective on electronics, cameras, and many other products is pitifully utilitarian and displays lazy evaluation methodology. However, their repair history charts are not subjective data. Those figures are compiled from reports by actual owners  and I have to give some credence to the reported statistics. I suppose there's always an element of unhappy customers being more vocal than happy campers, but that factor would seem to be irrelevant in this instance unless one brand's unhappy customer is more likely to report problems than another.

As to your point regarding getting a lemon even if a product is highly rated, you are of course right again. (It's happened to me more than once.) But we're talking about odds here, not specific individual examples.

[LadyDog]

Used to be my winter ride.  Now my sons.  He gets his license in a few months.



My current winter ride.  Plan to look for an older QX4 or something.



My main ride.



One of my all time favorite rides though.



Also have a little convertible for the summer fun.  Not sure I have a picture at work though.

[tx2sturgis]

My 2013 Ural Patrol:

[Scott F.]

My trusty old Lincoln Continental gave up the ghost earlier this year so I found myself on the Ford dealers lot and came home with this;

(stock photos)




Mine has the black and saddle interior



I went for the 2.3L EcoBoost and it's a friggin' blast to drive. It's only about a second slower than the 5.0 in a 1/4 plus I get 32mpg on the highway (assuming I keep my foot out of it).

I split my driving time in the Mustang with my 65 F-100

[Bob in St. Louis]

Wasn't sure this was worth it's own thread, so I thought I'd post it here.
I mean it was somebodys daily driver, right? 

Anyway, This 200,000 mile Jeep (with a blown-up engine) was used as a trade in at the dealer I work at.

[Kenneth Patchen]

If you could de-code the computer punch card code he painted on his car in yellow and black, I bet you'd find detailed instructions to where all the money is hid


... or the drugs.

[Bob in St. Louis]

  Good idea!

[Chops]

So I see there's a few Fiat fans around here. You guys will get a kick out of this post then... 

I bought a new '13 Abarth on a Wednesday.


That Saturday, my brother bought a new '13 Abarth Cabrio.


Nine months later in December, I buy a '15 Pop for my girlfriend.


Then in the following month, my other brother buys a '15 Abarth Automatic (far left).


Those with a keen eye will notice that mine is a little different. It now has black Abarth graphics on the sides as well as black mirrors. This is because my first Abarth was totaled four days before the first payment was due. Some schmuck pulled out in front of me as I was doing almost 30 mph and he was doing more than 45 mph! My car came clear off the ground (all four wheels in the air), did a 180 and landed facing the way I just came! I walked away perfectly fine immediately after with just a tiny cut on my forehead from one of the 9 airbags that went off. 




My "new" one is a bit modifed... Full intake, full exhaust, suspension, and the best part, ECU flash tune. Stock power 160 hp & 170 ft lbs torque. Now I'm pushing just over 240 hp and a little over 250 ft lbs torque, all from a tiny 1.4L motor! My brothers just have intakes on theirs.

[Danny Richie]

Not my daily driver here. Just a weekend driver but I thought I'd share. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ9zGZMXDj4

[JohnR]

Here's mine:



Mini Cooper Diesel. Was the most fuel-efficient car you could buy in Australia - yes, more efficient than the Prius at time of purchase and still better on the highway. Not sure if it's available in the US yet due to high output of something else... nitrogen oxide? Well you can't win 'em all.

Handles nicely, certainly well enough for me

My daily driver is sadly and terrifyingly compromised After replacing the turbo a month ago, this week it has a bad injector... that won't come out of the motor.  i had to hitchhike home from the mechanics shop, and now await further news...



(On the bright side, there must be a Volkswagen joke in here somewhere....  )

[Bob in St. Louis]

(On the bright side, there must be a Volkswagen joke in here somewhere....  )

Ok, since you asked:
https://youtu.be/c0BRGasUUr4

Sorry to hear about the car John. I've never heard of an injector that won't come out. 

[KCLam]

Cars are expensive here and "expires" after 10 years (unless one pays for it to be renewed), my daily drive is from one end of the island to the other.