What kind of car do you drive?

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

One of my biggest pet peeves is the trouble I have seeing around SUVs on the road... I generally try to avoid driving behind them at all, so I can see the road ahead of me. (I especially hate pulling up to a right turn on red or stop sign corner, only to not be able to see oncoming traffic because of an SUV that's pulled too far out into the crosswalk and blocking the view!)

Not yours only...

But I do like when people underestimate my car. It's not a big one and people (at least those in those heavy expensive cars) tend to think that small = slow. Untill I overtake them, 99% of the time, I'll be overtaken 3 minutes later by that car I just overtook

[Cabe]

Audi 80 Estate (station wagon?) from the beginning of time. Its beaten and overheats in traffic but its MINE!

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by krisk

in all seriousness I abandoned a 99 Suburban last fall after the transmission went out for the THIRD time! I was in a hurry and bought a '98 Windstar. it's ok and gets me around but I wasn't paying attention to the fact that the back windows do not open. that's pretty much a must when I have the dog with me in this weather so she does not get to ride around as much as she used to. back at home I have been restoring a 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser that had sat in a pasture for almost 10 years. it's up and running, licensed even. I did ski season with it, but didn't think it would make the drive here. it still needs work and is horrid in heavy traffic. I'm thinkink of picking up a 450cc something for the commute.

I hate automatics and really enjoy driving a manual transmission. my Suburban was my first automatic.

My daughter, Shannon, who just finished college and started her first full-time job is looking to buy her first car (one where she does all the buying and paying for ). I told her my first car that I bought on my own was a 1983 Toyota Celica (remember the one with the tail lights that looked like cats' eyes) and that it was a stick shift. I loved that car and loved driving a stick. She asked me why and I told her I liked having more control over the car. Her answer was, "Yeah, I can see that. It fits your personality." Sometimes kids say the darndest things!

[Angst]

When I first moved to Los Angeles, I was driving a '79 Custom Cruiser station wagon I had bought from my brother for $1. Needless to say, the car was not in great shape; it left a trail of smoke all the way from Canada to LA.

I remember sitting at a red light in Pasadena as an old lady walked across the street. She took one look at my car, wrinkled her nose and raised it about three inches before continuing across the intersection. I guess in a land where people are judged by the car they drive I ranked somewhere below pedestrian!

[krisk]

Originally Posted by kazbates

My daughter, Shannon, who just finished college and started her first full-time job is looking to buy her first car (one where she does all the buying and paying for ). I told her my first car that I bought on my own was a 1983 Toyota Celica (remember the one with the tail lights that looked like cats' eyes) and that it was a stick shift. I loved that car and loved driving a stick. She asked me why and I told her I liked having more control over the car. Her answer was, "Yeah, I can see that. It fits your personality." Sometimes kids say the darndest things!

you truly do have more control with a manual! I had a Ford Aerostar van back when my daughter and I started at the mountain where I have taught for the last 11 years. it was a 5 speed, and I chickled all the way up the hill as I passed all the people with their fancy automatic SUVs. one of the things I hated about the Suburban was that it was an automatic. I wouldn't let either of my kids get licenses until they were proficient on a manual

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Angst

When I first moved to Los Angeles, I was driving a '79 Custom Cruiser station wagon I had bought from my brother for $1. Needless to say, the car was not in great shape; it left a trail of smoke all the way from Canada to LA.

Heh... our family owned a '78 custom cruiser. I learned to drive in that (and a '74 Mustang II Ghia). That wagon was bulletproof. I especially liked the power rear gate and window, which slid into the body for a wide-open entry. We towed a 27' trailer with it for years, and only had to adjust the carb to do it. After having that car for almost a decade, we sold it to a friend, and it stayed on the road about a decade more.

It was from my parents that I learned not to replace a car the year after I finished paying for it. I keep 'em 'til they die.

[fugazied]

Yes Hyundais are a lot better now. I remember their early models were just disgusting. I guess their car industry has really developed now.

I drive a Subaru Liberty. Very nice cars to drive ad super reliable.

