What kind of car do you drive?

[Alberkryne]

When I first joined GW - I was too young to drive. since then I am on car #5....
When I turned 15 I had the chance to buy a car from my cousin for $500, whihc I took and promptly destroyed the transmission in. I believe it was a 1990 Mazda 323?
My mom ended up trading in my Mazda for her '96 Rav4, and I was given the keys to her '95 Dodge Neon. Used that until the oil started leaking, then traded it in for a 1996 Chevy Monte Carlo, which I drove until the fuel pump died, then traded it in for a 2002 Saturn SC1. Had the Saturn for nearly a decade.

In 2017, I traded in the Saturn towards a 2012 Nissan cube, which I still have today
Its been rear-ended and repaired once, had the windshield replaced after a rock hit it, and a fresh set of tires last year, but its still one of the most reliable vehicles ive ever had!

 

[Tirith]

When I first joined GW - I was too young to drive. since then I am on car #5....
When I turned 15 I had the chance to buy a car from my cousin for $500, whihc I took and promptly destroyed the transmission in. I believe it was a 1990 Mazda 323?
My mom ended up trading in my Mazda for her '96 Rav4, and I was given the keys to her '95 Dodge Neon. Used that until the oil started leaking, then traded it in for a 1996 Chevy Monte Carlo, which I drove until the fuel pump died, then traded it in for a 2002 Saturn SC1. Had the Saturn for nearly a decade.

In 2017, I traded in the Saturn towards a 2012 Nissan cube, which I still have today
Its been rear-ended and repaired once, had the windshield replaced after a rock hit it, and a fresh set of tires last year, but its still one of the most reliable vehicles ive ever had!

Oh god.... I was too young to drive, but I'm way past car #5...

91 Civic (jeep killed it)
91 Corolla (Mark and I killed it)
02 Accord (ran into a saturn at 74 mph)
00 Grand Am GT (p.o.s.)
97 Exploder (sold to a friend)
00 Venture (p.o.s)
01 Caravan (rear ended)
06 G6 (repo)
03 Cavalier (ran it to death.... Rip Molly)
07 Yaris (gave to ex wife)
07 Jetta (turbo took a shit)
06 Accord (sold)
10 Ram 2500 (sold)
15 Civic (sold)
21 Rav4 (current DD)
90 GMC 1500 (lowesmobile)
23 Venza (wife's)

 

[Boots]

I'm on car #4. My third car I bought new and kept for 11 years.

 

[Crystal]

I'm on car #4, as well

1998 Chevrolet Blazer (stolen from driveway)
1993 Chevrolet Suburban (still own, needs work)
2015 VW Golf TSI S (bought new, drove until the steering column decided it didn't want to be a steering column anymore, couldn't afford the repairs)
2018 Nissan Rogue Sport (daily driver)

 

[Tommy Boy]

I'm on car #4, as well

1998 Chevrolet Blazer (stolen from driveway)
1993 Chevrolet Suburban (still own, needs work)
2015 VW Golf TSI S (bought new, drove until the steering column decided it didn't want to be a steering column anymore, couldn't afford the repairs)
2018 Nissan Rogue Sport (daily driver)

IDK what it is with VW... I had an 06' Passat and loved that thing until it didn't love me. I had constant problems with the oil pump. Cost more in repairs than what I actually bought the car for in the end. Such a waste, but damn if I didn't love that car.

I never mentioned the ones I had:

1. 1998 Chevrolet Lumina (Blown head gasket, totaled)
2. 2004 Buick Century (You won't believe this... blown head gasket, totaled. It's basically a carbon copy of the Lumina anyway)
3. 2006 Volkswagen Passat (Constant problems, more I can name. Cooling system finally died and I gave up on it)
4. 2014 Nissan Altima (Still own, but haven't used since 2020. In a garage in Connecticut chillin with no title)

 

[Crystal]

IDK what it is with VW... I had an 06' Passat and loved that thing until it didn't love me. I had constant problems with the oil pump. Cost more in repairs than what I actually bought the car for in the end. Such a waste, but damn if I didn't love that car.

