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The Car Enthusiast Thread.

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  • That's a shame, since one of the things I was looking forward too was road trips with the top down. What makes it so unbearable? As for the wrx, some quick craigslist searching places the cheaper ones pretty much at the top of my price range but I'll do some digging.
    Depends on how large are you, if you are medium to small build, it's pretty solid, if you are somewhat tall or overweight it's kinda crap (also if you have more than one friend)
    I'm 6'2", so this could be a legitimate problem.
  • That's a shame, since one of the things I was looking forward too was road trips with the top down. What makes it so unbearable? As for the wrx, some quick craigslist searching places the cheaper ones pretty much at the top of my price range but I'll do some digging.
    The ride is hard, the noise is pretty insanely loud (top down or up), and trust me when I say you're just gonna bake in the thing. Long distance top down motoring can be physically exhausting. And we haven't even gotten to the best bit, the tiny trunk. If you have to bring more than two bags it's tricky, and if you have to bring a (typical) female with luggage you are pretty much fucked.

    However, all that said, you are not me and these things might not bug you as much as they bugged me. And I'm really struggling to think of more fun cars that are cheap. I have but one piece of buying advice, don't buy one now. The convertible tax is high now, wait until fall and prices will fall significantly.
  • Can I suggest a Golf GTI?
  • Can I suggest a Golf GTI?
    I'll second that. My old housemate had a Golf GTI, and it was a damned nice car.

  • The ride is hard, the noise is pretty insanely loud (top down or up), and trust me when I say you're just gonna bake in the thing. Long distance top down motoring can be physically exhausting. And we haven't even gotten to the best bit, the tiny trunk. If you have to bring more than two bags it's tricky, and if you have to bring a (typical) female with luggage you are pretty much fucked.

    However, all that said, you are not me and these things might not bug you as much as they bugged me. And I'm really struggling to think of more fun cars that are cheap. I have but one piece of buying advice, don't buy one now. The convertible tax is high now, wait until fall and prices will fall significantly.
    Those are some valid points. I think I need to arrange a test drive so I can see/hear for myself and judge. Which I would definitely do before buying one anyway.

    But yeah, I was focusing on the Miata because it seemed to offer a sweet spot between performance and affordability that I was looming for. And I won't be buying anything until after I move, which would be late summer at the earliest.
    Can I suggest a Golf GTI?
    I'll look into this.
  • Be careful with the test drive. If you've never driven a two seat sports car a miata will seem magical. I was totally taken in and bought one, it was only later that I realized all the things that bugged me and the fact that I only barely fit in it. Also, they're really bad cars in inclimate weather. Don't let the miata guys convince you they're fine, they aren't. My friend got rid of his miata after several years cause he was tired of putting it in the body shop every winter. All that said I'd happily buy one again, but as a weekend toy, not as my only car like mine was. And I'd buy it in outright, not have a loan like mine was.
  • I live in California, so weather is less of an issue. Honestly the fit is my biggest concern right now, since my Accord has taught me how nice it is to actually have leg/ headroom to spare. And whatever I end up buying will definitely be used.
  • When I said weather, I meant rain. The short wheelbase of a miata means it gets out of shape very quickly. Just know that going in.
  • Sorry, I assumed you meant snow or at least major rainstorms, which are rare out here. What do you mean by "out of shape?" Because frequent/expensive repair work would be a deal breaker for me.
  • The back end getting all excited and trying to get in front of you. Have you ever driven a RWD car?
  • Been driving the M Coupe since summer started. It was always a smooth, easy ride, but Dad put an aftermarket free flow intake on it, and now the car acts like an excitable puppy when you accelerate through corners. It's even more fun to drive now that you have to wrestle with it a bit.
  • How's the induction noise?
  • The back end getting all excited and trying to get in front of you. Have you ever driven a RWD car?
    I have not. I appreciate the heads up. Is it that different from driving a FWD?
  • edited July 2012
    How's the induction noise?
    Glorious. Really throaty and evident in the cabin and when accelerating, but not loud enough that it's a nuisance to others.
    The back end getting all excited and trying to get in front of you. Have you ever driven a RWD car?
    I have not. I appreciate the heads up. Is it that different from driving a FWD?
    Yeah. You're going have to learn how to fight with the back end on corners and in the rain. Though it's an adjustment, it becomes second nature after a while and you don't even think about it. After that, you can learn how to drift a bit, and that's where the fun really begins.

