Any Car Nerds Here?

[Fool's Requiem]

I'm not exactly one and I would have a difficult time working my way around an engine, but I figured I'd post this thread?

What's everyone's opinion of the GR Corolla? I'm kinda disappointed that I needed to get a "new" car a couple years ago, because I don't know if I've ever wanted a car as much as a GR Corolla since I bought my Mustang in 2010. Manual, AWD. A small fun car that is also practical for every day driving. It's the kind of car that I feel people need to buy because if they don't, then fun manual transmission cars go bye-bye, especially with countries trying to force EVs on us. In the 2023 year, the GR Corolla is now the ONLY new Corolla that you can get in a manual. Everything else is a fucking CVT now.

 

[Mark]

I'm not exactly one and I would have a difficult time working my way around an engine, but I figured I'd post this thread?

What's everyone's opinion of the GR Corolla? I'm kinda disappointed that I needed to get a "new" car a couple years ago, because I don't know if I've ever wanted a car as much as a GR Corolla since I bought my Mustang in 2010. Manual, AWD. A small fun car that is also practical for every day driving. It's the kind of car that I feel people need to buy because if they don't, then fun manual transmission cars go bye-bye, especially with countries trying to force EVs on us. In the 2023 year, the GR Corolla is now the ONLY new Corolla that you can get in a manual. Everything else is a fucking CVT now.

Honestly, you can attribute a lot of those build quality issues with the sheer volume they’re churning out. They’re not the best selling car because of quality… they’re the best because they pump them out fast enough to keep up with demand and keep them cheap enough to remain affordable to most drivers. Unfortunately… I don’t think the standard option is gonna be available for much longer. We’re gonna see more of the dual clutch/paddle shifter semi-automatic whatever-the-fuck trade name each brand has for it. Think of it like the emergency/parking brake… gradually being phased out in favor of electronic parking brakes.

 

[Tirith]

Honestly, you can attribute a lot of those build quality issues with the sheer volume they’re churning out. They’re not the best selling car because of quality… they’re the best because they pump them out fast enough to keep up with demand and keep them cheap enough to remain affordable to most drivers. Unfortunately… I don’t think the standard option is gonna be available for much longer. We’re gonna see more of the dual clutch/paddle shifter semi-automatic whatever-the-fuck trade name each brand has for it. Think of it like the emergency/parking brake… gradually being phased out in favor of electronic parking brakes.

Toyota isn't the "affordable" one anymore, but then again, Kia/Hyundai aren't either. Toyotas also keep their value longest of any vehicle out there. My Rav4 was 34.5k new, the Venza (a rav4 but different) was 52.5k. New Rav4s are 45ish.

My next car is going to be a 6MT GR Supra, regardless. I NEED my third pedal.

Interesting tidbit: Toyota patented a faux-manual for electrics.

To answer the OP, yea, I'm a bit of a car nut. But I have a ton of biases.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Toyotas are affordable in the sense that as long as you keep up with regular maintenance, you'll almost never have an issue. Amd even of you do, parts are readily available and almost every normal shop knows how to work on a Toyota.

I believe one of, if not the cheapest cars in the market is the Mitsubishi Mirage. That thing is a hunk o' junk with no power. It's affordable in the sense that you can buy one dirt cheap, but it's going to fall apart on you because Mitsubishi is one of the worst vehicle manufacturers in the world.

I wish the Toyota Aygo X was available in the US. Now THAT is a cheap Toyota. 3 cylinder 72HP car with a 5 speed MT, that is supposed to be about 16k pounds MSRP. It's made by a Czech company, I believe, and sold as a Toyota.

Carwow had a "slowest car drag race" and the Aygo just seemed to be the best one (interior noise aside).

 

[Boots]

I love seeing a Nissan GT-R Skyline, and I watch the Grand Tour, but my fiance is the bigger car fan. My dad worked at one of the big 3 for 36 years, his dad is a certified master mechanic, his brothers are mechanics, and now my fiance works for a wheel company.

I'll never forget riding to and from the Woodward Cruise in my dad's 1955 MG convertible that he restored. There's an engrained appreciation for cars there.

 

[Mark]

Toyotas are affordable in the sense that as long as you keep up with regular maintenance, you'll almost never have an issue. Amd even of you do, parts are readily available and almost every normal shop knows how to work on a Toyota.

Right, and generally speaking… they’re available enough on dealer lots to sell at a lower profit margin.

I believe one of, if not the cheapest cars in the market is the Mitsubishi Mirage. That thing is a hunk o' junk with no power. It's affordable in the sense that you can buy one dirt cheap, but it's going to fall apart on you because Mitsubishi is one of the worst vehicle manufacturers in the world.

Ugh… Shitsubishi.