Yep, they're temperamental, for sure, but I loved my Golf, would still have it if it hadn't decided to not be a car anymore.

 

[Killface!]

I've only had a few cars. They've all broken down and I just keep fixing them.

2000 S10 - This was my first car that I bought when I was 16. Had it until 2018 when it got totaled. It was parked in front of my mom's house and someone slammed into the back end of it. RIP.
2007 Mustang - This is the daily driver, and the car that I learned how to work on. It probably has more money sunk in upgrades than what it's worth, but I don't care. This thing is so much fun to drive. On motor and transmission #2, but i'll never get rid of it. At least not until I can afford the new "Dark Horse".
2000 S10 - This is the car that I sort of regret buying. I bought it right after the first S10 got totaled. Always has problems and isn't very reliable.
1971 Z28 - This is my pride and joy. This was my dad's first car and he gave it to me a few years back. I have driven it a total of 0.5 miles before it broke down and had to push it back home. This one will take awhile before I can drive it.
2018 Jetta - This is my wife's car/daily driver for our daughter.

Looking at:
2023 Tiguan - This is what my wife really wants. So this is what we are hopefully going to get her, if we can find one with all the options she wants. Stupid chip shortage!

 

[Ryan!]

2022 Hyundai Sonata

 

[Tirith]

IDK what it is with VW... I had an 06' Passat and loved that thing until it didn't love me. I had constant problems with the oil pump. Cost more in repairs than what I actually bought the car for in the end. Such a waste, but damn if I didn't love that car.

My 06 jetta was a TDI (turbo diesel), and while it got awesome mileage, I had the turbo blow out of it.... Twice. That's when I decided to just get rid of it and swear VW off forever

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

Oh car history!

94 Chevy Cavalier - the engine died when I was 17 and the I went to a trade school and knew the auto rebuilding teacher so he did it for $400 and used it at a classroom lesson for 3 weeks. Lasted another 2 years but was always terrible.
90 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight - this thing sucked and i got into my only accident in it when I was 19
89 Mercury Grand Marquis - was a boat on land but it was pretty sick. Inherited from my grandmother after the Oldsmobile died.
02 Ford Escort - got it for $2000 with only 75k miles because I painted my uncle's entire house... which took most of June that year. I kept that car for 5 years and never fixed anything except a spark plug once and sold it for $1000. Best deal ever.
12 Ford Fiesta - worst car ever. It has the dreaded Ford powershift transmission. Started shaking at 55k miles and I kept it until 160k until I couldn't take it any more. Surprisingly reliable, though outside of that transmission problem.
08 Ford Focus - my wife's first car, it was a rebuilt car so we got it for like $7k with 25k miles on it. It had so many issues that we sold it after a few years for practically nothing.
14 Ford Fusion - still have this, it replaced the Focus for my wife. My sister wanted to get a new car and the dealership was going to give her $7k trade in. It had 64k miles so I bought it from her. 6 years later it only has 103k miles and is nice.
21 Mazda3 - Traded in the afformentioned Fiesta because I couldn't deal with it. I've had it for 2 years, has 36k miles and I love it. I never realized a basic car could be fun to drive, Mazda wasn't kidding. It's geared in a way that just makes sense and I have no idea why none of my other cars could move like this.

 

[Lunar Kreskents]

I can make an entire thread about the injuries I've suffered on the roads here, but most of them are dumb and miniscule to mention. I had a really bad accident in July 2021 on a moped that landed me in the hospital, and almost made me infertile. I was wearing a helmet during that, but I hate to say that I'm a piece of shit and still don't wear a helmet for the pictured scooter. I should, but I don't. It's another thing to carry, which is such a bad excuse, but it's my excuse. I am putting myself in danger every single day by not wearing one. All it takes is one slip and a bump to the head on a curb for it to be game over.

