What Car Do You Drive?

[Fry]

I'm currently after a new car, I was curious what everyone here is driving. Questions I'd like answered.

What car do you drive?
Why did you buy that brand/make of car?
Are you happy with it?
Would you buy something else if you could have a do'over, if so what?

At moment I'm looking.

VW Golf - It's so easy and fun to drive, though it's sort of small for a family car, it's pricey and quite a few people seem to have problems with them.
Kia Cerato Sedan - Just released model is a great price for features you get, drives very mediocre though.
Kia Sportage - Wife wants this, but too pricey, takes way too much gas and too painful to park for my liking.

I'm in Australia, cars are a little different than the US.

 

[riot]

I have two.

1995 Jeep Cherokee for my toy/DD
2013 Kia Optima

I had a 2012 Kia Forte SX (the hatchback version) before the Optima. I loved that car. Full leather, sun roof, sport suspension, autostick, heated seats, etc. Only reason I traded it in was lower payments on the Optima since I worked on improving my credit.

If you can look past their crappy start in the states, the cars are actually really decent now with a lot of good features and an attractive price tag. They're comfortable on road trips (10 hour trip to Southern Missouri with no pain), nice and roomy on the inside and lots of trunk space. Gas mileage is a huge plus too with their 'eco' mode.

Then there's the Jeep. I wouldn't recommend a newer Jeep to anyone but the old Cherokees are absolutely amazing, incredibly easy to work on, cheap repair bills, motor lasts forever (guys on Cherokee forums have over 650k on original motor).

I purchased the Jeep to drive to work so i didn't put so many miles on the Optima (13k on it in 10 months so far ) and so the fiance would have a reliable car to drive our son and yet to be born daughter around in.

I don't regret purchasing either of them.

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[Copperhead]

Get you a 1970 Dodge Charger and get it customed and redone. Best looking fucking car in history.

 

[JimJohnson]

From a lot of cars I have rented over the last 18 months.

Hyundai Sonata - Cars.com

Toyota Prius 2013 | Hybrid Car

If I was to purchase a car right now. It would be one of those 2. The prius 1500 miles on $90.

 

[necroman]

We bought a 2012 Chevy Traverse. It has collapsible 3rd row seating. When the seats are up you still have room for storage. I can fit in the 3rd row seating comfortably. The 2nd row seats are captains chairs so its easy to get to the 3rd row. When the 3rd row is collapsed you have tons of storage for when you go on those long road trips or vacations. The backup camera built into the mirror and backup motion sensors are very nice especially if you have kids. Its got a pretty large tire on it and i think the make it in 4WD as well. The AC is fricken awesome and blows really cold. Gas milage is decent as well. Great family car.

 

[StaticX27]

What car do you drive?
Nissan Versa (Tiida in Japan), not sure what it's called in Australia.

Why did you buy that brand/make of car?
I was looking for a gas efficient car that was cheap, but I was also looking for some of the tech toys like bluetooth, gps, keyless entry, etc. Toyota had the Yaris, Honda had the Fit, Nissan had the Versa. Versa won on all fronts for sure.

Are you happy with it?
Yes, I am. That car is reliable as hell, gets 35mpg, comfortable, decent sound system, seats come out for massive storage space, etc.

Would you buy something else if you could have a do'over, if so what?
It's not a fun car to drive, but I keep an RX-7 for my fun car. For just a commuting to and from work, IMO the car can't be beat. I think I paid like $14k USD OTD with 5 year warranty.

 

[dewey2461]

Everyone is going to have different needs. What I would suggest you think about what you want out of a car. Then make a list of all the cars you think fit the general size, mpg, etc and test drive them all.

I'm bit over 6'1" and hate small cars and being in molded seating so I was looking for being able to easily get in/out of the front. How much leg room. How good the steering wheel / arm rests felt. Placement of the mirror. How well it handled, etc.

1. Cost
2. MPG
3. Driving quality
4. Comfort
5. Capacity

etc

 

[riot]

Everyone is going to have different needs. What I would suggest you think about what you want out of a car. Then make a list of all the cars you think fit the general size, mpg, etc and test drive them all.

I'm bit over 6'1" and hate small cars and being in molded seating so I was looking for being able to easily get in/out of the front. How much leg room. How good the steering wheel / arm rests felt. Placement of the mirror. How well it handled, etc.

1. Cost
2. MPG
3. Driving quality
4. Comfort
5. Capacity

etc

Don't forget to factor in maintenance (unless you're counting that under total cost).

I believe kbb.com has a tool on their website that can compare the overall maintenance cost of different vehicles to see which is cheaper in the long run. Granted they are just estimates since every auto shop charges different rates but it should be a good general guide on things.

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[StaticX27]

Everyone is going to have different needs. What I would suggest you think about what you want out of a car. Then make a list of all the cars you think fit the general size, mpg, etc and test drive them all.

