My DD is a 2003 Buick Park Avenue Ultra in silver. Has 148 K on it and is now going to need a bit of care! Power steering pump and drive belts and a front end alignment. I drive no more than 250 miles a month, which is a tank of gas! Boring I know. But it took me from Seattle to North Carolina comfortably and with a little style!
What is Your Daily Driver? (Automobile)
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hi Louis
Your Smart looks very....Smart. Great colours, I like brightly coloured cars.
My last 4 cars have been white station wagons, when I was getting my last car I was determined to get something more colourful, but they gave me a special deal on the car they had in stock with exactly the options I wanted, so I came home with another white wagon - a Golf.
Your Smart looks very....Smart. Great colours, I like brightly coloured cars.
My last 4 cars have been white station wagons, when I was getting my last car I was determined to get something more colourful, but they gave me a special deal on the car they had in stock with exactly the options I wanted, so I came home with another white wagon - a Golf.
Thanks Chris, nothing better for visibility than a car in a bright colour! The car before this one was a white Volkswagen Polo. I had it only for a few years, had many problems with it. So back to Smart it was.
I can't justify buying a new car right now, I drive even less than in the beginning and I don't have any problems at all with my Smart. Maintenance is very cheap, due to a maintenance contract. But I'm tempted lately by the new Peugeot 208 in yellow!
I can't justify buying a new car right now, I drive even less than in the beginning and I don't have any problems at all with my Smart. Maintenance is very cheap, due to a maintenance contract. But I'm tempted lately by the new Peugeot 208 in yellow!
abcomatic
Well-known member
My daily driver is a 2007 Lincoln Town Car.
statomatic
Well-known member
Here's my 99 Golf (not R32, it's a 1.6 ^^)
Also restoring a 1987 Peugeot 309 which has almost half mileage than the VW.
Also restoring a 1987 Peugeot 309 which has almost half mileage than the VW.
volvoman
Well-known member
Having the username of “Volvoman”, I drive - you guessed it - a Volvo! It’s a 2008 XC70, with close to 200K miles on it. It feels just as solid as the day I purchased it. I also have a 2017 Volkswagen Passat, and a 2014 Kia Forte; purchased both when they were a year old. The Vee-Dub is my “mature, looks good in an office parking lot” car. The Kia is a two-door, and makes me feel youthful - even if it’s a loathsome little car (way too many issues). Mrs. Volvoman‘s daily driver is a Nissan Versa, and alternates that with the Kia.
I’m definitely a Benz person
2011 e350 4matic wagon
2010 e63 amg
And my trusty 93 300te wagon.
2011 e350 4matic wagon
2010 e63 amg
And my trusty 93 300te wagon.
warmsecondrinse
Well-known member
Smart Car!!! I put down my $99 deposit the second day they started accepting them in the US. Unfortunately, My '96 Olds 88 decided to shift into neutral'.... and stay there; repair was over twice the value of the car. Next was an '03 Hyundai Elantra. Can't complain. 100K miles in 5 years. Extensive repairs at 135K miles brought me to my Nissan Cube. Perfect for the city; overall length is just 156". Back seat folds down to hold a full size TL. Seats move around to accommodate four 6'+ guys in complete comfort. The 65" height helps, of course. 30mpg on the highway while cruising at 85mph.
I'm on my second. The first one was rear-ended and totalled two weeks after paying it off a year early. Now on my second, bought with the assistance of NewVista58 playing the silent watch dog who occasionally opened his mouth to baffle the salesman with his technological brilliance.
So far I've averaged 2,000 miles per year..... I'll probably have this one for a good while yet...
I'm on my second. The first one was rear-ended and totalled two weeks after paying it off a year early. Now on my second, bought with the assistance of NewVista58 playing the silent watch dog who occasionally opened his mouth to baffle the salesman with his technological brilliance.
So far I've averaged 2,000 miles per year..... I'll probably have this one for a good while yet...
My daily is still my 2001 VW New Beetle TDI that I bought new....19 years and counting, just rolled 285k miles and due for an oil change. The most reliable car I've ever owned (and I've owned several) and still gets 50mpg if I keep my foot out of it. I can't seem to locate a pic at the moment.
Our other car is a Volvo S80...which replaced the AWD Cadillac XTS that Tony totaled...which replaced the Lincoln MKS AWD in my profile pic that I loved so much but was hit and run on the interstate and totaled. This Volvo is only the 2nd car we've had that can drive all the way 500 miles down to NOLA without stopping for fuel and still have gas when we arrive. My bug was the first.
One of my favorite cars we've owned was the MB S500. That car practically drove itself.
