Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Narf

You might as well conclude that broken late 90s Volvo drivers are more likely to use the internet

Or that Volvo owners aren't car people, and just go to the dealer.
 
WOW... 2002 Acura TL has some pretty damn major flaws:

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Reliability.aspx?year=2002&make=Acura&model=TL&trimid=-1

makes the volvos look good...

It seems the only real major one is the automatic transmission. Find one where the problem has recently been fixed and you'd be fine.


And all this talk of reliability is amusing. According to the records, my French car only had to go back to the dealer once, for a rattly seat rail to be replaced under warranty. As of right now, there are no electrical or mechanical issues to report, and judging from the records, there never has been either.
 
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I would not conclude that, but we have to consider it. The demographic of every car brand is vastly different. Drivers of broken Volvo's may as well be more likely to complain on that website, compared to Civic drivers. But we don't know that. And because of this, we can't concede my point that Volvo's are reliable, but neither can we trust a website like this, because its sample is dubious at best.

(just as an example, I was looking at my car's history - the first owner took it several times to the dealer over the period of a couple of years, and a few of the trips were for things as simple as "new windshield wipers" or "new taillight bulb". Just because he was the sort of person whose hands are in his ass, and can't change his own wipers, should we conclude that the car was unreliable because of frequent trips to the dealer?)

Funny thing about TrueDelta is that it lists the problems the cars have. Number one issues with the S70s? The front suspension falling apart. I wouldn't call that a minor issues.

Any other weak arguments? There is no problem with liking an unreliable car, but don't try to delude yourself and others.
 
Here is a car ricky should have come up with: 2004 Hyundai XG350

Thoughts? Its slowish but not slug slow

It's not terribly engaging to drive (consumer reports called it the "korean buick" ) but it does look somewhat upscale and my parents' 05 example has been trouble free at nearly 70k.

If the powertrain warranty is transferrable in canada then that's a bonus (it isn't here).

You'll want to make sure any examples you look at has had the timing belt changed. Hyundai/kia recommends every 60k for the 3.5 and it's absolutely critical that its replaced.

If the owner isn't sure if it has or not, negotiate a lowered price so you can get it done first thing after you buy.
 
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The XG is very likeable. Again, there are only a handful here, but I am partial towards them.
 
Funny thing about TrueDelta is that it lists the problems the cars have. Number one issues with the S70s? The front suspension falling apart. I wouldn't call that a minor issues.

Any other weak arguments? There is no problem with liking an unreliable car, but don't try to delude yourself and others.

So the spring seats fail every 2 years, so what? They cost less than $250 to fix. And if a person can't afford that every two years, than maybe he shouldn't own a car at all.

And I'm not deluding anyone, I'm sharing what I know about these cars and their problems. If anything, you're the one trying to delude people that Volvos are the most unreliable POS. They have their issues, but the advantages far outweigh the negatives.
 
So the spring seats fail every 2 years, so what? They cost less than $250 to fix. And if a person can't afford that every two years, than maybe he shouldn't own a car at all.

And I'm not deluding anyone, I'm sharing what I know about these cars and their problems. If anything, you're the one trying to delude people that Volvos are the most unreliable POS. They have their issues, but the advantages far outweigh the negatives.

That isn't a minor issues. That's a "I can't drive my car safely" issues. Volvos aren't the most unreliable cars, I know I own British cars. :p

By the way, thanks for the quote. :lol:
 
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That isn't a minor issues. That's a "I can't drive my car safely" issues. Volvos aren't the most unreliable cars, I know I own British cars. :p

Hehe, good point.

But the spring seat failure isn't a "OMG I'm GOING TO DIE" issue. I've had it fail at 60mph and nothing much happened. It's certainly something you want to fix ASAP, but you don't lose control and crash when they fail.

In any case, I will admit that it is a crappy and idiotic design in the first place.
 
Had my very first breathalizer test by the police yesturday night ... passed it (of course, I wouldn?t drink and drive). But it was quite odd for me because it was in Dutchieland. In Germany if the police stops you for something like that, it?s a big deal. They check your papers, will ask you loads of quetions - even before they let you take the test they stop you for ... the Dutch Cop who stopped my car (at a control-point they set up with basically a roadblock) just went "Hi, just blow here" when I let my window down and held me the device into the open window. I blew into it untill the said stop, 10 seconds wait and he said "okey, go on". I didn?t even turn off the engine, it all happend so fast without any fuss. :D

On a sidenote, driving up the the controlpoint, some 100meters before there was another motorist warning me (and those behind me) about the control with his high-beams. I didn?t realize that at the moment, but behind me the driver immediatly turned around. Thinking back, I was quite pissed about this ... nobody should be driving after drinking ... and sorting those out who do IMO is a good thing. Warn people because of a speed-trap, that?s something different. Warning people about an alcohol-control ahead is not helping.
 
Had my very first breathalizer test by the police yesturday night ... passed it (of course, I wouldn?t drink and drive). But it was quite odd for me because it was in Dutchieland. In Germany if the police stops you for something like that, it?s a big deal. They check your papers, will ask you loads of quetions - even before they let you take the test they stop you for ... the Dutch Cop who stopped my car (at a control-point they set up with basically a roadblock) just went "Hi, just blow here" when I let my window down and held me the device into the open window. I blew into it untill the said stop, 10 seconds wait and he said "okey, go on". I didn?t even turn off the engine, it all happend so fast without any fuss. :D

On a sidenote, driving up the the controlpoint, some 100meters before there was another motorist warning me (and those behind me) about the control with his high-beams. I didn?t realize that at the moment, but behind me the driver immediatly turned around. Thinking back, I was quite pissed about this ... nobody should be driving after drinking ... and sorting those out who do IMO is a good thing. Warn people because of a speed-trap, that?s something different. Warning people about an alcohol-control ahead is not helping.

That's pretty much how it works here. They are there to check if you've been drinking and driving, not if you are driving your second cousin twice-removed's car and you're not on the insurance. Every time I've been stopped it took maybe 15 seconds. Here you don't even have to blow into a tube if you claim you haven't been drinking, just count to 10 into a thing and it says if there is any alcohol on your breath. If there is, they get the tube out. If not, they let you go on your way.

I've seen someone do a U-turn before reaching a breath test too. Some guy in a Pajero on a Saturday morning. They usually keep a lookout for people doing exactly that and chase them down.
 
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I saw my first Fiat 500 last night. I tried taking a picture, but it came out all blurry because night time and my boyfriend was dragging me elsewhere so I didn't have a lot of time to actually take a proper picture. (Slow camera plus impatient boyfriend= blurry as all heck picture.)
 
The car was designed by someone who had a ruler, so it probably does do 9.4 seconds. But if that's the case, my truck would be neck and neck in a drag race with it...
 
Our 2007 Focus' AUX jack is in the stupidest place, in the glove box. We have the Sony unit, and if I use my iPod in the car, then I can't close the glove box, which is really annoying for passengers. Is there a special cable or anything or is it just a design flaw?
Can you control the iPod from the head unit? If so, just put the ipod in the glove box and leave it be. If not, you can buy longer cables.
 
SF Auto show today.

Newish cars liked: Hyundai Veloster, Fiat 500, Ford Focus, Beetle Turbo (wat), Mini Works Coupe

I think I'm going to go test drive all of them. Maybe not the beetle though. I do think it's a good car, but it's not my type.

Ford is also paying me 50 bucks to test drive the Focus.
 
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