I'm bit over 6'1" and hate small cars and being in molded seating so I was looking for being able to easily get in/out of the front. How much leg room. How good the steering wheel / arm rests felt. Placement of the mirror. How well it handled, etc.

1. Cost
2. MPG
3. Driving quality
4. Comfort
5. Capacity

etc

Don't forget to factor in maintenance (unless you're counting that under total cost).

I believe kbb.com has a tool on their website that can compare the overall maintenance cost of different vehicles to see which is cheaper in the long run. Granted they are just estimates since every auto shop charges different rates but it should be a good general guide on things.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2

Overall (as a very general rule), Japanese and newer Korean cars are going to be the most forgiving on maintenance (If you do oil changes every 3k miles, you can prolly go to 10k without any serious issues lol). German / European cars, you must be extremely militant about it. 3000 miles gold, 3001, your car explodes. German cars tend to be far more complicated than they need to be, especially the BMW's (3 series are quite cheap). They have an ECU that controls the FREAKING WINDOWS!!! If you do any of your own work, German cars hate to be worked on. Most all their nuts and bolts uses TORX safety bits, which most mechanics have, but some shops may not have. I would strongly recommend making sure they have a set, since most mechanics that don't will do what they can to complete the job without taking into account longevity. Usually means jamming a flat-head screw driver in there and turning, which tends to strip the heads over the long term. It's one reason I usually avoid german cars overall, although if I ever move back to America, I'd probably pick up a 2001 M5 (New ones are ugly ).

American cars are all about raw bad ass power. If you need to hook up a trailer to move across the country, America is the way to go. They're not reliable (they've gotten better of course), and they work.

Personally it was never a concern to me because I have most every tool necessary to do anything on most any car, and I do my own maintenance. I don't know about Australia, but most of us refer to dealerships as stealerships. Even though they have the tools, they tend to scam customers quite often, preying on customer ignorance (mechanics do this too, but even when I did pay people for work, I had shops that I trusted).

Of course, these are all generalities. Dewey is right though, make a list of what you need and go from there.

 

[Kkthnx]

2009 VW Tiguan 2.0 TDi 140. Get 45 ish to a gallon. Basically a golf on stilts. Comfortable car, and plenty of options ( over here at least)
1989 mini 30. Daughter loves it, but not the safest car in the world!
I'm a fan in the VE Amarok, and if you're a proper Aussie you will appreciate a pick-up. I would have one if I had the room for it on the drive, but if have to move it every time I wanted another vehicle out.
Also have a Nissan NV200 for work. I didn't pick it. I wouldn't recommend it. I hate it. I would drive it off a cliff if I could.

Are you buying new or used? What are you actually looking for in a car? What did you have before?

 

[jarori43]

What car do you drive?
2009 PT cruiser daily, 1960 Karmann Ghia Toy,1966 Ford Fairlane project.
Why did you buy that brand/make of car?
I thought I would like it.
Are you happy with it?
Hell no, its to small now
Would you buy something else if you could have a do'over, if so what?
Yes, A caddy for sure maybe a 91 or a really kool 56 caddy I love the smooth rides.

 

[aCunningGnome]

What car do you drive? 2004 Mazda 6s (6 cylinder)

Why did you buy that brand/make of car? First car was a miata, and that was very fun and reliable. I was shopping other brands when my friend, who was about a decade older and longtime mazda fan, convinced me to go with mazda again. You get the performance of a more expensive car in something you can take your family around in.

Are you happy with it? Yes, very. The only place I'm unhappy is, some things which should be simple under the hood, are not (like spark plugs for the back 3 pistons, and headlight bulb replacement). That being said, it's not difficult after you've done it once, and it's a problem in other Makes also.

Would you buy something else if you could have a do'over, if so what? Wouldn't do it differently.

There are other good cars, but I'm a big fan of mazda now.

 

[Fry]

Are you buying new or used? What are you actually looking for in a car? What did you have before?

Buying new, I don't want a used luxury/high-end car.

I will only use the car to take my daughter to and from school every day, and family trips on weekends. School car park is always a nightmare, so something easy to park is a huge plus.

Had a Suzuki SX4 Sedan before. Our other car is a 2011 Sukuki Swift, so that's our small run-about car.

So far I've driven a 2013 Ford Focus Sports (Didn't like it), Kia Sportage (Hard to park and pricey, but felt nice) Kia Cerato (New model just came out with great features), VW Golf (Real fun to drive).

I really didn't think I wanted a big car, so didn't try a VW Jetta or Kia Optima, and they both hit edge of budget, but could be an option still.

Proximity Key Entry/Keyless Start, and Front/Rear parking sensors are high on my priority list.