I just sold my 2001 GMC Jimmy 4x4 last Monday after Tony rolled it over onto its side a mile and a half from home! I wish he'd just stop driving (if that's what you call it)! Anyway, a new fender and two doors and that Jimmy will be just fine. It still drives and wasn't worth much to begin with, but now I need to find another AWD/4WD to use in bad weather since the VW and Volvo are both just FWD. Believe me, there is a difference when mother nature decides to show out. That 4x4 never failed to get me to work in snow or ice. I plan to buy myself a new Buick Encore AWD next year (that's the goal anyway) but am keeping the bug until it dies.
Our other car is a Volvo S80...which replaced the AWD Cadillac XTS that Tony totaled...which replaced the Lincoln MKS AWD in my profile pic that I loved so much but was hit and run on the interstate and totaled. This Volvo is only the 2nd car we've had that can drive all the way 500 miles down to NOLA without stopping for fuel and still have gas when we arrive. My bug was the first.
One of my favorite cars we've owned was the MB S500. That car practically drove itself.
I just sold my 2001 GMC Jimmy 4x4 last Monday after Tony rolled it over onto its side a mile and a half from home! I wish he'd just stop driving (if that's what you call it)! Anyway, a new fender and two doors and that Jimmy will be just fine. It still drives and wasn't worth much to begin with, but now I need to find another AWD/4WD to use in bad weather since the VW and Volvo are both just FWD. Believe me, there is a difference when mother nature decides to show out. That 4x4 never failed to get me to work in snow or ice. I plan to buy myself a new Buick Encore AWD next year (that's the goal anyway) but am keeping the bug until it dies.
Another 'Benz guy.........
<span style="font-family: helvetica;">My daily driver. 2019 C300. I haven't driven much since the lockdown started. Hubby is essential so he switches off between the cars so they both get driven.</span>
<span style="font-family: helvetica;">My daily driver. 2019 C300. I haven't driven much since the lockdown started. Hubby is essential so he switches off between the cars so they both get driven.</span>
vacerator
Well-known member
Eugene,
do you ever buy any difficult to find vintage Mercedes parts from Kash auto parts in Cleveland? I know a relative of theirs.
do you ever buy any difficult to find vintage Mercedes parts from Kash auto parts in Cleveland? I know a relative of theirs.
My only vehicle is a 2011 Toyota Rav4. lawrence
warmsecondrinse
Well-known member
My second Cube from a few posts back. Pics taken at a stop on the way home from buying it.
More BOL than the first one, but perfectly fine. One weird thing: This one is noisier at 65mph than my first Cube yet quieter at 85. Go figure.
Photo credit: NewVista58
[this post was last edited: 9/1/2020-19:41]
More BOL than the first one, but perfectly fine. One weird thing: This one is noisier at 65mph than my first Cube yet quieter at 85. Go figure.
Photo credit: NewVista58
[this post was last edited: 9/1/2020-19:41]
Car Collection
Some members here collect appliances.
I collect cars (but I'm not trying to do so - it just happened!).
2003 VW Passat GLX wagon with 5 speed manual - purchased new (factory ordered) August 2002. 105k miles.
2011 Nissan Leaf SL ordered online April 2010 and delivered May 2011. 36k miles.
2018 Buick Regal TourX wagon purchased new March 2019. 5k miles.
I thought I would sell the VW wagon after getting the new Buick but then I started having "separation anxiety".
The VW is in "like new" shape - no dents, no peeling paint, interior clean and free of rips or stains.
It even has some features my fully loaded Buick doesn't have.
I figure wagons are a vanishing breed so I will keep the 2 wagons and sell the Leaf at some point.
The Leaf's battery pack is down 5 "bars" and can only drive about 40 miles tops before it needs charging.
Because I'd get very little money for it, I continue to use it for short trips to the store etc.
One man. 3 cars. CRAZY!!
Some members here collect appliances.
I collect cars (but I'm not trying to do so - it just happened!).
2003 VW Passat GLX wagon with 5 speed manual - purchased new (factory ordered) August 2002. 105k miles.
2011 Nissan Leaf SL ordered online April 2010 and delivered May 2011. 36k miles.
2018 Buick Regal TourX wagon purchased new March 2019. 5k miles.
I thought I would sell the VW wagon after getting the new Buick but then I started having "separation anxiety".
The VW is in "like new" shape - no dents, no peeling paint, interior clean and free of rips or stains.
It even has some features my fully loaded Buick doesn't have.
I figure wagons are a vanishing breed so I will keep the 2 wagons and sell the Leaf at some point.
The Leaf's battery pack is down 5 "bars" and can only drive about 40 miles tops before it needs charging.
Because I'd get very little money for it, I continue to use it for short trips to the store etc.
One man. 3 cars. CRAZY!!
gusherb
Well-known member
Still drive a 2013 Nissan Altima. I like how comfortable the seats are and how smoothly it drives for a modern car. Have 69k on it now (didn't drive much the first 5 years with it) and then since lockdown have been driving all over just to pass time, it's a good highway cruiser.
