Things I want, like, now.

[skouri1]

So I test drove the Honda fit and the civic hatchback.
The fits flexibility and storage is amazing. But accelerate, or drive the thing uphill and it is loud. maybe it's the CVT...I'm sure it would hum along fine on the highway (as long as there are not hills) and would be great for city driving, but there was really no comparison to the civic. (which cannot fit a bike upright as easily, that's for sure. may still do, will test with my upright bike).
Civic was very impressive--good pick up nice brakes. good interior features. good cargo space too (definitely looks like more than mazda 3). Agree that the civic is a bit boy racer / 2 fast 2 furious in its aesthetics...

The mazda is objectively the better looking car and the interior is nice, good features, nice driving . its almost a toss up between the two, but the turbocharged 1.5L civic is definitely more spritely (and more economical!) than the base 2.0L mazda...
decisions...

[AngryScientist]

i consider myself a very logical thinker.

i have no idea why i want one of these, but saw one at REI SOHO the other day and now I totally want one. Completely impractical. Ridiculous, even. But i still want one.

[72gmc]

This place is a required visit on every trip to Orcas Island. A good alternate name for it would be Things I Want, Like, Now.

[j44ke]

This place is a required visit on every trip to Orcas Island. A good alternate name for it would be Things I Want, Like, Now.

Why I did not buy a nice Japanese hatchet and some pruning saws while I was in Japan, I know not, but fortunately for me, they look to be popular enough in the states that I can probably get whatever I want here. My luggage was already bulging at the seams anyway.

BTW, you'll enjoy looking at this place Dan. https://www.dictum.com/en/

[72gmc]

Why I did not buy a nice Japanese hatchet and ...

I buy a tool almost every time I go to this place. Wife's birthday and Mother's Day in the same week? Two tools!

The hatchet is heavy and awesome.

[robin3mj]

My Toyota fandom is well-known around here, but the Land Rover aesthetic also appeals to me.
Took my dog to the dog beach in NJ last weekend and parked next to one of these bad boys, though it appeared to be a little more well-loved and lived-in. Gentleman of a certain age, lady of a certain age minus 15 years, and a big ol brown lab mutt. Living at the beach. Nice.

I remember bugging my dad to buy one (for himself) when I was in high school; they really weren't much more expensive than a decent Wrangler at the time, and now you can sell 'em 25 years later for way more than what you would have paid new back then. Crazy.

[AngryScientist]

that's a very cool rig.

my daily driver cheap jeep died several months ago, the victim of massive rust and rot. when the gas tank finally fell out of it, and i couldnt find enough good steel to get a ratchet strap to hold it in any longer, i knew it was time to give up the ghost.

i'm not driving a small Liberty that happened to fall into my lap, but the long term plan is to buy something old, manual and decent framed and rebuild slowly into a retro cool daily driver that has some capability to tow and mildly off road for camping adventures with my micro-camper. something like that rover would be perfect, but i know that's probably not in the cards. likely an old toyota with an engine swap is the way it's going to go down.

[j44ke]

I think the Land Rover Defender is discontinued.

[72gmc]

[QUOTE=robin3mjI remember bugging my dad to buy one (for himself) when I was in high school[/QUOTE]

Year: 1985
Scene: Mt Rose Highway scenic overlook, Lake Tahoe
Car: brand new Audi 4000 CS Quattro (my dad's), clean red Ferrari 308 (the other dad's)
Kid from the other car, ogling the Audi: See, dad! I told you to get one of those!

[robin3mj]

I think the Land Rover Defender is discontinued.

Yes, recently in their home country, but they only sold it in the US for about a five year period in the 90s.
Hence the stupid pricing.

The recently discontinued Toyota FJ Cruiser is on its own way to similar (likely lesser) cult status, but I can't get behind that thing in terms of size versus utility, and also looks. Time will tell, though.

[Too Tall]

Matt, after we got back from Costa Rica I was hot for a diesel L.R. and found this: Land Cruisers Direct - Home

Yikes.

[Matthew Strongin]

The recently discontinued Toyota FJ Cruiser is on its own way to similar (likely lesser) cult status, but I can't get behind that thing in terms of size versus utility, and also looks. Time will tell, though.