A close friend of mine also likes to ride his skateboard around without a helmet, and I don't feel like most of the roads in Madison are all too perfect, so I literally have nightmares about him dying on his skateboard. I'm sure I'll be seeing you in my dreams too lol. Ride safe out there!

Yes, you can roll it! If I have to squeeze into a tight train, I'll fold it up and wheel it around like a wheelbarrow. From what I've seen, most models have a handle in an ergonomic place, so carrying it isn't a death wish. Mine is right on the front where the center of gravity is, so on the off-chance that I do have to pick it up off the ground, I'm grabbing it at the most balanced part on the scooter.

I feel dumb I didn't realize you can probably roll the things in a convenient way lol. Lots of great info here on scooters in general, thank you I very much appreciate it!

 

[Leandros?]

I had a 99 VW Polo that my mom first owned. Was in a barn the year she had her replacement and I didn't have my license yet and all the bird shit ate through the roof's paint so it looked terrible. My housemate at the time had a Model 3 he called Hakim so I christened mine The Silver Chariot. I had some issues with it over the years:
-Glue on rear window detaching
-Alternator died in (ok it was dying for a couple hours) a 6.6km long underwater tunnel. The tunnel had speed sensors go automatically close a lane if a car slowed down and a raised bit to stand on, so we were unhurt, but man waiting for 20 mins in a tunnel with trucks passing by at highway speeds is loud, stinky and scary. The trailer truck dumped us on a parking lot next to the tunnel entrance (only way to go through without paying tolls!) and a friend towed me to his village. 3 hour drive through the countryside's not bad.
-A friend borrowed it to help his GF move using a trailer but the breakaway lock proved too advanced a technology for him. It was engaged for ages until he saw smoke coming off the trailer. He ruined a wheel, called triple A and signed up on the spot (130 euro surcharge), left, realised his girlfriend lost her wallet next to the highway, circled back, went to fill up the car and was notified by a fellow driver that his brake was on...

All this my angel survived. Cut to 2 months ago, my GF has a grandfather turning 90 so they hire a Rolls-Royce equally old to drive him around town, me to take some pics. At some point the Rolls parks half in the berm. I await instructions 3-4m behind with my engine off when the Rolls backs up. I assume to parallel park entirely in the berm. Big mistake, he wanted to place it perpendicular to the road. His car had this wooden plank bolted onto the trunk with a picnic basket affixed to it. Plank slices my headlight, radiator, some plastic parts and the hood is mangled. Red fluid everywhere. Fucker was going maybe 2km/s and he totaled me.

I need a car for my work and my account managers are fed up with picking me up from train stations, and I have the cash to buy something used, but fuck me there are so many options. For a couple weeks I was enamoured with the idea of buying a hardtop convertible but they're so impractical and most expensive this time of year to boot. Just to abate the choice paralysis I've decided to go for BMW and probably will go for a gran coupe 4 series (F generation, not the ugly nostril ones) because the trunk door includes the rear window so it's nice and roomy. At the same time a large part of me, more familiar with coming from relative poverty, is still screaming that spending 20k on anything is absurd. The hunt continues.

 

[Ben]

I've got a red 2010 Toyota Matrix and a red 2014 Toyota RAV4. They're pretty tough, and haven't had issue even when I forget to change the oil for... A long time...

The first car I bought myself was a red 2000 Pontiac Grand-Am with the sickest speaker system. Bought it from my buddy who was in a band. I loved that thing, and had a custom "DA RED WUNZ GO FASTA" bumper sticker on it.

Eventually another friend crashed it into a guard rail during a snowstorm and bent the axel.

 

[Tirith]

I've got a red 2010 Toyota Matrix and a red 2014 Toyota RAV4. They're pretty tough, and haven't had issue even when I forget to change the oil for... A long time...

The first car I bought myself was a red 2000 Pontiac Grand-Am with the sickest speaker system. Bought it from my buddy who was in a band. I loved that thing, and had a custom "DA RED WUNZ GO FASTA" bumper sticker on it.

