Car Chat

[AutobahnSHO]

OH!  I rode in a 2000 4Runner this week. Sergeant Major bought it new, he has driven it to Panama and back, Alaska, it was shipped to Hawaii and back when he lived there. Great condition- no dings or crashes. Drives nice at 270k miles but he said the transmission feels like it's starting to slip some.

Can definitely tell it's not a car- felt bouncy over even little humps, max speed at 40mph.

He doesn't want to trade up- he doesn't like the newer body styles and says the new 4Runners are too big.

[Raza]

The current one

It looks tall and long.  I bet it's 10-12" longer than my car (current model is 6" longer).

[12,000 RPM]

Had to drive the Civic today. So slow For the money at the time there wasn't much else. Maybe I should have rolled the dice on that old GTI

[giant_mtb]

Why is it that any 5+ year old Chrysler product just feels like a cheap POS.

[MX793]

Why is it that any 5+ year old Chrysler product just feels like a cheap POS.

Because that's what they are?

[2o6]

Yeah, that Journey I had felt like trash.

[Raza]

Chrysler is trash. Has been for decades now.

I'm currently parked next to a red newer body WRX with the big wing and aftermarket (RF? I think I saw on the center caps) wheels. Damn it looks hot in red. It's such a good shade of red too.

[68_427]

Every generation of WRX looks great in red IMO

[Raza]

Every generation of WRX looks great in red IMO

I believe that's true. The hawkeyes and blobeyes were the first ones where I was like "Damn, red works."

In other news, I really dislike driving FRCs with automatics. I don't know how people do it everyday.

[Laconian]

Had to drive the Civic today. So slow For the money at the time there wasn't much else. Maybe I should have rolled the dice on that old GTI

[giant_mtb]

Because that's what they are?

Fair enough.

[giant_mtb]

Yeah, that Journey I had felt like trash.

Just buffed out a black Journey the other day.  It was alright, but it is well taken care of and only had like 31k miles on it, so it hasn't had a chance to feel like shit yet.

[Raza]

I love driving my car so much. There's nothing like a manual open top sports car. Even the simplest or most mundane drives turn into awesome experiences. Yesterday in the S4 felt like torture.

Maybe I should scrap this SUV idea and just get an A4 wagon in manual and teach my brother to drive manual. Mod the car so it doesn't drive too floaty.

Is there any way to up the pedal resistance? The S4's is light (though not breathe on it and you accelerate light like some cars), so I imagine the A4's would be too.

EDIT: There are none on AutoTrader. Do they even exist? Maybe an S4 Avant. Nope, that's not going to work. Newest and lowest miles is 10 years old and 95K.

[MX793]

I'm sure you could install a stiffer return spring.  Can't say I've ever encountered a throttle pedal that I thought was too light, save for on a piece of farm equipment that I suspect had a broken return spring.

[Raza]

I'm sure you could install a stiffer return spring.  Can't say I've ever encountered a throttle pedal that I thought was too light, save for on a piece of farm equipment that I suspect had a broken return spring.

The Z4's pedal, for instance, has enough resistance that I can rest my foot on it without raising the engine a single rev. That's what I like. Constantly having to pull your foot back from the pedal when cruising in traffic that isn't light enough to use cruise control is a pain. The S4 isn't the worst; I once drove a Buick Enclave for so long, the muscles in my right leg were starting to burn because how I had to hold my foot. Maybe I just sit weird? I don't know. In general, I've found that German cars have very stiff pedals (save for the S4) and most Japanese cars I've driven have very light pedals.

[MX793]

Do you rest your heel on the floor and tip your foot/toe onto their pedal or do you hold your whole foot on the pedal?

[Raza]

Do you rest your heel on the floor and tip your foot/toe onto their pedal or do you hold your whole foot on the pedal?

Heel on the floor and the ball of my foot and toes on the pedal. From the side. When my foot is straight up, it faces the brake pedal straight on. I usually pivot between the two pedals.

[giant_mtb]

Why is it that any 5+ year old Chrysler product just feels like a cheap POS.

