Automobiles

[davids]

...I just can't get past the part where she hates wagons.

Wagons are the antidote to floppy overstuffed SUVs. They are the trim athletic counterpoint to the massive wasteful pseudo-butch pretend trucks clogging our roads.

Of course, I remember looking out a window many years ago, to watch my wife and daughter lumber away in our whale-like Sable wagon, off to pick up a passel of Girl Scouts. So there is that, I suppose.

[Too Tall]

Two Wheels. Sounds like you need a steering hub extender. I added one and finally feel very locked into place.

[Saab2000]

...I just can't get past the part where she hates wagons.

Wagons are the antidote to floppy overstuffed SUVs. They are the trim athletic counterpoint to the massive wasteful pseudo-butch pretend trucks clogging our roads.

Of course, I remember looking out a window many years ago, to watch my wife and daughter lumber away in our whale-like Sable wagon, off to pick up a passel of Girl Scouts. So there is that, I suppose.

They are indeed clogging up roads and parking lots. Yet secretly I want one and I understand the appeal. My father left me with his old Yukon, which I finally sold last winter after it needed repairs which were going to cost more than the vehicle was worth. But I liked the space and ease of loading things.

But as much as anything, I loved the commanding visibility.

I want a Toyota Land Cruiser even though it is inefficient, huge and makes no sense. It won't be happening anytime soon, but that doesn't stop me from wanting one!

[sailor]

My car is an BMW e91 325 (wagon), not as fast as a GTI but much more comfortable. I love my sport seats with extending thigh support, 4 way lumbar and adjustable bolstering, much better than the jetta wagon I had before. If I had to replace my car, there is nothing on the new market that compares as the f31s don't come with a stick.

That said we just bought my wife (and 3mo old son) a Q7 TDI and that thing is nice for an suv. It is heavy, but handles it well, corners and stopping are much better than 5000lbs should be and it has 400lb-t of torque below 2000rpm so it always is ready to move. We eventually want to buy a small camper and the diesel should be a towing champ, and unloaded it gets 32mpg highway.

[roseyscot]

...I just can't get past the part where she hates wagons.

Wagons are the antidote to floppy overstuffed SUVs. They are the trim athletic counterpoint to the massive wasteful pseudo-butch pretend trucks clogging our roads.

Of course, I remember looking out a window many years ago, to watch my wife and daughter lumber away in our whale-like Sable wagon, off to pick up a passel of Girl Scouts. So there is that, I suppose.

My wife would much rather see a (sport) wagon in our driveway than a hatchback or GTI sized option. I stopped at the Acura dealer on Saturday and put my name on the list in case they get a TSX wagon in.

[rwsaunders]

I just ordered a round of tires for my 2001 A6 Avant as it's that time...long live the wagon.

[twowheels]

Jin one is removal of the clutch delay valve, two is removal of this stupid spring that lessens the force required to push in the clutch and three is a diesel geek short shifter. But your older GTI may not need any of these things. The mark 7's do. Josh the wheel is now in the right place. The car is awesome. Feels like a turbo Porsche. Almost. But at 1/3 the price. Or less.

[j44ke]

Seems like my wife's objections to the Volvo V60 wagon were a product of momentary insanity. She spent yesterday haggling to get the price down below $40K for a Platinum trim FWD in dark gray. We've been told by a friend who is a life-long Volvo nut that a V60 FWD + Hakkapeliittas will do whatever we need in the winter, so we skipped the AWD to keep the possible 35mpg the rest of the year. Hopefully we can pick the car up this afternoon, so we can drive it to Thanksgiving in the Catskills and join the long line of Volvos and Subarus going north for the holidays.

Now we just need to figure out a place to park it.

[robin3mj]

Seems like my wife's objections to the Volvo V60 wagon were a product of momentary insanity. She spent yesterday haggling to get the price down below $40K for a Platinum trim FWD in dark gray. We've been told by a friend who is a life-long Volvo nut that a V60 FWD + Hakkapeliittas will do whatever we need in the winter, so we skipped the AWD to keep the possible 35mpg the rest of the year. Hopefully we can pick the car up this afternoon, so we can drive it to Thanksgiving in the Catskills and join the long line of Volvos and Subarus going north for the holidays.

Now we just need to figure out a place to park it.

Nice. I had an XC60 as a loaner for a month last year- super nice car. I'd imagine the wagon drives even better.
A V60 Polestar would be killer.