Eventually another friend crashed it into a guard rail during a snowstorm and bent the axel.

Those things sucked in the snow, unless you turned traction control off. I bounced one off of a post due to TCS fucking me over. (Had a white 2 door, same year)

Here are my current 3.

Third pic is the one I'm stuck in most of every day.

 

[Ben]

Those things sucked in the snow, unless you turned traction control off. I bounced one off of a post due to TCS fucking me over. (Had a white 2 door, same year)

I put it into a ditch having the audacity to make a 90 degree turn on more than one occasion.

But it was pretty solid too though. Mine even had a few cylinders misfiring at the end and would still zoom.

I can't fathom having to haul a trailer every day. I had a hard enough time with the car trailer behind a uhaul moving to NY. But I've seen what some truckers can do with a trailer and it's an art form.

I DO know putting your hand on the bottom of the wheel is supposed to compensate for the direction the trailer going in reverse, but fuck me if I didn't ruin a lawn trying to wiggle that trailer out.

 

[Tirith]

I put it into a ditch having the audacity to make a 90 degree turn on more than one occasion.

But it was pretty solid too though. Mine even had a few cylinders misfiring at the end and would still zoom.

I can't fathom having to haul a trailer every day. I had a hard enough time with the car trailer behind a uhaul moving to NY. But I've seen what some truckers can do with a trailer and it's an art form.

I DO know putting your hand on the bottom of the wheel is supposed to compensate for the direction the trailer going in reverse, but fuck me if I didn't ruin a lawn trying to wiggle that trailer out.

Takes time and patience. I'm probably one of the best at the company I work at, but there are guys there with millions more miles than I have. I can back that trailer anywhere without messing up, but I definitely don't ever want to go into NYC

 

[shortkut]

I definitely don't ever want to go into NYC

Regular driving or your truck?

 

[Ben]

Takes time and patience. I'm probably one of the best at the company I work at, but there are guys there with millions more miles than I have. I can back that trailer anywhere without messing up, but I definitely don't ever want to go into NYC

I went from Portland ME to Albany NY with the trailer, so thankfully not NYC. I-95/I-90 the whole way.

I did have to drive through NYC on my way up from SC though, with a Dodge Durango packed with so much stuff I couldn't see out the rear windows to check traffic in adjacent lanes across the George Washington bridge... Very much flying on mirrors and faith.

Then suddenly the interstate was beneath the apartments or some shit like that. Very wild city. I need to go back sometime got the museums, but I'm not driving in.

 

[Tirith]

Regular driving or your truck?

I've driven a Ford Explorer and a Honda Civic into NYC. Definitely don't want to try a big rig through town. I mean, I would probably be fine, but I hate driving at all anyway

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Takes time and patience. I'm probably one of the best at the company I work at, but there are guys there with millions more miles than I have. I can back that trailer anywhere without messing up, but I definitely don't ever want to go into NYC

I drove down Broadway from Harlam all the to the end before skipping over to Staten Island in my Mustang. It was Columbus Day (or whatever we're calling it now), so it wasn't super busy. Lots of fun zig-zagging through traffic with the taxis.

 

[Tirith]

I went from Portland ME to Albany NY with the trailer, so thankfully not NYC. I-95/I-90 the whole way.

I did have to drive through NYC on my way up from SC though, with a Dodge Durango packed with so much stuff I couldn't see out the rear windows to check traffic in adjacent lanes across the George Washington bridge... Very much flying on mirrors and faith.

Then suddenly the interstate was beneath the apartments or some shit like that. Very wild city. I need to go back sometime got the museums, but I'm not driving in.

Windows are overrated. I haven't used a rear view mirror in years. I guess it's because I've been driving trucks without them.

NYC subway system will get you anywhere you need to be, with a little walking required. Do it before you get too old.

I drove down Broadway from Harlam all the to the end before skipping over to Staten Island in my Mustang. It was Columbus Day (or whatever we're calling it now), so it wasn't super busy. Lots of zig-zagging through traffic with the taxis.

