How do you decide what your "ride" is?

[holeycow]

I find it really too bad that Suzuki doesn't build cars anymore, or at least not for here.

They have had some brilliant engineering in both bikes and cars, but their marketing department should have been replaced many, many years ago.

anyhow, I've never owned a car. They just won't last on the gravel and in this climate. Maybe someday..

 

[FlyingDutchman]

You will get to where you want to be. Dealers make a lot of money at financing and push sales managers to get you into financing. I have actually walked out of dealership because mangers were not willing to give up “there bonus” to a cash client willing to buy a car. Its like a game, but if you stick to your guns, you can’t lose. Cash is king.

Manual transmissions are just about dead. I put about 36K a year on a car. My girl does the same, so we eat through them fast. I will run a manual until I can no longer get one. Learned to drive on a 3-speed column shifter and I aint about to give em up now.

Dodge/FCA used to have a volume bonus from the dealership, they'd throw down deals for people to meet the volume bonus at the end of the month, but normally they'd pressure them to sell all the glitz. The business sector of the dealership was the anchor, did "cash" transactions all the time for people in the BusinessLink program. The guys on the "floor" selling normally had more incentive to sell that stuff. I don't know how other dealers were set up, but we would literally be cheering when people rolled and and a deal got started on the one that made us meet the volume bonus.

I am still a strong believer in that brand...

 

[Blue Oaks]

I used to joke that I didn't know how to drive an automatic transmission. Heck, I even converted my 64 Falcon with the 289 from a C4 to a Toploader and I've had my 6-Speed Powerstroke Crew Cab 4x4 for 21 years and 300k miles. But, I've driven the new GT500 on track and at no time was it in the wrong gear. It was always in the perfect gear for corner entry, mid corner, and exit. I've also now had a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) as well as an electric with one speed and they are both pretty amazing. For those that love that interactive experience, just get the Model T and hand crank that sucker.

I just like having a lot of different cars. I'm now saving up for a house on a bigger, flatter lot with a big shop to keep them in.

 

[CentaurG2]

Lazyboy with a jet pack might be the American way but there is a reason the Honda Civic type R only comes with one option on the transmission. Paddle shifter?? Never.

 

[SS396driver]

I find it really too bad that Suzuki doesn't build cars anymore, or at least not for here.

They have had some brilliant engineering in both bikes and cars, but their marketing department should have been replaced many, many years ago.

anyhow, I've never owned a car. They just won't last on the gravel and in this climate. Maybe someday..

Ya they never capitalised on the American market. That and the stupid insurance institute claiming they were prone to rollovers. Well Duh take any shortwheelbase SUV and turn it hard at 40 mph it's going to flip. Notice that warning is in all smaller SUVs now.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Lazyboy with a jet pack might be the American way but there is a reason the Honda Civic type R only comes with one option on the transmission. Paddle shifter?? Never.

Today, they let me know at work that my new normal is working from home. So my 30k a year commute is now maybe 3k a year in driving.

I have a CVT in my Legacy with a paddle shifter. In the end, it sold it over the AWD Chargers I was looking at on decision day. The CVT was more fun to thrash than the 8 speed in the AWD Chargers I was looking at. 8 is too many gears when cornering and trying to treat it like a stick. Where it decides it is when entering manual mode was so far off from where you wanted to be to when you switched to manual for aggressive driving, it just annoyed me, and took two or three pedal smacks vs one or two with the Subaru. The polish was there on the Legacy CVT also the Legacy was 10k less. Was an easy decision.

However, the day to day in the Subaru is pretty snoozeworthy. Its an appliance. Beating on it with the fake shift points was way more convincing than it should be, but like my other Subaru, its not fun to beat on.

There is a swaybar upgrade, a brake upgrade, and plausibly bigger rims and tires for contact patch. A friend of mine said, if you aren't happy with the car don't spend money on it. But my financial state says that owning something fun is out of reach.
Great vid, I expected a drag race at first haha!
I will never fit in a Mazda. Would have to remove the seat and make a seat in the floor/back wall with foam.

 

[CentaurG2]

At 3k miles a year, that subie will last you 20 years. No need for a new ride. You will save a small fortune on fuel/wear and tear. Only car I have ever driven with a CVT was a rental ford focus. You are right. It was very much like driving an appliance. I believe car manufactures are improving CVTs but most upper end cars with automatics get the traditional auto with gears.








You would not be the first person to modify a mx-5.

