Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Speaking of Discos. I woke up in Michigan, got on a plane to Denver, and now am in Council Bluff, Iowa..... driving this back to Michigan

Any particular reason? That looks incredibly clean and original. I forgot how much the D3 really did look like it was made out of LEGO, too.
 
Dealership experiences:
Last time I was looking for a hatchback, the big brands here (Ford, VW, Chevrolet and FIAT) were all as expected, letting me test-drive a car for a few kilometers with the salesmen seating beside me on a pre-determined route. FIAT was the only one that let me drive the exact car I was looking for and not something similar, and that helped me decide about getting the Palio.
A few years ago, I went with my mother-in-law to a Chevrolet dealership and the salesman didn't even stop reading his newspaper before telling us: "We're low on inventory. Come back next week." What the fuck?
Renault was very good providing a car for a test drive (a Clio) but tried screwing me over when it was time to close the deal. In general, they know next to nothing apart from BRAND NEW STICKERS, MORE FUEL ECONOMY, BEST IN CLASS. Don't bother discussing technical specs.

Randomly visiting "luxury" dealerships was a surprise.
The BMW saleswoman knew EVERYTHING about the brand and the cars. She even took me to the lot to show me the 130i, which was new at the time. Surprisingly, it was the best service I ever had at a dealership, even though I clearly had no money for one and was just wasting time there.
Volvo guy was very clinical. Clearly sticking to a script, but treated me well.
I've never been to the Porsche dealership, although they have a Carrera GT for sale, so maybe I should. :unsure:

I guess the bmw saleswoman realized you’re going to spread the word, even if you aren’t planning on buying.
 
Any particular reason? That looks incredibly clean and original. I forgot how much the D3 really did look like it was made out of LEGO, too.

My buddy just bought it. Flights were cheap enough, so I joined for the fun of it. Its probably the cleanest, most well maintained LR3 in the country. Got me looking at them again. Found this one a few days before the trip, and got me thinking, “what could possibly go wrong?” My buddy tried to convince to get it so we could convoy back together, though that would kinda defeat the point of the trip. That said, I was tempted to shoot that guy an email. Probably best that I didn’t.

Having driven about half of the 1200 miles from Denver to Detroit though, has me looking at them with renewed interest.... again.
 
My buddy just bought it. Flights were cheap enough, so I joined for the fun of it. Its probably the cleanest, most well maintained LR3 in the country. Got me looking at them again. Found this one a few days before the trip, and got me thinking, “what could possibly go wrong?” My buddy tried to convince to get it so we could convoy back together, though that would kinda defeat the point of the trip. That said, I was tempted to shoot that guy an email. Probably best that I didn’t.

Having driven about half of the 1200 miles from Denver to Detroit though, has me looking at them with renewed interest.... again.

It really does look good, as if it just left the showroom. They've proven themselves to be very reliable by LR standards, at least as far as I know and the one you linked looks like a good deal despite that hideous bumper. :p

I promised myself that I would never buy one as many jobs are body-off and that's heart and wallet ache that I just couldn't deal with. My father was toying with the idea of a D4 before getting his Freelander 2 earlier this year, I think he made the right decision a D4 would've been fantastic.
 
My buddy just bought it. Flights were cheap enough, so I joined for the fun of it. Its probably the cleanest, most well maintained LR3 in the country. Got me looking at them again. Found this one a few days before the trip, and got me thinking, “what could possibly go wrong?” My buddy tried to convince to get it so we could convoy back together, though that would kinda defeat the point of the trip. That said, I was tempted to shoot that guy an email. Probably best that I didn’t.

Having driven about half of the 1200 miles from Denver to Detroit though, has me looking at them with renewed interest.... again.

Before you make any rash decision, can I refer this article to you?

Unfortunately, upon running it through the shop after I returned it, the Land Rover’s mechanical health went from alright to concerning. As anyone could anticipate from an aging Land Rover the code scan summary revealed 35 fault codes detected across 15 systems, ranging from three cylinder misfire detections to invalid data received from transmission control module to lost communication with tire pressure monitor module. Inflictions also shared by Importamation’s LR4, the information screen kept reading “bonnet open”, even though it clearly wasn’t, and the alarm liked to go off within minutes of locking to car.
 
Before you make any rash decision, can I refer this article to you?

Oh I'm fully aware of the possible gremlins in LR products from this era. I'd of course do my due diligence before making any rash decisions. Also not finding those 35 fault codes before buying the damn thing is totally on that guy.
 
Oh I'm fully aware of the possible gremlins in LR products from this era. I'd of course do my due diligence before making any rash decisions. Also not finding those 35 fault codes before buying the damn thing is totally on that guy.

To be fair, the truck could have had none of those codes at time of purchase (and not because the owner had it reset prior to sale) and they could have all popped up on the way home. They're pretty bad. :p Not as bad as the Disco I or II in the US, but still pretty bad.

They've proven themselves to be very reliable by LR standards, at least as far as I know

Not over here, but we didn't get the diesel or lower spec models.
 
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An Esprit V8 converted to natural aspiration with a slightly upped compression ratio could be a pretty sweet driving experience; halfway between NSX and F355.
 
https://amp.detroitnews.com/amp/2201973001

Carmakers agree to add rear-seat child reminders


I am not opposed to such systems as long as there is more than just the warning. After the the warning is set off 3 times in a year it should inform the driver that "You need to be a better parent", and after 6 it must tell the driver "You really are a shifty parent".
 
https://amp.detroitnews.com/amp/2201973001

Carmakers agree to add rear-seat child reminders


I am not opposed to such systems as long as there is more than just the warning. After the the warning is set off 3 times in a year it should inform the driver that "You need to be a better parent", and after 6 it must tell the driver "You really are a shifty parent".

I'm reminded of my Grandfather's 1986 Maxima

"Fuel is low.... Fuel is low...."
"Door is ajar.... Door is ajar...."
"Key is in the ignition... Key is in the ignition..." I know, goddammit, I fucking put it there!

I can only imagine the passive aggressive message delivered in a pleasant synthetic voice.
"Child is in the back seat... Child is in the back seat..."
"You're a suboptimal parent..."
"The robot that built me would be a better caregiver..."
"I'm calling CPS, you monster..."
 
https://amp.detroitnews.com/amp/2201973001

Carmakers agree to add rear-seat child reminders


I am not opposed to such systems as long as there is more than just the warning. After the the warning is set off 3 times in a year it should inform the driver that "You need to be a better parent", and after 6 it must tell the driver "You really are a shifty parent".
How would it actually work?
 
Waze did this for a while but stopped. I think if you need this reminder, you’re an awful parent. How stupid are you?

Offered on US Market cars only because our parents are fucking stupid. Just like a seat belt warning tone that comes on as soon as you turn the key.
 
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I can only imagine the passive aggressive message delivered in a pleasant synthetic voice.
"Child is in the back seat... Child is in the back seat..."
"You're a suboptimal parent..."
"The robot that built me would be a better caregiver..."
"I'm calling CPS, you monster..."
GLaDOS as the voice's personality please.
 
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