First time I went in, was like 2am and 95 was at a dead stop. Had to be back in Groton CT for 6am muster, couldn't sightsee. Although, I did drive like a complete asshole the entire time.

The civic was from MD to Brooklyn, stayed at an AirBNB, and then drove through times square on the way out. Car didn't move from friday afternoon when I got there til sunday evening.

 

[shortkut]

Then suddenly the interstate was beneath the apartments or some shit like that. Very wild city. I need to go back sometime got the museums, but I'm not driving in.

The good ol’ Cross Bronx Expressway. I used to live about half a mile north of those apartments

I drove down Broadway from Harlam all the to the end before skipping over to Staten Island in my Mustang

I’ve done the reverse of that in a uhaul


Driving in NYC isn’t that bad, it’s searching for parking that’s the problem, and the traffic… and the drivers around Brighton Beach

 

[Tommy Boy]

The good ol’ Cross Bronx Expressway. I used to live about half a mile north of those apartments

Ooof.

I’ve done the reverse of that in a uhaul

Ooooooof.

Driving in NYC isn’t that bad, it’s searching for parking that’s the problem, and the traffic… and the drivers around Brighton Beach

Yeah agreed, you're going so slow it's hard to mess up, but parking sucks. My roommate somehow manages to find a spot outside every night, I love not having a car. I live on 130th St so it's not impossible to find parking but it's a major inconvenience I don't wanna deal with.

 

[Tirith]

All I know is that NYC is NOT built with 53' trailers in mind. I've seen enough "SWIFT fails" videos to know to stay away.

 

[Tommy Boy]

All I know is that NYC is NOT built with 53' trailers in mind. I've seen enough "SWIFT fails" videos to know to stay away.

11 FOOT 8 – The Canopener Bridge

11foot8.com

Not NYC but still great

 

[Tirith]

11 FOOT 8 – The Canopener Bridge

11foot8.com

Not NYC but still great

I've spent more time than I care to admit watching videos from that site... You'll never find me on there

 

[Boots]

Oh, actually I have owned 5. I forgot one.

1. '95 Chrysler leBaron convertible - my sister's old car. Drove it for 2-3 years, in highschool and into college. Sold it because I was getting my brother's old car and he was upgrading to my grandpa's old truck. I loved that car but the rear window sliver wouldn't stay up without duct tape.
2. '96 Dodge stratus - my brother's old car, but when my dad bought it it already shook around the ignition like crazy. Drove it the rest of college, until it's needed repairs got to be too expensive. Got into an accident on campus and had to replace the driver door. Traded it in towards new car.
3. '08 Dodge caliber - bought new with cash a few months before graduating university. As a graduation gift my mom chipped in $5,000. Thing was only like $16,000 new, and that was when Chrysler was offering their lifetime power train warranty. Had the transmission replaced twice for free. Got to ~102-115k miles before trading it in towards my current car. It didn't trade in for much because my ex had crashed the front bumper into a concrete barrier years before.
4. '01 grand marquis - bought with the ex in a rush after his car broke down in the middle of bumfuck Kansas. Overpaid. Loaned it to the ex with the promise he'd pay me an additional $1500. He lied, totaled the car, and committed insurance fraud. I never got my money.
5. '19 Subaru Crosstrek - bought new. I love it. It only has like 28k miles on it so far.

 

[aiat_gamer]

No cars yet, I bike everywhere. I assume that has kept me pretty healthy so far!

 

[Leandros?]

new car

 

[Crystal]

@Leandros? -- looks beautiful!

 

[Leandros?]

It's already taught me 2 things:
-Bigger rims are much more vulnerable to curbs
-It doesn't stay car dealership shiny for long

 

[Crystal]

It's already taught me 2 things:
-Bigger rims are much more vulnerable to curbs

Ouch! A horrible lesson to have to learn

-It doesn't stay car dealership shiny for long

This is true! Doesn't keep the new car smell long, either.

