The New Car Fanatic Thread

[Loco 3752]

3 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

My simmering dread about owning an out of warranty German car was justified yesterday. Both motor mounts, transmission mount, transmission cooling system all went. About 2 grand. May be time to look for something else.

I’m thinking of going for something different next. Maybe a 4Runner or Grand Cherokee. Something I can take Jr hunting and fishing in but that cleans up well enough for customers.

Sounds cheap frankly...  VW?

 

also Cavalry Blue 4runner doit.gif

[Loco 3752]

34 minutes ago, pepper brooks said:

does such a thing even exist?

I had an economics professor that talked about Fiat Money

 

also

Edited November 1, 2018 by Loco

[Chewbacca 7729]

My simmering dread about owning an out of warranty German car was justified yesterday. Both motor mounts, transmission mount, transmission cooling system all went. About 2 grand. May be time to look for something else.

I’m thinking of going for something different next. Maybe a 4Runner or Grand Cherokee. Something I can take Jr hunting and fishing in but that cleans up well enough for customers.

You have an A6, right? How many miles?

[Fat Bastard 593]

My 6 year old A7 also has the engine mount issue. Sitting in idle I get a sybian like vibration to my ass and dick. Goes away when I drive. Don’t have any of those transmission issues though. Dealership told me would be 2k just to fix that. I told them I’ll enjoy the vibrations until time for trade in. 

[Anastasis 23393]

Shit.  I'd pay extra if my truck would do that. 

[pepper brooks 579]

Couple of shitty photos, but my 2005 careers s and panamera gts. I’ve had to 911 forever.


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[Fat Bastard 593]

It’s a good time for the 4 door mid/large sport coupe/sedan. 

 

Panamera beautiful

new CLS beautiful 

8 Gran Coupe looks good (with typical shitty bmw interiors)

new A7 looks ok (still not sold on rear)

amg gt 4 door looks good 

 

can spend anywhere from 85k-180k and get a great car (with sub 5s 0-60) to a fucking 0-2.9 sec track car in 4 doors. 

 

I’m eagerly awaiting seeing all these in the flesh and choosing one of these soon as my out of warranty 6 year old Audi scares me. 

[Okie State 3788]

Spotted this super rare SS this morning.

[Assman 1830]

More than you can afford, pal.

[texasdago 7552]

I love my Alfa... I'm a year in and no issues so *fingers crossed*.  Had a CLS550 that I loved but had all kinds of suspension issues and it was a well-known problem with airmatic.  Funny... everyone picks on the Italians but keeps quiet about the Germans.  Having had both, we'll see... still too early to tell.  I know the Quadrifoglio has more issues that a Ti Sport.

[pepper brooks 579]

47 minutes ago, texasdago said:

I love my Alfa... I'm a year in and no issues so *fingers crossed*.  Had a CLS550 that I loved but had all kinds of suspension issues and it was a well-known problem with airmatic.  Funny... everyone picks on the Italians but keeps quiet about the Germans.  Having had both, we'll see... still too early to tell.  I know the Quadrifoglio has more issues that a Ti Sport.

My german cars have been all over the map.  Ive had a couple of great BMW's 1998 540i, 2004 335i the wife had was great.  Had some ok BMW - 2006 X5, 1996 318ic, and some absolute dog turd BMW's.  The shitty ones are more recent, and have ensured that brand is dead to me.  No more.  Of my Porsche vehicles I can say they have all been fantastic.  That consists of 2 911's (still have one, but it's recreational at this point), a 2012 Cayenne S that was absolutely awesome for the 100K miles we had it.  The daily drivers we have now are relatively new and still under warranty, but so far so good on them.  On the Panamera gts I have only done the 20k scheduled maintenance so far.  Nothing else has popped up.  The Cayenne we now have was acquired back in September so that one hasn't had anything going on yet other than burning an absolute ass ton of gasoline.   Hoping they all work out as well as the 911 and former Cayenne.  If so, we will continue to be satisfied customers.  

I don't know that many people who drive Mercedes so I cannot say much about them.  SIL has an S class, but it's brand new.  It's beautiful.  HAve several friends who have Audis, and they generally seem happy.  I had an A4 for a short period of time, and enjoyed it.  Nobody seems to be having any major issues.  

 

I really love the styling on the current Alpha Romeo cars.  I hope yours is one of the good ones.  They all certainly pass the eyeball test.  My BIL has an old mid 80's AR Spyder that he has had for probably 25 years.  It's awesome.  He did a minor restore on it several years ago.  Great looking car, and fun to cruise around in on a nice spring or fall day.  

[texasdago 7552]

I can't say I had too many issues with my 2006 Z4... stick shift, lots of fun to drive, bought it used with 50K+ miles and my mechanic gave it a clean bill of health before I bought it.  Had it for 3-4 years before Harvey took it.

