Old cars vs New cars

[iheartmaytag]

Had a friend several weeks ago was hit in an intersection. Young girl was texting, and ran the red light. My friend is OK, just bruised. Totalled her new Accord with 8,000 miles on it.

These pictures are a co-workers's daughter's car that happened this last Saturday. She ran off the road, over corrected, went through a ditch, took out a fence, was airborne twice one for 55 feet, and once for 150 feet. Somewhere during the flight she rolled six times. God himself had hold if her seatbelt. She messed up her knee, but was able to release her seatbelt while hanging upsidedown, crawl out of the car, and drag,crawl a half mile for help. After all that action,she couldn't find her phone.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

What I'd feared one time my car would like like--I chased after the driver that ran thorough an intersection in my neighborhood right to his house, to see him in the driveway tapping on his (holding it horizontally) phone, which is what he might'a been doing at that time, citing--no, SHOUTING--after he'd rolled the window down: "You almost hit THAT CAR and you almost KILLED ME!" at him, just to get an "I'm sorry...", and me, on my way to work, just trying to be calmly, saying "You better be..."

-- Dave

 

[johnrk]

cell phone driving

It'd be quite simple to be able to block cell phone signals in a car, but Americans wouldn't stand for it. They prefer to whine about it. Or, there could easily be a provision where a cell phone could be used in a car, but the only number available for calling would be '911'.

But again, as with so many other aspects of our lives, we like to complain and point the fingers at others--until we do it ourselves! The ability to rationalize is so universal...

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

OK, the CLUNK those controls made--I remember hearing every knob, switch and lever used to heat, wipe the windshield, wash the windshield, change gears, (& maybe in someone else's car) control the air conditioning, right in the back seat from up front, those controls the driver & front passenger, or passenger-S used sounded so neat...

The sound of something working, made & installed by by SOMEONE working!

-- Dave

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

The REMOTE CONTROL is both the BEST and WORST thing that has happened to cars--I love my remote START & especially the way I can wrap my hand around the driver-side-front door handle & the door unlocks (then there's that button that locks it) but what I mean by worst, is I have too use that tactile entry & push-button exterior door handle lock, because I believe the battery (after JUST TWO YEARS?!) I think is worn out...

-- Dave

 

[vacerator]

'remote start"

Some are better than others. Aftermarket electronics can be finicky. GM doesn't recommend them. Of course the trademark GM check engine light after 60,000 miles or so renders it inoperable also.
My neighbor got an aftermarket one from Mickey Shore for her leased Jeep which is a year old and already not working.
We keep our cars garaged so never use it.
Last year, that Russo guy in Roseville was warming up his older 1993 car in his drive and the police ticketed him. He fought it and lost. It was below zero out. The officer wrote the ticket because a child could have entered the unlocked car and injured their self and others. A kid outside below zero wandering around?

 

[petek]

The hubbys Forester remote start locks the car.. to activate it you press and hold the lock button and when you do open the car to get in, it shuts off.. . I guess so if someone did get in  they couldn't drive off. 

 

[sudsmaster]

I've read the best deal in cars is to look for a leased one that has just come off lease. Some leasees like to lease cars and then change them out every year or two. Barring that, most new cars lose a significant amount of value as soon as you drive it off the new car log. Buy one that is a year or more old, and passes inspection, and you've saved yourself the headaches of most initial quality problems, and you've probably saved $thousands.

Or so I've read. Never tried it myself, except for a '97 Dodge Neon I bought off a car rental thingie when it was about a year old. I probably wouldn't buy a used entry level car again. They may be built to a price point, as the Neon was, and aside from some Asian numbers, they have cheaper components and are more or less guaranteed to self-destruct before a higher level car might. Just sayin'.

 

[askolover]

We usually buy lease returns.  Still under factory warranty, some certified pre-owned with longer warranties.  Save a fortune that way.

 

[vacerator]

Absolutely the wisest

"buying" decision is a low mileage off lease, or a certified one owner vehicle.
Dealers buy them usually at auction. The public is not allowed.
Occasionally, a repossessed vehicle may be sold by the lender.
The first driver eats the large chunk of depreciation. Dealers do not.
Hubby decided now that we are getting older, to lease again. Not needing a second car as I am retired, and he works from home, so mileage isn't an issue for now. A used car eventually needs to go in for repairs. That necessitates a second car also.
There are things that grate on my nerves with newer vehicles, like tire pressure sensors that misread when the car sits in the sun, replacing a cooling pump at the 5 or 6 year age mark, etc. Tires are also expensive today.
Just looking for the best deal out there.
Also being wise with our money lately, hoping the economy holds well.
We both got shafted big time after the 2004 tax cuts. Where were all those jobs that tax cuts promise? Lesson learned. We're too old to recover after another debocle like last decade.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

And of course w/ the remote start is where to put the key (or fob) as I'm not used to driving w/ it in my pocket...

Still wish for an ignition (lighted, as I have a Chrysler that used to pride itself on helping you find it in the dark, but tries passing for with some writing around the knob & the some lighted lettering on the knob) that can just serve as a place to put my keys in!

(I lay them flat on my console, anchored in s cupholder, secured w/ a glasses case...)