On the other hand, I'm detailing/driving a Cherokee Trailhawk today and I rather like it.  These things are like the new generation of Trackers.  Tiny little things with 4WD and short overhangs.

[CaminoRacer]

The Z4's pedal, for instance, has enough resistance that I can rest my foot on it without raising the engine a single rev. That's what I like. Constantly having to pull your foot back from the pedal when cruising in traffic that isn't light enough to use cruise control is a pain. The S4 isn't the worst; I once drove a Buick Enclave for so long, the muscles in my right leg were starting to burn because how I had to hold my foot. Maybe I just sit weird? I don't know. In general, I've found that German cars have very stiff pedals (save for the S4) and most Japanese cars I've driven have very light pedals.

+1

My E46 was like that and so is the El Camino.

[FoMoJo]

+1

My E46 was like that and so is the El Camino.

Maybe a little lube would help.

[CaminoRacer]

Maybe a little lube would help.

Help? I like it stiffer!

[CaminoRacer]

 

[Raza]

Just when I think I don't want an SUV anymore, I see an F-Pace. Damn girl.

[FoMoJo]

Just when I think I don't want an SUV anymore, I see an F-Pace. Damn girl.

Seen a few of them on the road up here.  Maybe after the lease on the Discovery is up.

[12,000 RPM]

Just when I think I don't want an SUV anymore, I see an F-Pace. Damn girl.

So we have transitioned from SUVs being a practical choice to full on objects of lust

Looking forward to the MKX's replacement. F-Pace, Stelvio, GLC 43, hell even the current MKX 2.7TT are all worthy.

[Raza]

So we have transitioned from SUVs being a practical choice to full on objects of lust

Looking forward to the MKX's replacement. F-Pace, Stelvio, GLC 43, hell even the current MKX 2.7TT are all worthy.

SUVs are pretty much the only cars that come out looking consistently good these days. For every Giulia, there are ten ugly as sin sedans and three good looking SUVs. There are also hideous SUVs, too, don't get me wrong. I've always loved Land Rovers, too.

[Galaxy]

Porsche has responded to the 911 GT3 engine defect. Apparently the defects are due to contamination in the metallurgy of the cam regulation. If it breaks a $100.000 new engine is the result. Apparently it is impossible to determine which engines have the defective parts, so Porsche has issued a 10 year 120,000 mile warranty on the engine. Those effected should all break in that time frame. A somewhat crude, but effective solution. Those planning a road trip from sea to shinning sea might be a bit uncomfortable.

[MX793]

SUVs are pretty much the only cars that come out looking consistently good these days. For every Giulia, there are ten ugly as sin sedans and three good looking SUVs. There are also hideous SUVs, too, don't get me wrong. I've always loved Land Rovers, too.

Cars are all ugly because most of them are based on platforms that are also intended to underpin CUVs.  So you get stuck with tall beltlines and high cowls which lead to awkward proportions in a vehicle that isn't intended to be taller.

[AutobahnSHO]

Porsche has responded to the 911 GT3 engine defect. Apparently the defects are due to contamination in the metallurgy of the cam regulation. If it breaks a $100.000 new engine is the result. Apparently it is impossible to determine which engines have the defective parts, so Porsche has issued a 10 year 120,000 mile warranty on the engine. Those effected should all break in that time frame. A somewhat crude, but effective solution. Those planning a road trip from sea to shinning sea might be a bit uncomfortable.

Eh, they could rent a car to finish the trip. Good to know, I'd go thrash (reasonably) on mine if I had one.

[12,000 RPM]

SUVs are pretty much the only cars that come out looking consistently good these days. For every Giulia, there are ten ugly as sin sedans and three good looking SUVs. There are also hideous SUVs, too, don't get me wrong. I've always loved Land Rovers, too.

There is fling to be a lot of good stuff to replace the MKX (GLC43, F Pace, Macan, SQ5, maybe even the X4).... sadly none of the sedan equivalents are good enough to replace the G. Yukon are right