The Alfa is great... love driving it and just pushing it.  I mostly leave the setting in Sport mode and you can tell it wants to get pushed.  Handling is a dream.  Yes, I hope its a good one, too because it makes me want to go get a 4C.

[G650 14086]

Mercedes have pretty much always been the most solid of the German makers. Somewhat uninspiring, except the top end of their line, but they just work.

[Anton Chigurh 3318]

Mercedes have pretty much always been the most solid of the German makers. Somewhat uninspiring, except the top end of their line, but they just work.

Their F1 team and Mercedes HPP (even though both of them are mostly British folk), are top notch as well. Incredibly streamlined and have a great management structure and they work extremely well as a team. It’s impressive.

[G650 14086]

Just now, Anton Chigurh said:

 

Their F1 team and Mercedes HPP (even though both of them are mostly British folk), are top notch as well. Incredibly streamlined and have a great management structure and they work extremely well as a team. It’s impressive.

For sure.

Mercedes overall is a much better run outfit than any of the other automakers, a lot of which has to do with their size and scope. They have a huge portfolio that covers a ton of different industries beyond car making. Ford, BMW, Toyota and Honda are pretty well done as well, even though the latter two have struggled intermittently as of late.

[52-80 19081]

Saw a brand new Panamera with a yellow taxi placard on the roof yesterday, parked at the taxi stop.  They only sell the GTS or Turbo II variants in this market, so it starts at 175k EUR minimum. 

 

Dunno if the dude is a tax cheat or ran out of money paying for it or what.  I was inclined to hop inside and ask for a ride, if I didnt have my dog with me.

[Slacks 6791]

Saw a new Panamera on the road Thursday. I like the wagon look. A lot.

[elfenix 34171]

On 11/15/2018 at 12:55 PM, G650 said:

For sure.

Mercedes overall is a much better run outfit than any of the other automakers, a lot of which has to do with their size and scope. They have a huge portfolio that covers a ton of different industries beyond car making. Ford, BMW, Toyota and Honda are pretty well done as well, even though the latter two have struggled intermittently as of late.

doesn't belong on this list since mulally retired. 

[G650 14086]

5 hours ago, elfenix said:

doesn't belong on this list since mulally retired. 

Hey, Mulally is basically my number one CEO of all time in any industry, so I'm with you. But historically speaking, Ford is one of the best run companies. 

[pepper brooks 579]

On 11/6/2018 at 9:55 PM, Fat Bastard said:

It’s a good time for the 4 door mid/large sport coupe/sedan. 

 

Panamera beautiful

new CLS beautiful 

8 Gran Coupe looks good (with typical shitty bmw interiors)

new A7 looks ok (still not sold on rear)

amg gt 4 door looks good 

 

can spend anywhere from 85k-180k and get a great car (with sub 5s 0-60) to a fucking 0-2.9 sec track car in 4 doors. 

 

I’m eagerly awaiting seeing all these in the flesh and choosing one of these soon as my out of warranty 6 year old Audi scares me. 

The new amg gt 4 door look way too much like a bmw 6 series grand coupe. Like, waaay too similar. The s model delivers some stupid performance. Wow. 

Edited November 24, 2018 by pepper brooks

[Fat Bastard 593]

I disagree. The front fascia of MB has a much more aggressive stance and is beefier.  Interior is about 8 orders of magnitude better as bmw interiors are pure trash. 

[52-80 19081]

4 hours ago, Fat Bastard said:

.  Interior is about 8 orders of magnitude better as bmw interiors are pure trash. 

Most functional and intuitive in the business, though.  Dials where there should be dials.  Buttons where there should be buttons.  Dedicated displays where readouts are required e.g. temperature selection.  

 

And iDrive is heads and shoulders above everyone else in terms of interfacing.

[ChiTownDoc 21098]

We did Thanksgiving at brother’s place in Scottsdale.  He’s had an RS7 done up at a local race shop.  Holy shit I’m in love w Audi’s. Even stock that’s a lot of car for the money.  

[G650 14086]

16 hours ago, Fat Bastard said:

I disagree. The front fascia of MB has a much more aggressive stance and is beefier.  Interior is about 8 orders of magnitude better as bmw interiors are pure trash. 

I dont have much familiarity with the lower spec BMWs, but my F85 interior borders on being too nice. The E70 was much more appropriate for a performance vehicle imo.

[Okie State 3788]

Lol. 'I don't have much familiarity with the lower spec BMW's.

Only on Surly.

[Chad Fuck 17556]

Which thread is where we appreciate pure beaters? I’m putting this here just for contrast.

 

Chaining the door. Not so you can’t get in. So it won’t fall off.

 

See through tailgate anyone?

 

[G650 14086]

1 hour ago, Okie State said:

Lol. 'I don't have much familiarity with the lower spec BMW's.