-- Dave

 

[ovrphil]

Older cars are preferred ; some of the excesses in interior gadgetry and gaping mouth grille styling is...not for me. I'd love to have a nice looking electric vehicle, but the T's are over our budget for now. So fourteen years ago, in September, we decided to give Hertz a try and bought one of their fleet vehicles - a 2003 Toyota Avalon XLS, which I wasn't crazy about in style and color(silver) was bought from Hertz, as they replace their fleet at different times. It still had a warranty, but still cost about $25K. It"s still going smooth and strong at 245,500 miles with 21 city/27 freeway, depending on the outdoor air temperatures and tires. Right now, the Continental Conti-Contac Pros are still ok, but about 30K miles on them and ready for a change soon. When I took it in under warranty, they said, "this car will easily go 300,000 miles, it's not even broken in at 25,000 miles. So far, they have been right. I keep it washed and waxed, though it has battle scars.

We need to buy 2 "newer" used vehicles, probably next year early. We did leases, a big mistake actually, and bought new, but didn't hold on to them as long as this Toyota. It sure has been nice not having a car payment.

 

[petek]

I like the keyless entry, pushbutton start. I rarely have to take the fob out of my pocket. Just grab the door handle , get in, push the button and away I go.   At night time as you approach the car from about 8 feet away the interior lights automatically come on. It would be odd going back . 

 

[johnrk]

I'm A Car Nut

and have been my whole life. I count it as a blessing that I grew up in a time when gas was twenty cents a gallon and I could work on all my cars.

However, as I have to spend part of my time in a wheelchair and spending hours driving isn't the enjoyment it was, I sure wish we had trains like our Euro and Asian friends have. There are other parts of the country that I doubt I'll ever visit again simply because of the physical demands. I flew my fanny off on business for so many years that it's certainly no pleasure, and won't bother me if I never get wedged in another undersized seat.

But if we had trains with compartments, I could easily travel, being able to lie down when I needed to (which is, unfortunately often due to the ruined spine) or walk around when I need to.

Those who know such things say that we'll never have that quality of train in this country because the distances simply make it uneconomical. My fellow Texans on here know how long the idea has been kicking around to have a super-train between just Houston and Dallas. But, with SW flying Hobby to Love every half hour, who's gonna take it?

I'd love to have my second car back: a 1959 BMW Isetta. It's amazing what they sell for restored these days.

 

[sudsmaster]

A friend of mine in high school had an Isetta. I remember seeing her get out of it - once. She used to say how embarrassed she was to drive it, that her father got it for her. Now she says she wished she still had it.

They had their own class one year at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[vacerator]

I've seen only one

Isetta on the road ever. Remember the Renault Le car? Anyone ever own one?
After having a Gremlin, I steered clear of anything affiliated with AMC.
A friend had a Renault Fuego turbo. The Alliance and Encore was the final try to save AMC. The Eagle Premier lived on as the Dodge Monaco for a year or two after Chrysler acquired the Jeep Eagle brands. Now Renault is Nissan. Say what you want about French cars, I liked the Vel Satis styling. I think the Citroen DS was one of the best cars ever period.
Not many others had a hydro pneumatic suspension in 1956.
The last global recession ended many of Europe's larger platform cars. The Opel Omega, which the last Greek letter anyway.

 

[foraloysius]

Renault Le Car

Or Renault 5 as they were labelled here. Friends and acquaintances had them. They already rusted in the brochure as we say...

 

[sudsmaster]

Besides the one in high school, I occasionally see Isettas at car meets and such. But they are rare. Probably fatal in a head-on, so I'm not surprised the owners don't drive them regularly. Even more rare are the Messerschmidt bubble cars - I've never seen one of those, not even in a museum.

I remember the Le Car well. There seemed to be a lot of them when they were new, at least in Berkeley. Older Renaults and Peugeots seemed to be more common there than elsewhere. Usually belching blue smoke and struggling to go up slight inclines... The Citroen DS was a very nice car, and revolutionary for its time. A friend of mine had one; he said the main problem was that most shops didn't know how to work on the suspension and its related plumbing.

 

[diesirae7]

New cars for me are 1980s. I have 13 cars, ranging from 1949 to 2008. For me its more about what type of event I am driving to, and what would most better suit the event.

I call my 1976 Cadillac Eldorado my "new" car because it only had 1,500 original miles when I bought it last year, now its up to 3030 miles, time for the first oil change? LOL

My 1955 Chevy was my first car I bought when I was 14 years old, and still love to drive it.

 

[johnrk]

Cool Cars!

That's a beautiful sedan. Can you share a little more about it, i.e. what engine, what transmission, which type of heater, radio, etc. I think, back then, that I'd probably have gone for a sedan, whether 2- or 4-door, because I like a solid body. Renner and the others were such masters at GM. These Chevy bodies were always so much better looking than their contemporary cousins over at Pontiac. I particularly hated those stupid 'eyebrows' over the headlights on the Pontiac, not to mention the stupid Silver Streak suspenders.

I was in college when that '76 Eldorado was made. One of the radiologists for whom I worked had a powder blue one with that same color interior, but it was a coupe. I drove it on occasion in Houston when he needed errands run and didn't have time. I loved it, just loved it. Like driving a living room around. I never noticed the flat floor. The seats were just amazing. I owned an Olds 98 convertible at the time so big cars didn't bother me. But the hood was just something else. You'd feel invincible because it was so many feet before anyone could get to you! Unlike the Mark IV at that time, this car pushed the interior room to the max width with the windows flush with the outside. I'm not short but the door armrest was too far from me to comfortably use. And it was dead quiet. If you haven't seen it, check out Doug DeMuro's video on YouTube where he drives the '77. But of course, he's only about thirty and wasn't around when these were common on the road. I envy you 'cause I'd love to own and drive one of these again...