 

[Blue Oaks]

Hey Dutch. What do you mean paddle shifter with a CVT? A CVT by definition has no gears to shift, right?

 

[FlyingDutchman]

At 3k miles a year, that subie will last you 20 years. No need for a new ride. You will save a small fortune on fuel/wear and tear. Only car I have ever driven with a CVT was a rental ford focus. You are right. It was very much like driving an appliance. I believe car manufactures are improving CVTs but most upper end cars with automatics get the traditional auto with gears.








You would not be the first person to modify a mx-5.

Yeah, it will last a long time. Doesn't make much sense to keep spending that much for something I will barely use, though. That money would go a long way towards paying off crippling debt.

I almost bought a company called Boss Frog (makers of the "frog arms" and several other products such as Miata LS Swaps) a few years back from some friends who were changing focus to another business. I had a meeting with the bank scheduled.

I didn't have a Miata and I was in the process of buying one from a friend. When we were trying to take out the seat so I could drive it, the rust was bad enough two of the seat bolts spun and the seat wouldn't come out. We were about to get out the grinder and try it but I walked away and cancelled the meeting with the bank. Funny thing is, the swapped Miata our friends had would NEVER start when I showed up. So I've never even gotten to ride in or drive a Miata, good bad or ugly.

Hey Dutch. What do you mean paddle shifter with a CVT? A CVT by definition has no gears to shift, right?

The Legacy CVT has 6 "ranges" each with a shift bump programmed into the CVT to simulate a conventional transmission while accelerating. The 2018 up Charger has a similar paddle shift option. Some of the older ones are in the stick on the console and useable in manual mode.

The user can put the transmission into manual mode and use the paddles all the time, or, you can swat the minus paddle anytime to "downshift" then after a bit of "normal driving" it goes back to automatic, which I use quite a bit.

It actually works extremely well. It is less appliance-ey than you would think. There are some spongy ass, sloppy slugs of CVT trannies out there, and this Subaru CVT has real effort put forth to NOT be so. This is the best case you could ever hope for.

Exhaust note is still droning (forget aftermarket fart pipes). Still driver disconnect. Still that swoopy/puddly feeling when you aren't pounding on it. And the feeling of the shift is there but its been well known for awhile now that that shift feel reduces the transmission life on other MFG's transmissions that used it. So beating on it and feeling it smash though the gears is, for all intents and purposes, potentially killing it.

 

[Blue Oaks]

OK thanks. I've never heard of that arrangement. My Fusion plug in hybrid was of the "spongy ass, sloppy slug" variety.

 

[JeffHK454]

The Legacy CVT has 6 "ranges" each with a shift bump programmed into the CVT to simulate a conventional transmission while accelerating. The 2018 up Charger has a similar paddle shift option. Some of the older ones are in the stick on the console and useable in manual mode.

The user can put the transmission into manual mode and use the paddles all the time, or, you can swat the minus paddle anytime to "downshift" then after a bit of "normal driving" it goes back to automatic, which I use quite a bit.

It actually works extremely well. It is less appliance-ey than you would think. There are some spongy ass, sloppy slugs of CVT trannies out there, and this Subaru CVT has real effort put forth to NOT be so. This is the best case you could ever hope for.

Exhaust note is still droning (forget aftermarket fart pipes). Still driver disconnect. Still that swoopy/puddly feeling when you aren't pounding on it. And the feeling of the shift is there but its been well known for awhile now that that shift feel reduces the transmission life on other MFG's transmissions that used it. So beating on it and feeling it smash though the gears is, for all intents and purposes, potentially killing it.

The wife and I have been car shopping recently and I had this very discussion with service manager at my local Subaru stealership . In not so many words he told me the entire simulated shift thing is BS , all the perceived control it offers is nothing more than the ECM bumping the throttle body to make some engine noise and spike the tach. He said it was solely add to CVT equipped cars to breakup the mind numbing drone .. kinda like Tesla adding background noise to their cars to breakup the silence.

 

[CentaurG2]

I think I will stick to my clutch and manual gearbox. Driving should be a fun experience not simulated nonsense.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

The wife and I have been car shopping recently and I had this very discussion with service manager at my local Subaru stealership . In not so many words he told me the entire simulated shift thing is BS , all the perceived control it offers is nothing more than the ECM bumping the throttle body to make some engine noise and spike the tach. He said it was solely add to CVT equipped cars to breakup the mind numbing drone .. kinda like Tesla adding background noise to their cars to breakup the silence.