Drove a 2020 Altima the other week and they managed to ruin the two things I liked about it - the seats are less comfortable and the ride quality is harsher. They did a good job making the noisy engine quieter but now the CVT thinks it's a traditional automatic and "shifts" (complete with shift shock and all).
Whenever I do replace this I want to get a full size truck of some kind. I always wanted an F150 for years but with the way Ford has been lately I wouldn't consider anything new from them. In fact I would run away like ones life depended on it... So that leaves Ram or a Silverado/Sierra or something used.
Drove a 2020 Altima the other week and they managed to ruin the two things I liked about it - the seats are less comfortable and the ride quality is harsher. They did a good job making the noisy engine quieter but now the CVT thinks it's a traditional automatic and "shifts" (complete with shift shock and all).
Whenever I do replace this I want to get a full size truck of some kind. I always wanted an F150 for years but with the way Ford has been lately I wouldn't consider anything new from them. In fact I would run away like ones life depended on it... So that leaves Ram or a Silverado/Sierra or something used.
@vacerator
My wagon is a 93 so parts are mostly plentiful. That car sadly has been demoted to “lawn mower hauler/winter beater” status so when things break now I just super glue or duct tape as needed.
Plus I barely put a thousand miles a year on it. I spend more on fuel stabilizer than parts
My wagon is a 93 so parts are mostly plentiful. That car sadly has been demoted to “lawn mower hauler/winter beater” status so when things break now I just super glue or duct tape as needed.
Plus I barely put a thousand miles a year on it. I spend more on fuel stabilizer than parts
warmsecondrinse
Well-known member
#43
At only 36K miles might the batteries be covered under some kind of warranty? IIRC, Nissan also has/had some kind program for batteries that 'got got old before their time'. You still had to purchase them but there is/was a huge discount.
#44
My 2nd Cube developed a similar problem. It concocted its own "2nd gear" and insisted on starting off in that. It turned out to be a software issue.
At only 36K miles might the batteries be covered under some kind of warranty? IIRC, Nissan also has/had some kind program for batteries that 'got got old before their time'. You still had to purchase them but there is/was a huge discount.
#44
My 2nd Cube developed a similar problem. It concocted its own "2nd gear" and insisted on starting off in that. It turned out to be a software issue.
No CVT for me...EVER! Almost got burned on an Audi CVT once and several friends have had Nissan problems. If I have to choose between a CVT automatic and a stick, I'll stick to the stick! I've been shifting since I was 16 anyway so who cares? Even in Nashville drive time on a Friday afternoon traffic.
2019 Regal TourX. Choicest product of Russelsheim's art. Bought last October...just turned 6k miles. Still have the 2009 Saab 9-3 wagon...haven't driven it in months and months...need to air up the tires and jump the battery, no doubt. I actually think I prefer the Saab--it is more upright/narrower.
I was at GM when the TourX was conceived and brought out---unfortunately some of it's Europeanism, while charming in it's own way, when GM sold off Opel/Vauxhall to Peugeot became annoying in a couple ways.
The implementation of OnStar was altered to accommodate EU preferences starting in 2018, but with the sell-off of O/V, OnStar Europe became an island (and is being shut down in December), yet we in the US are still stuck with those features/lack of features.
The pedestrian-friendly hood-pop if you're in a slow speed accident (the hinges move up about 2-3 inches) are slightly more useful, but still isn't a familiar capability here.
The 3 model-year life of the model is going to make getting replacement parts a little chancy (there isn't quite the same installed base as with the Saab, which still has most non-electrical parts easily available--harnesses can be a bit troublesome).
I was at GM when the TourX was conceived and brought out---unfortunately some of it's Europeanism, while charming in it's own way, when GM sold off Opel/Vauxhall to Peugeot became annoying in a couple ways.
The implementation of OnStar was altered to accommodate EU preferences starting in 2018, but with the sell-off of O/V, OnStar Europe became an island (and is being shut down in December), yet we in the US are still stuck with those features/lack of features.
The pedestrian-friendly hood-pop if you're in a slow speed accident (the hinges move up about 2-3 inches) are slightly more useful, but still isn't a familiar capability here.
The 3 model-year life of the model is going to make getting replacement parts a little chancy (there isn't quite the same installed base as with the Saab, which still has most non-electrical parts easily available--harnesses can be a bit troublesome).