Only on Surly.

Ha. I mean, I also have a 95' F350 with like infinity miles, so that's not really what I meant. I seriously have only ever messed around with BMWs on the performance side.

[Okie State 3788]

Ha. I mean, I also have a 95' F350 with like infinity miles, so that's not really what I meant. I seriously have only ever messed around with BMWs on the performance side.

Just fucking with you. Classic Surly quote though.

[G650 14086]

9 minutes ago, Okie State said:

26 minutes ago, G650 said:

Ha. I mean, I also have a 95' F350 with like infinity miles, so that's not really what I meant. I seriously have only ever messed around with BMWs on the performance side.

Just fucking with you. Classic Surly quote though.

For real man. Cant even help ourselves lol.

[52-80 19081]

4 hours ago, Chad Fuck said:

Which thread is where we appreciate pure beaters? I’m putting this here just for contrast.

 

 

 

ive seen so many damn cars this week that shouldnt pass smog or inspection (if inspectors actually cared to adhere to rules), or simply dont belong on the road... entire bumpers missing, etc

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

4 hours ago, Chad Fuck said:

Which thread is where we appreciate pure beaters? I’m putting this here just for contrast.

 

Chaining the door. Not so you can’t get in. So it won’t fall off.

 

See through tailgate anyone?

 

keeps zombies out too.

[drewlaws 126]

My first kiddo is coming early next year and I will need to replace my e90 6MT 3 series with something more kid-friendly (bigger) that my wife can drive in a pinch (no manuals).

Does anyone have any experience with a 958.1 Cayenne Turbo? A 2013-14 Cayenne Turbo is getting strong consideration for around $50k. Am I nuts? Pros: V8, quick, practical, luxurious. Cons: Expensive to maintain, old in-car tech. At various times, I've also thought about a '16+ C63S (concerned about size), '16+ CTS-V (over budget), Macan Turbo (small and not V8) or another SRT Jeep (reputation of poor build quality). Any other ideas? 

I'm also considering a dull lifeless TLX for $20k and sidelining the fun car thing for a while.

What say you surly car fanatics?

Edited November 25, 2018 by drewlaws

[gasman 114]

Here is the kid car advice I wish I had received. You and your wife each keep a nice car in the garage. Get/keep what you want. Use these for work, date night and other non-kid duty. Next, go buy a Honda or Toyota minivan. Park it outside, use it for all kid and family activities. Maintain it mechanically, but don't sweat the spills, puke, scratches, stains, etc. When the kids are older, go drive the van into a field, light it on fire and walk away. Trying to clean melted crayons out of a Cayenne Turbo on a Texas summer day sounds like a nightmare. 

[drewlaws 126]

25 minutes ago, gasman said:

Here is the kid car advice I wish I had received. You and your wife each keep a nice car in the garage. Get/keep what you want. Use these for work, date night and other non-kid duty. Next, go buy a Honda or Toyota minivan. Park it outside, use it for all kid and family activities. Maintain it mechanically, but don't sweat the spills, puke, scratches, stains, etc. When the kids are older, go drive the van into a field, light it on fire and walk away. Trying to clean melted crayons out of a Cayenne Turbo on a Texas summer day sounds like a nightmare. 

Definitely good advice. My plan was to let wife’s car do kid duty 95% of the time, but maybe it should be 100% of the time or get something that I don’t care if it gets trashed, like the TLX

[Pato del Muerto 52338]

6 hours ago, 52-80 said:

ive seen so many damn cars this week that shouldnt pass smog or inspection (if inspectors actually cared to adhere to rules), or simply dont belong on the road... entire bumpers missing, etc

Where I live now, there is no such testing.  

[Pato del Muerto 52338]

4 hours ago, drewlaws said:

Definitely good advice. My plan was to let wife’s car do kid duty 95% of the time, but maybe it should be 100% of the time or get something that I don’t care if it gets trashed, like the TLX

I’d add that kids are really small for the first couple years. A tiny backseat is no big deal for a while. One side for the kid, one side for the bag. 

[G650 14086]

2 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I’d add that kids are really small for the first couple years. A tiny backseat is no big deal for a while. One side for the kid, one side for the bag. 

The only issue is that car seats have gotten ginormous  

[ChickenSandwich 9798]

22 hours ago, ChiTownDoc said:

We did Thanksgiving at brother’s place in Scottsdale.  He’s had an RS7 done up at a local race shop.  Holy shit I’m in love w Audi’s. Even stock that’s a lot of car for the money.  

BIL has one in the deep navy blue. It’s fantastic but I haven’t gotten above 50 in LA traffic. Kind of a waste here

[ChiTownDoc 21098]

5 hours ago, G650 said:

The only issue is that car seats have gotten ginormous  

This.  Visiting the brother as mentioned. 2 nieces. 3 and 1.  Two car seats are huge.  I was like wtf.  Love kids but our plan is still none.  Wife needs to raise synthroid dose if we want ‘em.  We consider it a sign.  