[montsnmags]

Our car history, in order of appearance:

The unnamed '86 Celica SX:



The aforementioned Daihatsu Feroza, "Effy":



The Ford Raider, "Chuck":



The Mitsubishi Lancer GSR, "Damien" (the start of 4WD turbo driving pleasure):



The Subaru Impreza WRX, "Scoobs" (the continuance of the above):



The Proton Satria, "Bruce" (one of our favourite commutes):


(poor picture, blown up - he's the one on the right)

The Mitsubishi Challenger, "Batman":



The second Subaru Impreza WRX, "Scoobs II" (the last of the 4WD turbos, thus far anyway):



The both loved and loathed Land Rover Discovery, "Moe":



and the current drives, The 99 Mercedes Benz A160, "Scruffy" (the dog-car):



and the Porsche Cayenne S, "Wolfie" (with attached ape):

[ahintz]

Fun thread. I have a 4-door 2007 VW Rabbit (think they're still calling them "Golf" in the rest of the world). Great car - I love having a hatchback - gives me a decent amount of cargo space when I fold down the seats, without having to have an SUV. This was my first "new" car. I got a used Toyota Echo when I graduated college (first car I bought for myself), and I had a used 3-door Geo Metro hatchback for high school and college.

I figure I'll keep my Rabbit until either EV or plug-in hybrids are available at a decent price point - I don't think I'll buy another only gas-powered car.

[stevenharper]

I loved my Chevy Cavalier, but it was starting to need major repairs. Naturally, since it was such a good, reliable car, Chevrolet stopped making it! I got a Cobalt instead.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

I wouldn't mind seeing that Benz A160 in the states, here (it'd probably be the only one I could hope to afford). That's the biggest problem here... wanting to get at some of the many small and efficient cars sold elsewhere in the world, that the dealers won't bring here. Maybe if Americans had more and better small car choices, there wouldn't be as many of us in SUVs...

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I wouldn't mind seeing that Benz A160 in the states, here (it'd probably be the only one I could hope to afford). That's the biggest problem here... wanting to get at some of the many small and efficient cars sold elsewhere in the world, that the dealers won't bring here. Maybe if Americans had more and better small car choices, there wouldn't be as many of us in SUVs...

Rick Wagonner, the former CEO of GM once said that the company will never manufacture small cars...

That ired me like few things can. Even the famous Chevy Volt promised next year will weigh in the 3,000 pounds. And they will only build 1000 for the first year and 15000 the next. They're going in that direction walking backwards. Oh! It will also cost around $50,000! Can you believe that?

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I wouldn't mind seeing that Benz A160 in the states, here (it'd probably be the only one I could hope to afford).
...

There were rumours for 2012 for the States, but those rumours have been around for a while. I haven't heard if they're any closer. I understand though that the Smart is getting a look-in over there, so its success or otherwise might determine whether MB bring the A-Class as well (we've always had both).

The A-Class, however, is roomier than expected when you see how easy it is to just remove any of its seats (also helped by its upright seating position). We've had things in it we couldn't take in the bigger car, simply because we can remove all of its passenger seats (including the front) so easily. We generally have it with the larger of the rear passenger seats up, which gives us way more room for groceries than we need, and more room than the dogs get in the back of the big car (though Oscar tends to jump into the other passenger seat anyway). "Scruffy"'s a nice little punter, and the perfect dog-car/shopping cart for us. Even manages freeway driving with ease (if not the ease of the other car ).

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I wouldn't mind seeing that Benz A160 in the states, here (it'd probably be the only one I could hope to afford). That's the biggest problem here... wanting to get at some of the many small and efficient cars sold elsewhere in the world, that the dealers won't bring here. Maybe if Americans had more and better small car choices, there wouldn't be as many of us in SUVs...

From your lips to Detroit's ears!! Unfortunately, all they could hear for years were people clamoring for bigger and bigger cars. And they wonder why they needed the government to bail them out when gas prices hit over $4 a gallon and our economy started to hit the skids.

[HarryT]

If our petrol cost a mere $4 per US gallon, I'd be extremely happy .