Automobiles

[jerk]

i sold Kate's 328i, am in the process of unloading the GT500- and bought a practical but incredibly boring and big 2017 Toyota Tacoma 2wd TRD Sport. It's a truck. It cost too much. The business needed it. It's huge and black and I wish I got the TRD off road but this is what they had in our budget.

I need to keep myself from trying to make it awesome.

[jerk]

One can prefer a manual but a GT3 PDK shifts exactly when it should and holds gear exactly the right time.

so does Jackie Ickyx. Doesn't mean I want to sit in the passenger seat of a 965 while driving around.

My stupid Cayman and my new stupid Tacoma both have slush boxes. They suck but they're required given who else has to drive these things.

[Too Tall]

Dewd, my favorite truck of all time was my SR5. Those little Toyotas are indestructible and long lived.

[jerk]

Dewd, my favorite truck of all time was my SR5. Those little Toyotas are indestructible and long lived.

yeah- except they're not little! this thing is huge and while it's a four door it only has a 5 foot bed!

i'm actually liking the stupid thing a lot.

[winmonster]

My dad has a Tacoma. Parking that thing in DC parking garages was not fun when he visited last. Nice truck, though.

[Saab2000]

Drove a Rabbit Edition GTI and loved it. All of the fun of this late stage Mark 7.5 GTI with none of the fluff. LED lighting? Check.... Golf R brakes? Check..... 8 more HP over last year? Check.....

I also like that it has actual, physical dials and I like the pushbutton start. That's gimmick in a lot of cars now but I kind of like it.

Pulled harder than my GTI and the torque is available lower in the rev range making it a bit easier as a daily driver.

Best part? No creaking, leaking, headroom stealing sunroof! And no clammy leather seats.

Thinking of trading the appliance Tiguan for a new GTI tomorrow. There would be a great loss of space and a great increase in pace. My 2006 GTI has served me very well since new and I may have come to the realization that the only real replacement for a GTI is another GTI.

[boots2000]

Last check- APR Stage 1 upgrade. Then it has all the horsepower of the Golf R. Still passes smog.

Drove a Rabbit Edition GTI and loved it. All of the fun of this late stage Mark 7.5 GTI with none of the fluff. LED lighting? Check.... Golf R brakes? Check..... 8 more HP over last year? Check.....

I also like that it has actual, physical dials and I like the pushbutton start. That's gimmick in a lot of cars now but I kind of like it.

Pulled harder than my GTI and the torque is available lower in the rev range making it a bit easier as a daily driver.

Best part? No creaking, leaking, headroom stealing sunroof! And no clammy leather seats.

Thinking of trading the appliance Tiguan for a new GTI tomorrow. There would be a great loss of space and a great increase in pace. My 2006 GTI has served me very well since new and I may have come to the realization that the only real replacement for a GTI is another GTI.

[dogstar]

Almost 2 months into my 2019 Rabbit GTI and all I can say to you is, "Do it tomorrow"! I bought mine on the way into work one day and the honeymoon is still going strong.

Drove a Rabbit Edition GTI and loved it. All of the fun of this late stage Mark 7.5 GTI with none of the fluff. LED lighting? Check.... Golf R brakes? Check..... 8 more HP over last year? Check.....

I also like that it has actual, physical dials and I like the pushbutton start. That's gimmick in a lot of cars now but I kind of like it.

Pulled harder than my GTI and the torque is available lower in the rev range making it a bit easier as a daily driver.

Best part? No creaking, leaking, headroom stealing sunroof! And no clammy leather seats.

Thinking of trading the appliance Tiguan for a new GTI tomorrow. There would be a great loss of space and a great increase in pace. My 2006 GTI has served me very well since new and I may have come to the realization that the only real replacement for a GTI is another GTI.

[sk_tle]

Last check- APR Stage 1 upgrade. Then it has all the horsepower of the Golf R. Still passes smog.

Why not buying a Golf R in the first place ?

I must say I'm not a VW fan but my friend's Golf R variant with the roof top box (he goes skiing several times a week) looks sleek as f...

[boots2000]

Additional 10-12k in cost?
But I get the R if you need all wheel drive.

Why not buying a Golf R in the first place ?

I must say I'm not a VW fan but my friend's Golf R variant with the roof top box (he goes skiing several times a week) looks sleek as f...