I love seeing a Nissan GT-R Skyline, and I watch the Grand Tour, but my fiance is the bigger car fan. My dad worked at one of the big 3 for 36 years, his dad is a certified master mechanic, his brothers are mechanics, and now my fiance works for a wheel company.

I'll never forget riding to and from the Woodward Cruise in my dad's 1955 MG convertible that he restored. There's an engrained appreciation for cars there.

Those newer generation GT-R’s are one of the most entertaining vehicles I’ve been able to drive. I’d put it in my top 5 list of vehicles I’ve repo’d and driven due to poor ground clearance, up there with a Charger Hellcat, Ferrari 360, BMW i8, and Porsche 911 GT3.

 

[Tirith]

I honestly don't think Mitsubishi has done anything worthwhile since the DSM (Diamond Star Motors) days. At least, back then, we ended up with the Starion/Conquest and the (decent) Eclipse/Talon. You don't even really see newer ones on the road, and when you do, they're often obviously a "poor person car". Not really sure how to feel about their Plug in Hybrid Outlander.

To switch a bit, the US isn't ready for all EV cars. The infrastructure isn't there, and the only manufacturer that is almost there is Tesla (but I don't wanna support Musk). Toyota (again.... I know) has been working on Hydrogen cars, such as the Mirai (funny enough, translates to "future" from Japanese). Sure, it's slow, but it's not a bad looking car. I'm nowhere near ready to have to charge a car, drive 180-320 miles, stop, plug in, wait, repeat. I've been known to drive 900+ miles at a time with only a single gas/potty break.

 

[Pun Damage]

I'm attempting to get a car in the next week or so. 2011 Honda CR-Z.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

New Mustang looks like a fuckin Camero.

 

[Mark]

I honestly don't think Mitsubishi has done anything worthwhile since the DSM (Diamond Star Motors) days. At least, back then, we ended up with the Starion/Conquest and the (decent) Eclipse/Talon. You don't even really see newer ones on the road, and when you do, they're often obviously a "poor person car". Not really sure how to feel about their Plug in Hybrid Outlander.

Last time I was actually in the field taking cars, there were only a handful of Evo’s with active loans and the rest were the little crossover SUV Eclipse and the Outlander.

To switch a bit, the US isn't ready for all EV cars. The infrastructure isn't there, and the only manufacturer that is almost there is Tesla (but I don't wanna support Musk). Toyota (again.... I know) has been working on Hydrogen cars, such as the Mirai (funny enough, translates to "future" from Japanese). Sure, it's slow, but it's not a bad looking car. I'm nowhere near ready to have to charge a car, drive 180-320 miles, stop, plug in, wait, repeat. I've been known to drive 900+ miles at a time with only a single gas/potty break.

Hell no, and there aren’t enough batteries out there either. Imagine those cobalt mines if each combustion engine was replaced with a battery pack.

New Mustang looks like a fuckin Camero.

This isn’t wrong at all. Camaro drives better, though.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Last time I was actually in the field taking cars, there were only a handful of Evo’s with active loans and the rest were the little crossover SUV Eclipse and the Outlander.



Hell no, and there aren’t enough batteries out there either. Imagine those cobalt mines if each combustion engine was replaced with a battery pack.



This isn’t wrong at all. Camaro drives better, though.

Throttle House doesn't like that they didn't improve the handling of the new Mustang. The dual throttle bodies for dual intake is fucking awesome, though. The location where the air comes in is brilliant too. Makes me wonder why more companies don't do that with their cars. They put fake vents in all their cars, but never consider making them actually functional vents to allow better airflow for the engine and brakes. I'm sure I've seen many cars with fake intake vents right where Ford has them for this Mustang.

 

[Mark]

Throttle House doesn't like that they didn't improve the handling of the new Mustang. The dual throttle bodies for dual intake is fucking awesome, though. The location where the air comes in is brilliant too. Makes me wonder why more companies don't do that with their cars. They put fake vents in all their cars, but never consider making them actually functional vents to allow better airflow for the engine and brakes. I'm sure I've seen many cars with fake intake vents right where Ford has them for this Mustang.

Lower end Camaro models are good examples of fake vent cars, oddly enough. The base model has a bunch of fake ones.

 

[Tirith]

I'm attempting to get a car in the next week or so. 2011 Honda CR-Z.

Not a bad car... It's basically the insight before the insight came back as a sedan, right?

 

[Pun Damage]

Not a bad car... It's basically the insight before the insight came back as a sedan, right?

I... think so? Not sure.

All I know is the last car that I test drove and melted into so well was also a Honda. A '97 del Sol. I miss that car something fierce.

EDIT: Just went and looked it up. You're right; first generation Insight was its predecessor.