The Singer will be my baby.  

[Sandman 3402]

9 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I’d add that kids are really small for the first couple years. A tiny backseat is no big deal for a while. One side for the kid, one side for the bag. 

Sounds great, unless you have twins. Ask me how I know.

[Pato del Muerto 52338]

Just now, Sandman said:

Sounds great, unless you have twins. Ask me how I know.

I have twins. 

[pepper brooks 579]

Saw this bad boy at the Houstonian on Saturday. Also saw a nice mclaren as well, but couldn’t get a picture of that. Place is like an exotic car showcase on weekends.


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[fattyflattie 4636]

On 11/25/2018 at 5:40 AM, G650 said:

The only issue is that car seats have gotten ginormous  

They are fine once they get to forward facing, it’s the time during rear facing that kills it. Our fucking Yukon didn’t even have enough room between my wife’s seat and the rear facing car seat (rear buckets).   And they want the kids in them until they are 10 it seems. 

[NYTransplant 143]

On 11/24/2018 at 9:16 PM, drewlaws said:

Does anyone have any experience with a 958.1 Cayenne Turbo? A 2013-14 Cayenne Turbo is getting strong consideration for around $50k. Am I nuts? Pros: V8, quick, practical, luxurious. Cons: Expensive to maintain, old in-car tech. At various times, I've also thought about a '16+ C63S (concerned about size), '16+ CTS-V (over budget), Macan Turbo (small and not V8) or another SRT Jeep (reputation of poor build quality). Any other ideas? 

What say you surly car fanatics?

Wife has a 2011 Cayenne S (Surly 99%). Car has 85k on it and has been very reliable. At this point, it needs front control arms, but that seems to be the norm for any Euro car. It's a ridiculously fast car for it's size, even in the normally-aspirated V8 model. If you don't have issues with kids f'ing up a perfectly fine automobile, I say "Have at it!"

Oh, and I guarantee the Jeep will be a complete POS by the time it hits the same mileage.

Edited November 27, 2018 by NYTransplant

[Okie State 3788]

Not sure what year or trim it was, but I rode in an older Cayenne and it was a turd.

 

Hope that helps.

[G650 14086]

Just now, Okie State said:

Not sure what year or trim it was, but I rode in an older Cayenne and it was a turd.

 

Hope that helps.

The first generation Cayenne is in my top 5 worst vehicle ever produced list, no hyperbole. 

 

The later ones are very good cars though, even if the value is a little out of whack  

[Okie State 3788]

I think it probably was a first gen. Reminded me of an early 90's Explorer or Jeep Cherokee.

[NYTransplant 143]

Never been in a first gen Cayenne, but I've heard similar opinions. They seem to be bulletproof, which isn't a good thing, when you hate everything about them.

[pepper brooks 579]

On ‎11‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 9:16 PM, drewlaws said:

My first kiddo is coming early next year and I will need to replace my e90 6MT 3 series with something more kid-friendly (bigger) that my wife can drive in a pinch (no manuals).

Does anyone have any experience with a 958.1 Cayenne Turbo? A 2013-14 Cayenne Turbo is getting strong consideration for around $50k. Am I nuts? Pros: V8, quick, practical, luxurious. Cons: Expensive to maintain, old in-car tech. At various times, I've also thought about a '16+ C63S (concerned about size), '16+ CTS-V (over budget), Macan Turbo (small and not V8) or another SRT Jeep (reputation of poor build quality). Any other ideas? 

I'm also considering a dull lifeless TLX for $20k and sidelining the fun car thing for a while.

What say you surly car fanatics?

Wife had a 2012 Cayenne S before getting the Turbo.  THe cons of expensive to maintain is simply not true.  I've owned several Porsche cars and one of the hallmarks is they're actually not expensive to maintain.  I have kept all of mine for long periods of time.  I currently have one that is 14 years old.  The 2012 Cayenne was absolutely bullet proof, reliable, inexpensive to own and operate.  It got up there in miles, and my wife wanted something a bit faster so we upgraded her to the Cayenne Turbo.  So far so good on it as well.  Bottom line is, I don't think it's a purchase you regret.  Good luck!

[pepper brooks 579]

New 911 (992) released today.  the "S"  model comes with 443bHP.  0-60 in 3.3 with sport chrono.  starting at $113k.   They're now all wide body which I like.  Tempting.  I skipped the 991 model because I didn't think the variance was that great, and I still loved my 997S so much.  Still do, but it is starting to feel very old and tired inside (no satellite radio, no blue tooth, really old technology), but at the same time it's not a daily drive anymore so I don't think I can justify swapping it for a new 992 unless I also sold my current daily driver.  Paralysis by analysis