[Saab2000]

Not sure the finances work out for this at this time. Gotta sleep on it a bit. Talked to the dealer, ran the numbers and it's not in my favor (not even close) given the situation with my current, massively depreciated vehicle.

Regarding the Golf R, yes, everything I read about it sounds awesome. But my two buddies who have had them both report horrific fuel consumption. Admittedly, both think they're driving F1 cars all the time and drive as such, but mid-teens MPG is not gonna fly. And why buy a car like it if you're not going to enjoy it?

For me the joy of the GTI is its simplicity and fun and simultaneous economics and practicality. The Golf R adds complexity where I don't look for it.

We'll see where this goes. But my 2006 may live on for a bit longer!

[GonaSovereign]

....the only real replacement for a GTI is another GTI.

Truer words rarely spoken.

(Although sometimes you just need to keep the first GTI.)

[Tamu8104]

yeah- except they're not little! this thing is huge and while it's a four door it only has a 5 foot bed!

i'm actually liking the stupid thing a lot.

Just give in and make it awesome!! Was a manual car guy for a long time but our current location and lifestyle makes bigger 4x4 a better option most of the time. Now have 2 Toyota’s, wife’s TRD 4Runner and I’ve started fixing up an 08 FJC. It’s just as fun but it’s a different kind of fun. Need to finish the suspension on the FJC and then take it off road again, either just to play or to camp.

[rwsaunders]

Who would have thought that investing in classic cars would outperform the market in a recession.

Classic car industry fears Trump and Brexit roadblock - BBC News

[j44ke]

Bob Freeman, famously and formerly of Elliott Bay Bicycles, appears to be selling his Westfalia, just in case anyone has the itch.

Bob's Westfalia on Flickr

[htwoopup]

While this is generally about technology it probably belongs here as there has been discussion of automobile tech and wanting it/ hating it...

Opinion | Forget Self-Driving Cars. Bring Back the Stick Shift. - The New York Times

[Saab2000]

While this is generally about technology it probably belongs here as there has been discussion of automobile tech and wanting it/ hating it...

Opinion | Forget Self-Driving Cars. Bring Back the Stick Shift. - The New York Times

As a person who owns a new car with a high level of automatic features I can assure you I'm pretty uneasy with them. I thought I'd like them but I don't. Admittedly, many of us here are from a generation accustomed to less technology and so we're curmudgeons who don't like change. But there's some truth in this article.

I don't love the touch screen or the digital displays in my new car nearly as much as I thought I would and I strongly disliked the lane assist and automatic emergency braking is a hazard IMHO. Thankfully I was able to disable some of these things, which is stupid because I paid extra for them!

[Matthew Strongin]

As a person who owns a new car with a high level of automatic features I can assure you I'm pretty uneasy with them. I thought I'd like them but I don't. Admittedly, many of us here are from a generation accustomed to less technology and so we're curmudgeons who don't like change. But there's some truth in this article.

I don't love the touch screen or the digital displays in my new car nearly as much as I thought I would and I strongly disliked the lane assist and automatic emergency braking is a hazard IMHO. Thankfully I was able to disable some of these things, which is stupid because I paid extra for them!

Completely agree. Lane assist is annoying, particularly in Miami where half our roads are under construction and lane markers are often missing or overlapping with other lane markers. And, while the auto braking on our Volvo is better than what we had on the Jeep (which was terrifying, but could be disabled), it's not good. Given the way people drive here, I think it's more of a liability.

[rmplum]

Auto Emergency Braking can be annoying and sure, less than perfect. But much more effective than the oblivious driver staring down at his/her phone. And that's why we have it.

[Saab2000]

Auto Emergency Braking can be annoying and sure, less than perfect. But much more effective than the oblivious driver staring down at his/her phone. And that's why we have it.

I had mine a couple weeks ago hit the brakes with full force for no apparent reason. I turned the system off. I still got a warning this morning but no automatic braking. The system got confused at an intersection in a curve with a car in the left turn lane and the driver ahead of me being uncertain about what he/she was confronting. I could process the situation but the computer in my car is programmed to react differently hto am a human might. But I’m a pretty engaged driver and to your point, I know many are crazy distracted.

I didn’t hate the warning but I’m Leary of the automatic braking. That said, I know why it exists and I think it will improve over time. I’m glad I’m still able to disable it though. The day may come that we are no longer allowed to disable these things.