Car Chat

[MX793]

Was there some kind of fire sale on 2011-2013 diesel VWs at auction recently?  Looking at the local used car superstore's inventory for a winter car replacement in the <$10K price range, and 70 of the 80 cars they have in inventory in that price range are diesel Jettas and Golfs circa 2012.

They also have way more VWs than any other brand.  Like 20% of their inventory.  191 VWs for sale compared with less than 70 for any other brand (Chevy is the second highest at 69)

[MX793]

Just went through their entire VW inventory.  156 of 191 are 2.0TDI models.  Must have picked them up for a song at a dealer auction someplace, because I can't believe they were all recently traded in locally.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I mean what are you supposed to do in traffic

Plus no other DCTs have this issue

Powershift is Powershit

(FWIW I had no problems with the Focus rental I had a few years back)

Creeping traffic shouldn't exist. It is immoral.

I also had a rental Powershit Focus, and I really liked it.

[giant_mtb]

I mean what are you supposed to do in traffic

Plus no other DCTs have this issue

Powershift is Powershit

(FWIW I had no problems with the Focus rental I had a few years back)

I drove a Focus with the DCT for the first time a couple months ago when I detailed one.  It was different than a normal automatic, as I could feel the clutch working, but after spending some time with it you just adjust how you input off idle to keep it smooth.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Was there some kind of fire sale on 2011-2013 diesel VWs at auction recently?  Looking at the local used car superstore's inventory for a winter car replacement in the <$10K price range, and 70 of the 80 cars they have in inventory in that price range are diesel Jettas and Golfs circa 2012.

They also have way more VWs than any other brand.  Like 20% of their inventory.  191 VWs for sale compared with less than 70 for any other brand (Chevy is the second highest at 69)

Were those years Dieselgate buy backs that have finally been "fixed"?

[FoMoJo]

I mean what are you supposed to do in traffic

Plus no other DCTs have this issue

Powershift is Powershit

(FWIW I had no problems with the Focus rental I had a few years back)

I agree.  Ford dropped the ball on the Fiesta and Focus versions of Powershift...The PowerShift gearbox is a joint development between Ford, Getrag and Luk and was first introduced in Europe. Both Volvo and Ford use wet clutches and hydraulic actuation.[3][4] However, the new PowerShift gearbox used in the Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus uses dry clutches and electric motor/solenoid actuation.[2]

I drove a rental Fiesta on vacation for one day and had to exchange it because the shifting was so crappy.  The other car they gave me was also a Fiesta, newer model, and it was okay.

[MX793]

Were those years Dieselgate buy backs that have finally been "fixed"?

Those are the years that were recalled to be fixed, so that must be it.  Not sure who they (local auto mall) think will want all of these.  I think the public perception of VW diesels is pretty poor still, and the "fix" reportedly detuned the engines and decreased fuel economy.  Don't think there are enough VW diesel fanboys in the area to justify putting that many diesels into the used car inventory pool.  Unless they picked them up absolutely dirt cheap (like 3-5K a piece).  They've listed all of them somewhere in the in high 9Ks to low teens and most are pretty low mileage.  Must be hoping people will overlook the diesel aspect for a clean, lower mileage car and grabbed them cheaply enough that they can sit on the lot a while, or have some decent negotiating room, whereby they can still make a fat profit if and when they do sell.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Man, if I can get one for a good price, heck yeah. Dieselgate dib't scare me.

[cawimmer430]

This is an interesting feature in the new A-Class.

Depending on how I drive I can naturally save fuel and extend my range. There are three different criteria in the display: acceleration, coasting and consistency. The more consistent driving and coasting I do, the better my gas mileage and the more range I  get. The less acceleration I do per trip, the better my fuel economy.

So on the long trip I did below, my relatively efficient driving style got me 32.1 km of extra range. This extra range will be added to the total range displayed next to the gas pump (the total range will go up).

[r0tor]

Creeping traffic shouldn't exist. It is immoral.

I also had a rental Powershit Focus, and I really liked it.