 

[Tirith]

Don't let my wife anywhere near it. She apparently has the magnetic curb complex. :/

 

[Mark]

It's already taught me 2 things:
-Bigger rims are much more vulnerable to curbs
-It doesn't stay car dealership shiny for long

Wait until you have to replace the first non-warranty part… that’s when it starts to get spicy with BMW.

I started with a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.7L Magnum. It was a rust bucket with a slipping transmission, radiator leak, and the window controls were lost in the door panel never to be seen again.

Then, I had a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am that I bought in 04 or 05. First payment that I took on. First time I realized I could outsmart the repo man. Foreshadowing. I surrendered that when it broke down and I still owed $7.5k on a $21k loan. Fuck it, take it repo man. I already had my fun racing @Xellos in his seeing who could blow theirs up first.

After that, I had a project truck my grandfather gave me. An old 1993 Chevrolet Blazer, which was a project truck because my beloved grandfather was a jack of all trades… except automotive.

Then, I took on another payment on a 1999 Oldsmobile Aurora. I wanted to buy used again, because buying new where I lived at the time would have equaled trouble… and I didn’t want new car payments. Fuck that. I loved that car. It was so stupid looking and had so many weird quirks since it had Cadillac guts.

After that, I had the 2006 Jeep Commander 5.7 HEMI. That was a tank, and made a double blizzard with 5ft snow drifts mean nothing to me. I drove that until I blew up the differential… and I wasn’t about to pay $3.5k for a new one on a paid off truck I put over 290k miles on.

There was also the 2011 Chevrolet Impala at the same time… black… cheap… and easier on gas than the fucking 4,700lb when empty beast that was the Commander.

Then there was the 2019 Dodge Challenger. That was nice, but, eh… fuck that car.

I’m not sure what my next vehicle will be, I’ve driven too many cars to have a bias towards one or another. I have issues with all of major manufacturers, but I’m just a nit-picky bastard like that.

 

[Tirith]

Knowing what I know now, I recommend Toyota or Honda, simply because they are mostly reliable and hold their value.

That 15 Civic I had, bought for 12k in 2018, sold it for 8500 to my wife's brother, but it was worth more.

With that said, for a throwaway car.... I had hella fun with my cavalier. Biggest issue I had was the kids dropping a hot wheels Chrysler 300 under the seat and shorting out the wiring to the fuel pump....

 

[Raposuh]

11 FOOT 8 – The Canopener Bridge

11foot8.com

Not NYC but still great

KC has a truck eater as well, Google Independence Ave bridge for many victims of a failure to read signage. I think it has a Facebook page too now.

 

[Arca Jeth]

And to add some more to this thread:

My next car will be an electric, whenever that happens. I'll need to live in a place where I can get a charger installed though, so not where I am now. Using what's available today for electrics, the current one would be the Ioniq 5

I have a Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Pure Electric (name is a mouthful!) and absolutely love it. We charge it off the regular 120v in the garage.

 

[Tirith]

How long does it take to charge, and what's maximum range?

 

[Arca Jeth]

How long does it take to charge, and what's maximum range?

Range is 220 miles, takes about 20 min to charge to 80% at a fast charger, we just top it up overnight from daily driving at home

 

[Tirith]

I still feel like 220 miles isn't enough range for me. Sure, I could take a 20 or so minute break, but that's usually reserved for 500 miles for me

 

[Arca Jeth]

I still feel like 220 miles isn't enough range for me. Sure, I could take a 20 or so minute break, but that's usually reserved for 500 miles for me

The next generation of batteries should significantly push the ranges up. Right now it depends on your type of driving--we just drive around town 95% of the time but have taken the car across country a couple times a year.

 

[Tirith]

I drive 16 miles one way to work, which could easily be done on electric or a PHEV without using any gas, but I'm also known to go on LONG drives. Well, long drives are kind of my job, driving a tractor trailer and all....