I've had one for 5 years. It's funny looking and takes some getting used to, but it's a damn fine truck. I can fit bikes inside with a fork mount. When I had dogs the waterproof interior was awesome. It actually drives pretty well on road and it's very capable off road. I'm coming from a run of Wranglers ranging from bone stock to reasonably modified and the FJ holds its own very well. All in all, I'm happy with it. And the fact that they discontinued it and mine is one of the few manuals out there gives me confidence I'll get good resale. All that said, if I found a pristine Defender that I could afford (ha!), I'd trade the FJ in a heartbeat.

[robin3mj]

Matt, after we got back from Costa Rica I was hot for a diesel L.R. and found this: Land Cruisers Direct - Home

Yikes.

Yeah, I'm well aware of that site. Probably best dropping cash into my 4R for a while but if I ever felt a little more flush... aye yi yi. I do love diesels too.

I've had one for 5 years. It's funny looking and takes some getting used to, but it's a damn fine truck. I can fit bikes inside with a fork mount. When I had dogs the waterproof interior was awesome. It actually drives pretty well on road and it's very capable off road. I'm coming from a run of Wranglers ranging from bone stock to reasonably modified and the FJ holds its own very well. All in all, I'm happy with it. And the fact that they discontinued it and mine is one of the few manuals out there gives me confidence I'll get good resale. All that said, if I found a pristine Defender that I could afford (ha!), I'd trade the FJ in a heartbeat.

Yeah I have no doubt it's worth its reputation. I just don't love the looks and the number of full size doors for its size. Visibility looks suspect too but I've never sat in one.
I park next to my coworker's FJ on occasion and it is a large vehicle. But when compared to a 2002+ 4Runner it's not crazy big, I guess. At the price point, for a ten year old reliable SUV I wonder if an Xterra might not be a terrible alternative.

[randonneur]

There's a guy in town who imports and sells reconditioned Land Rover Defenders. I'd see them rolling around my old office which was in the same neighbourhood as his house. $85,000 CAD is a bit rich for my blood, but I certainly wouldn't say no. But with our dollar being where it is, that's probably a steal of a deal for you Yanks...

[sk_tle]

Since the production stopped both second hand price and theft rate took a huge jump and the Defender now sits the top 10 of the most stolen car model in the UK or so I read somewhere.

[Paul Jacobs]

Since the production stopped both second hand price and theft rate took a huge jump and the Defender now sits the top 10 of the most stolen car model in the UK or so I read somewhere.

I had one of mine stolen and my neighbour had his stolen. One reason they get stolen is that they are so easy to dis-assemble and sell on as parts, for which there is a world wide market.

[funcrusher]

For those who have driven these defenders would they be ok as daily drivers?

[Paul Jacobs]

For those who have driven these defenders would they be ok as daily drivers?

I used one as a daily driver for a while but they are noisy and have a high fuel consumption if you drive at higher speeds (which I think is why production ceased). They were really designed as farm vehicles. I was born three years after the first Land Rover was produced in 1948. I have spent a lot of my time in rural areas so Land Rovers and their successors the Defenders are part of my history. I really like them but they do not make a sensible daily driver in my opinion if most of your daily driving is on tarmac.

"Motoring journalist Quentin Willson said the Defender would live on.
"With some 70% of Land Rovers ever built still around we will still be able to cuddle them and see them on the road. And while we can shed a tear, there are still lots and lots of Land Rovers," he said."

If that durability is true (70% of those built since 1948 being still around), it is a special vehicle. In my experience they are easy to repair, it was a nuts and bolts vehicle throughout its life with spare parts, body panels etc. readily available but also after a few years they need a lot of repairing. I once completely rebuilt a 1976 Land Rover onto a new chassis. The body panels are aluminium but they corrode where they meet the steel chassis and framework. There is probably a 1948 Land Rover driving around somewhere which has had two new chassis, a new body and three new engines.

[funcrusher]

Very helpful...thank you!!

[burgess1108]

Really, really starting to eye one of these.