It's fine until you have to change the clutches every year like our former POS and my in laws POS

[CaminoRacer]

I enjoyed driving my brother's Focus but he's gotten annoyed about having to take it to the dealer for fixes.

[SJ_GTI]

I don't disagree with your overarching point. This sentence piqued my curiosity though...I haven't heard of GM's super cruise. Is this on the Bolt?

So interestingly (coincidentally?) I was listening to Joe Rogan's podcast episode with Lex Fridman and he was talking about this. He did say GM's super cruise is probably the closest thing on the market to Tesla's Autopilot, but he said they have a very different philosophy. It is mainly designed to work on interstate highways whereas Tesla is designed to be used on highways or in traffic. He also mentioned that GM's system monitors driver engagement via a camera instead of just monitoring whether your hands are on the steering wheel.

It was a pretty interesting (and relatively deep) dive into automated driving and AI, among other things.

[shp4man]

I have to take courses on how all this electronic driving aid crap works for my job. Correct operation depends on a shitload of things working correctly. Sometimes I think it's cutting edge and a benefit, other times it just makes me  .
It doesn't always work correctly, but then again, neither do my old school skills driving Ol' Blue. Sometimes the current driving conditions insanity is very taxing with a 1960's vehicle. Sometimes clueless, distracted drivers are a huge pain.
The Focus is a better choice for commuting, for sure.

[Laconian]

Stop and go is murder on fuel economy too. I bet Old Blue would score much better M's PG if she could preserve her inertia a bit better.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Stop and go is murder on fuel economy too. I bet Old Blue would score much better M's PG if she could preserve her inertia a bit better.

GMC seems to get 13 MPG whether it's on the highway, or stuck in traffic. It don't care. Gas is always delicious.

[CaminoRacer]

GMC seems to get 13 MPG whether it's on the highway, or stuck in traffic. It don't care. Gas is always delicious.

My El Camino is the same way.

[12,000 RPM]

Check for leaks

Make sure TPI nozzles are clean

Lower and put flat panel on underbodies.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Check for leaks

Make sure TPI nozzles are clean

Lower and put flat panel on underbodies.

What about a tailpiece?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Maybe this (nsfw @ 93jc's office)

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71E2m350bhL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

[93JC]

Well THAT is an unfortunately image to show up while I'm browsing t3h 'SPIN at work...

[r0tor]

Hmmm... I don't think I want to ponder that

[Eye of the Tiger]

Well THAT is an unfortunately image to show up while I'm browsing t3h 'SPIN at work...

You guys have work? eh, fixed

[r0tor]

I can just think of the glorious advertisements that will be thrown my way if I click on that link 

[Laconian]

Wag wag wag. Are you doing Kegel exercises or are you happy to see me?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Wag wag wag. Are you doing Kegel exercises or are you happy to see me?

Yes.

[cawimmer430]

Hmmmm...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMWmYJOa-BM

[BimmerM3]

Hmmmm...

Pretty much.

It's a slight stretch since the restricted areas on dealerships aren't massive (i.e. there's only one Honda dealership in Boulder, but there are several more around the Denver metro area within an hour's drive) so there's still some competition if you're willing to put forth the effort of driving around your area to pit dealerships against each other. But it's definitely a model that's specifically designed to benefit dealers, not consumers.

[cawimmer430]

Pretty much.

It's a slight stretch since the restricted areas on dealerships aren't massive (i.e. there's only one Honda dealership in Boulder, but there are several more around the Denver metro area within an hour's drive) so there's still some competition if you're willing to put forth the effort of driving around your area to pit dealerships against each other. But it's definitely a model that's specifically designed to benefit dealers, not consumers.

Capitalism, baby.

[AutobahnSHO]

teh manuelz 

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/05/15/toyota-manual-transmission-sales-figures/

[Eye of the Tiger]

teh manuelz 

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/05/15/toyota-manual-transmission-sales-figures/

How the **** do only 33% of 86s sell with a manual? This can't happen.