2009 Audi Cabriolet
<span style="font-family: helvetica;">Years ago I had a 2009 Audi Cabriolet with the CVT transmission. Literally, at 50,001 (I'm so serious) the transmission developed some kind of issue and needed to be replaced. Since the car was just over the warranty limit I consulted the salesman. I had bought a number of cars from him over the years so we had a good relationship. He told me confidentially to call Audi and ask to file an out of warranty claim. I had never heard of such a thing. Have any of you?</span>
<span style="font-family: helvetica;">They took all the information and a couple of days later they got back to me. They said because I had kept the car up on all it scheduled maintenance and had everything performed by the dealer they would honor the claim. They said they would pay for parts if I paid for the labor. So it cost me I think about $800 for the labor on a close to $8K job. That seemed fair to me. Traded it in with about 75K miles but didn't have any more issues with the transmission. As a matter of fact other than normal wear items that's the only money I ever put in the car. </span>
<span style="font-family: helvetica;">Years ago I had a 2009 Audi Cabriolet with the CVT transmission. Literally, at 50,001 (I'm so serious) the transmission developed some kind of issue and needed to be replaced. Since the car was just over the warranty limit I consulted the salesman. I had bought a number of cars from him over the years so we had a good relationship. He told me confidentially to call Audi and ask to file an out of warranty claim. I had never heard of such a thing. Have any of you?</span>
<span style="font-family: helvetica;">They took all the information and a couple of days later they got back to me. They said because I had kept the car up on all it scheduled maintenance and had everything performed by the dealer they would honor the claim. They said they would pay for parts if I paid for the labor. So it cost me I think about $800 for the labor on a close to $8K job. That seemed fair to me. Traded it in with about 75K miles but didn't have any more issues with the transmission. As a matter of fact other than normal wear items that's the only money I ever put in the car. </span>
Leaf Battery
Jim - regarding the Leaf battery.
The capacity of the battery decreases with time and use just like any other rechargeable battery.
When purchasing the car, one has to sign a multi-page disclosure agreement regarding battery life.
I was fully aware that the battery capacity would decrease with age when purchasing the car.
My hope was that by the time the car needed a new battery, there would be bigger and better ones available.
Such is not the case.
Nissan only replaces the battery with a like one to the tune of $8500.
There is a third party battery company promising something better but so far, no production.
Nissans big failure with this car was not having active temperature control for the battery.
Those in very hot climates DID get a replacement on Nissan but I don't live in that climate.
If I could afford one, I'd have a Tesla but even when used, they are very pricey.
Jim - regarding the Leaf battery.
The capacity of the battery decreases with time and use just like any other rechargeable battery.
When purchasing the car, one has to sign a multi-page disclosure agreement regarding battery life.
I was fully aware that the battery capacity would decrease with age when purchasing the car.
My hope was that by the time the car needed a new battery, there would be bigger and better ones available.
Such is not the case.
Nissan only replaces the battery with a like one to the tune of $8500.
There is a third party battery company promising something better but so far, no production.
Nissans big failure with this car was not having active temperature control for the battery.
Those in very hot climates DID get a replacement on Nissan but I don't live in that climate.
If I could afford one, I'd have a Tesla but even when used, they are very pricey.
justjunque
Well-known member
It's funny how "daily driver" has become a thing of the past for me.
I'm now unemployed, (unofficial retirement?) and the wife works from home.
Our two aging vehicles are a 2002 Ford Explorer that we bought in '05. One of the best vehicles either of us has ever owned.
And a 2001 VW Passat that was a hand-me-down from her parents a few years back.
I never thought I'd like it, but it really grew on me. It has decent get up and go for a four cylinder, handles quite nicely, and has like zero wind noise at highway speeds. Even at well over legal highway speeds. (So I'm told)
They're both starting to really show their age cosmetically, but they're hanging on.
We both have "toys" sitting in the garage, but they don't get driven any more. If we had the sense we were born with, we'd actually sell both of those. But, we've owned them since the 1980s, so there's some sentimental attachment issues.
Barry
I'm now unemployed, (unofficial retirement?) and the wife works from home.
Our two aging vehicles are a 2002 Ford Explorer that we bought in '05. One of the best vehicles either of us has ever owned.
And a 2001 VW Passat that was a hand-me-down from her parents a few years back.
I never thought I'd like it, but it really grew on me. It has decent get up and go for a four cylinder, handles quite nicely, and has like zero wind noise at highway speeds. Even at well over legal highway speeds. (So I'm told)
They're both starting to really show their age cosmetically, but they're hanging on.
We both have "toys" sitting in the garage, but they don't get driven any more. If we had the sense we were born with, we'd actually sell both of those. But, we've owned them since the 1980s, so there's some sentimental attachment issues.
Barry
warmsecondrinse
Well-known member
#50
Sorry to hear that. That's a serious bummer. And $8500? That's crazy! $3500 would be a bit more reasonable IMO, especially because the $8500 price tag might well scare off potential buyers.....
Sorry to hear that. That's a serious bummer. And $8500? That's crazy! $3500 would be a bit more reasonable IMO, especially because the $8500 price tag might well scare off potential buyers.....
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