Still need to pick up a commuter car for myself- wavering between an old 4Runner or a Golf (two very different creatures, I know.) And the wife is dead set on nothing bigger than our Jetta wagon as her TDI replacement. At the rate the buyback is creeping along, it's not going to be anytime soon, and we're in no rush.

[Matthew Strongin]

Seems like my wife's objections to the Volvo V60 wagon were a product of momentary insanity. She spent yesterday haggling to get the price down below $40K for a Platinum trim FWD in dark gray. We've been told by a friend who is a life-long Volvo nut that a V60 FWD + Hakkapeliittas will do whatever we need in the winter, so we skipped the AWD to keep the possible 35mpg the rest of the year. Hopefully we can pick the car up this afternoon, so we can drive it to Thanksgiving in the Catskills and join the long line of Volvos and Subarus going north for the holidays.

Now we just need to figure out a place to park it.

Excellent. I'm a big Volvo fan despite the fact that it's all my mom drove through my childhood. If I could find a V60 Polestar manual I'd be a happy, happy camper.

[davids]

Seems like my wife's objections to the Volvo V60 wagon were a product of momentary insanity. She spent yesterday haggling to get the price down below $40K for a Platinum trim FWD in dark gray. We've been told by a friend who is a life-long Volvo nut that a V60 FWD + Hakkapeliittas will do whatever we need in the winter, so we skipped the AWD to keep the possible 35mpg the rest of the year. Hopefully we can pick the car up this afternoon, so we can drive it to Thanksgiving in the Catskills and join the long line of Volvos and Subarus going north for the holidays.

Now we just need to figure out a place to park it.

Nice. Congrats, both on the car and your wife's full recovery!

[funcrusher]

speaking of volvo wagons...this is definitely on my radar now

Is Volvo Cooking Up a 6-hp V9 and S9 Polestar?

i've always had a soft spot for things from sweden (not just christian)

[j44ke]

Nice. I had an XC60 as a loaner for a month last year- super nice car. I'd imagine the wagon drives even better.
A V60 Polestar would be killer.

Still need to pick up a commuter car for myself- wavering between an old 4Runner or a Golf (two very different creatures, I know.) And the wife is dead set on nothing bigger than our Jetta wagon as her TDI replacement. At the rate the buyback is creeping along, it's not going to be anytime soon, and we're in no rush.

If our experience at VW is any indication, VW sees the AllTrack as the car they are going to sell all the TDI BuyBack customers. Demographic match made in heaven. So they aren't really dealing on those. But they are dealing on GTI's. We had the salesman knocking off $3500 plus a set of rims & Blizzaks and I think they would have gone further. This for a Autobahn trim model. So I think they have a lot of GTI's. And they seem willing to deal on Passats. The clean trims of the Passat (who buys the drug dealer Passat - drug dealers? What an ugly car) look really nice, and our salesman asked twice if we would also like to test drive a Passat, so I think they'd like to sell a few of those too.

We looked at the R-Design V60 and that thing is nice. But it was over $50K. The Polestar must be something else entirely. 7000 rpms and 362 hp or something? I forget all the numbers. I think with the V9 Polestar they must be going after the Porsche Panamera market. There are so many Panameras in NYC it is sort of a cliché drive now.

[caleb]

Spotted on my way back from lunch:






Sure beats snowblowing the driveway in the dark before work.

[j44ke]

That's the one with the longer cab (right word?) not the typical shorty length, right?

[caleb]

I'm not really up on the various LC models, but this is probably the longest two door I've ever seen.

[j44ke]

I've seen it referred to as a "J40 Troop Carrier" instead of the station wagon that has the 4 doors.

[Too Tall]

A local gent is restoring the above in his driveway. Interesting project. His dad bought it in Berkley in 1960something and drove it east with a pal and was the family wagon until it rotted out. They have a new drivetrain and have stripped it to the chassis. Yikes. That reminds me of my 51 restoration....NEVER AGAIN!

[j44ke]

Brought the car home tonight. Parked it on the street because (holiday) traffic across Manhattan to the garage was already gridlock (yes, NYKrs park in garages many blocks from their homes - as in, I'll go get the car, so you have 45 minutes to finish getting ready.) I've looked at it a few times from above. Ordered the Yakima attachments required for the bike headdress. Now trying to learn what all the buttons are for on the dashboard. No espresso machine evidently. They couldn't squeeze that in?

[robin3mj]

I've seen it referred to as a "J40 Troop Carrier" instead of the station wagon that has the 4 doors.

Troopy