 

[hawthorne]

When I lived in Australia, I drove Holden's almost exclusively. A Nissan once, which was nice but generally Holdens. I believe you mentioned living in QLD before, and I lived in NSW, but not sure if that would make that big a difference to you. I lived in Sydney, and I'm not sure if you are in Brisbane or somewhere more country.

People recommending things like Dodges and Chevys, they don't make those in Australia. Major car companies are Holden, Ford, and the Japanese and Korean companies. You can get European cars imported but they tend to be pricey.

Anyway, I would recommend the Commodore. It's what I drove for the most part when I lived there. Great family car and it rides really smooth.

 

[Kkthnx]

Are you buying new or used? What are you actually looking for in a car? What did you have before?

Buying new, unless I go something luxury/high-end, though doubt I would even consider luxuary/high-end car, due to really wanting something affordable/reliable/long term.

Looking for something to take the kid to school in every day, and little space to take family trips in.

Had a Suzuki SX4 Sedan before, not very popular car. Other car is a 2011 Sukuki Swift, so that's our small run-about car.

So far I've driven a 2013 Ford Focus Sports (Didn't like it), Kia Sportage (Hard to park and pricey, but felt nice) Kia Cerato (New model just came out with so many features), VW Golf (Real fun to drive).

I really didn't think I wanted a big car, so didn't try a VW Jetta or Kia Optima, and they both hit edge of budget, but guess they could be an option.

I would recommend the Tiguan. Can get an R Line if you want something sporty looking. It drives just like a Golf, and the 4 x 4 models stick like shit to a blanket. The rear seats move back and forth like the front ones and the centre folds down like an armrest with cup holders. How about the Opel Insignia? They are a very nice car over here. I had the Vectra (it's predecessor), and only didn't get the insignia because the wife wanted the Tiguan.

 

[StaticX27]

You could also look at the Subaru Legacy. AWD, gobs of space, reliable as all hell, easy to work on, comfortable.

I'm not sure if the newer models come with proximity key features, but that would be easy to find out. If memory serves, base model is like 230hp with the higher model being like 270 or 300. It uses the same motor as the WRX, and I think there were production models that had the STi motor. I've been out of cars for a few years, so I may be completely wrong.

At first, if you're not used to AWD cars, its gonna handle like a bitch, but once you're used to AWD, its hard to beat in terms of maneuverability.

 

[wilbunk]

What car do you drive?
Nissan Versa (Tiida in Japan), not sure what it's called in Australia.

Why did you buy that brand/make of car?
I was looking for a gas efficient car that was cheap, but I was also looking for some of the tech toys like bluetooth, gps, keyless entry, etc. Toyota had the Yaris, Honda had the Fit, Nissan had the Versa. Versa won on all fronts for sure.

Are you happy with it?
Yes, I am. That car is reliable as hell, gets 35mpg, comfortable, decent sound system, seats come out for massive storage space, etc.

Would you buy something else if you could have a do'over, if so what?
It's not a fun car to drive, but I keep an RX-7 for my fun car. For just a commuting to and from work, IMO the car can't be beat. I think I paid like $14k USD OTD with 5 year warranty.

I also drive a Nissan versa, LOVE it to death its an 08 never even changed the battery yet. i once got 41mpg on a trip from Louisiana to Florida and im not sure how but im not complaining.

 

[rob]

What car do you drive?

2004 VW Jetta GLI, 2010 VW Tiguan Wolfsberg 4Motion

Why did you buy that brand/make of car?

I fit and drive the VWs just fine (6'6"). Can't say that about many cars

Are you happy with it?

Yes. Though, the Wife had an accident early on with the Tiguan that has led to a lot of issues (cracked manifold, fuse box problem, etc). It's likely none of this wouldn't have happened if she didn't rear-end someone.

Would you buy something else if you could have a do'over, if so what?

I would buy a used Touareg instead of a new Tiguan. In 2 years we'll likely ditch the Tiguan for a 2011 or so Touareg (maybe TDI if it is in the budget).

For you? I'd recommend a Geo Metro. It seems like a waste to drop 15k on a car just to take your kid to and from school...

 

[DemonH2]

Dodge Nitro is roomy, cheap, and much easier to park than my challenger. Plus I like the looks (which some probably won't)

I have had 2 VWs and they both broke more than they drove. I've kind of swore them off.

 

[Kkthnx]

I would buy a used Touareg instead of a new Tiguan. In 2 years we'll likely ditch the Tiguan for a 2011 or so Touareg (maybe TDI if it is in the budget).

With regards to the Touareg, do they do a manual in the US/AUS? I wanted one at one point, but refuse to "drive" an auto, and that's all they do over here now. Its not driving in my books, changing gear yourself is most of the enjoyment.

Also, just noticed Opel do the Astra out there, too. I thought that has been discontinued. The Astra is a good car too. Same size as Focus/Golf so would suit.