Interesting, it feels pretty jerky/mechanical to me but I'll have to listen/feel some more. I basically can only pull 28 mpg with my 2016, my 1999 used to only get 20-22mpg. Much more efficient cars out there if you don't need awd.

I would really like to try to to drive a 2020 Legacy, supposedly they really worked over the suspension on them. I love the soft ride on my 2016 for our rough roads, but hate the corner wallow and the traction with the stock tires. The seats are not real good for long drives, they make my legs hurt and my GF's butt go numb. The only problems in 60K has been the infotainment not connecting to Pandora that well, and it needed battery and the stock paint scratches/peels really easy. Got some pine tar on it while on vacation in a cabin and it did permanent damage to the clearcoat on every single body panel.

 

[CentaurG2]

Could be your new ride. This thing looks pretty sweet! I would buy one for the “granny gear” alone but I love the retro look!

 

[FlyingDutchman]

The trim levels sound like they were written by a fired manager from a themed burger restaurant.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Currently, the plan is to sell my car and just drive the truck. I'm going to take that extra payment and insurance money and put it towards my student loans to pay that off in a year. The goal is to refinance my house in a year and see where that gets me financially for a possible vehicle upgrade at that point. Parents want me to drive their spare truck from time to time too. Mostly because I fill it with gas and fix stuff if it breaks. Instead of 10-12 hours a week in a vehicle, I'm spending 1-2 driving to jobs or the store (if that even) the cost doesn't justify the benefit I'll get from an efficient car.

Also the late model used car market is unprecedented right now. Auction cars are bringing retail prices ad dealers are scrambling for trade ins. Good time to trade in and good time to buy new. But also a good time to sell used.

 

[Blue Oaks]

You bring up some good points. I am paying a monthly bill for my sheetbox that I no longer need. It's a Ford Focus Electric that in the before times I used to commute to my office job. Now that I work from home 100% of the time, maybe I should just sell it? It's nice to use on Sundays to hit the local golf course or like today at lunch I shot down to the local mom and pop grocery store, but I could drive my truck for that.

It's a 2018 with about 25k miles on it. I owe about $9k on it, and could probably get the same if I sold it. Hmmm.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Lazyboy with a jet pack might be the American way but there is a reason the Honda Civic type R only comes with one option on the transmission. Paddle shifter?? Never.

I had a Lotus Elise just like the one in the video.

Putting the top on isn't tough. 2 fiberglass support rods and the top clips into the passenger and driver side.
Maybe 15-20 seconds if in a rush.

Was a fun car! Made my lowered VW Jetta seem monster truck tall!

 

[FlyingDutchman]

You bring up some good points. I am paying a monthly bill for my sheetbox that I no longer need. It's a Ford Focus Electric that in the before times I used to commute to my office job. Now that I work from home 100% of the time, maybe I should just sell it? It's nice to use on Sundays to hit the local golf course or like today at lunch I shot down to the local mom and pop grocery store, but I could drive my truck for that.

It's a 2018 with about 25k miles on it. I owe about $9k on it, and could probably get the same if I sold it. Hmmm.

Sounds like you have more disposable income. I'm doing it because I'm in a stupid financial position so it's sort of forcing me.

I had a Lotus Elise just like the one in the video.

Putting the top on isn't tough. 2 fiberglass support rods and the top clips into the passenger and driver side.
Maybe 15-20 seconds if in a rush.

Was a fun car! Made my lowered VW Jetta seem monster truck tall!

Sounds like you've had a lot of fun cars! There is a picture of me somewhere sitting in a lotus and my head sticks a full foot above the roof.

 

[CentaurG2]

Currently, the plan is to sell my car and just drive the truck. I'm going to take that extra payment and insurance money and put it towards my student loans to pay that off in a year. The goal is to refinance my house in a year and see where that gets me financially for a possible vehicle upgrade at that point. Parents want me to drive their spare truck from time to time too. Mostly because I fill it with gas and fix stuff if it breaks. Instead of 10-12 hours a week in a vehicle, I'm spending 1-2 driving to jobs or the store (if that even) the cost doesn't justify the benefit I'll get from an efficient car.

Also the late model used car market is unprecedented right now. Auction cars are bringing retail prices ad dealers are scrambling for trade ins. Good time to trade in and good time to buy new. But also a good time to sell used.

Paying down debt is a smart move. The sooner and closer you get to ”debt free” day, the better. When you finally cross that line and you don’t own nothing to nobody, it is a fantastic day!