    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • edited July 2012
    I have not. I appreciate the heads up. Is it that different from driving a FWD?
    95% of the time no, but as you approach the limit of adhesion they will behave markedly differently.

    I hate to be a negative nancy, but a miata might not be such a great car to start on. They really don't take any prisoners. They have a reputation as a secretary's car, but they're really road legal race cars.
    Post edited by George Patches on
  • I have not. I appreciate the heads up. Is it that different from driving a FWD?
    95% of the time no, but as you approach the limit of adhesion they will behave markedly differently.
    Oh, yes. If you try to take a corner too quickly, a FWD car will under-steer and a RWD car will oversteer (get all tail happy). Look up videos about oversteer and understeer on youtube. There's dozens of em.
    Prolonged, controlled oversteer is drifting, by the by.

  • wanted to post an update of the car, and tried to start it up on camera, but alas, since it doesn't have mufflers on, the mic just couldn't handle it.

  • Any suggestions on a new car around 20K with good mileage?
  • Any suggestions on a new car around 20K with good mileage?
    What's wrong with your car?
  • Any suggestions on a new car around 20K with good mileage?
    What's wrong with your car?
    Old and breaking.
  • Any suggestions on a new car around 20K with good mileage?
    What's wrong with your car?
    Old and breaking.
    Isn't it still that '04 black Mazda 6? That's too new to be old and breaking.
  • Isn't it still that '04 black Mazda 6? That's too new to be old and breaking.
    I just will note that 2004 is eight years ago.

  • Any suggestions on a new car around 20K with good mileage?
    Well, the Hyundai i-series cars are quite nice. I've driven the i-45, it's not so bad. Sure, not exactly sex on wheels like The Mighty Van, but they're far from ugly.

  • Isn't it still that '04 black Mazda 6? That's too new to be old and breaking.
    I just will note that 2004 is eight years ago.

    Cars should last 15 years minimum. My brother actually just posted a pic of the odometer on his '90s Lumina hitting 200k miles.
  • And this car will go on for many more years, but for Wyatt it's becoming more trouble than it's worth.
  • And this car will go on for many more years, but for Wyatt it's becoming more trouble than it's worth.
    It's an '03 with 108000 miles, and I've had some issues that make me not love my car. It's not broken now, but it's getting to the point where big repairs starting showing up. The mileage isn't great either. So I'm starting to look to see what's out there.

    I don't NEED a new car, but I can afford to get an upgrade.
  • edited July 2012
    If you've put +100k miles on a car, you can flip it without guilt. Something like 98% of all material in cars nowadays is eventually reclaimed, recycled, slagged, or salvaged, so it's not that big a deal.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • I've put 7500 miles on my Mazda 2 in 5 months.
  • edited July 2012
    If you've put +100k miles on a car, you can flip it without guilt. Something like 98% of all material in cars nowadays is eventually reclaimed, recycled, slagged, or salvaged, so it's not that big a deal.
    My family has a 1992 Honda Accord with nearly 400k (391 or so) miles on it.

    Post edited by Pegu on
  • If you've put +100k miles on a car, you can flip it without guilt. Something like 98% of all material in cars nowadays is eventually reclaimed, recycled, slagged, or salvaged, so it's not that big a deal.
    My family has a 1992 Honda Accord with nearly 400k (391 or so) miles on it.
    My '95 civic would be pushing ~300k+ if some airhead hadn't t-boned me.
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