Automobiles

[alexstar]

Very cool. I learned to drive in a stick-shift VW Rabbit with a GTI engine - that thing would lay down the rubber pretty easily. It later self-immolated, though, so I probably chose wisely when I declined an offer of ownership.

[rwsaunders]

I rode down to the post office today and this pup was sitting in the employees' lot.

[robin3mj]

I rode down to the post office today and this pup was sitting in the employees' lot.

All that overtime last year.

[CJones]

Camel Trophy Land Rover Defender 110 done in Legos
By Manuel Nascimento

Land_Rover_Lego.jpg

Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/148978...57711749445557

YouTube:

[vertical_doug]

Obnoxious colors are the new carbon black.

[htwoopup]

Scenes from two of this week’s rides…a daily driver and a sunny weekend driver….

[Saab2000]

I drove a Tesla Model 3 the other day. I liked it. A lot.

There may be a Tesla in my future.

[RSCROSS]

My son has a Tesla and he really likes it, as do I!

The coolest feature the Tesla has is "dog mode" which provides the dog AC when you run into a store for a quick purchase. It advertises that fact on the large display in the car so people dont smash your windows!

I would seriously consider a Cybertruck but my Tundra is paid off and it only has 29k miles

Good Luck and do your homework on rebates that may be available in your state, my son used to live in Vermont and got 5k in rebates from the state!

KJ

[Saab2000]

My son has a Tesla and he really likes it, as do I!

The coolest feature the Tesla has is "dog mode" which provides the dog AC when you run into a store for a quick purchase. It advertises that fact on the large display in the car so people dont smash your windows!

I would seriously consider a Cybertruck but my Tundra is paid off and it only has 29k miles

Good Luck and do your homework on rebates that may be available in your state, my son used to live in Vermont and got 5k in rebates from the state!

KJ

Nothing is imminent because my car is paid off and working fine. But my next vehicle may not be a return to the GTI fold but rather something like this. I’ve done a ton of research but had never driven one until now. I loved the super smooth and quiet drivetrain and one-pedal driving. The fat steering wheel was nice too and frankly, the handling in daily driving was nice and precise. I’m never going to a track and won’t be drifting around corners and don’t need my car to drive like a Porsche, but I can still appreciate good handling and Tesla appears to have made some effort to make their cars non-boring at least.

The one I drove was their base model and a service loaner at the local showroom. So lower performance than the more expensive models.

[zachateseverything]

the things to watch out for from Tesla:

- the drivetrain is pretty good. all EV's are going to be pretty good on interior noise and offer instantaneous acceleration. even something cheap like the Chevy Bolt.
- the interior is spartan and most functions are buried deep into the touch screen with limited haptic feedback. this would drive me nuts but YMMV
- build quality on the cars is spotty. we have a Model S in our testing fleet at work. The interior panel fit would make a 90's GM product blush.
- the level 2 autonomous driving features they advertise as "full self driving" are just good enough to lull you into a false sense of security and get you or someone else killed.

but I strongly encourage everyone to consider an EV as their next vehicle. traditional OEMs are going to have some strong offerings moving forward.

[j44ke]

Noticed that Volvo has a new electric vehicle. Not available yet. Not sure what some of the descriptive terms mean, like "one pedal drive".

https://www.volvocars.com/us/v/cars/c40-electric

[Saab2000]

the things to watch out for from Tesla:

- the drivetrain is pretty good. all EV's are going to be pretty good on interior noise and offer instantaneous acceleration. even something cheap like the Chevy Bolt.
- the interior is spartan and most functions are buried deep into the touch screen with limited haptic feedback. this would drive me nuts but YMMV
- build quality on the cars is spotty. we have a Model S in our testing fleet at work. The interior panel fit would make a 90's GM product blush.
- the level 2 autonomous driving features they advertise as "full self driving" are just good enough to lull you into a false sense of security and get you or someone else killed.

but I strongly encourage everyone to consider an EV as their next vehicle. traditional OEMs are going to have some strong offerings moving forward.

At this point I wouldn’t pay for the full self driving. I personally don’t think we’re close to that for a number of reasons.

As to the touch screen UI I won’t deny that it’s something to adapt to but since I’d be the only driver it would be a situation of set it up and then not worry as much. But your point is well taken.

I think they’ve been working on build quality issues but it’s still imperfect. The tester I drove had a whistle at a window. No doubt they need to up their game when an Accord or Camry are far superior in terms of build quality. No excuse at that price point. The only real thing to say is that Tesla is still new to manufacturing, relatively speaking. They should definitely hire some folks from Toyota or Audi to improve interiors and build quality. I like the vegan interior.

The absurd acceleration is of only minor interest to me as the base car I drove goes 0-60 in like 5.5 seconds, which until a decade ago was high level sports car territory.

Tesla is clearly a mix of genius and tragic comedy at the same time. But I liked their product and I think I can easily imagine a 3 or a Y as my daily driver.

[thollandpe]

Not sure what some of the descriptive terms mean, like "one pedal drive".

One-pedal drive sounds like what Nissan calls e-pedal. When engaged, the big one on the right will use the motor for braking when you lift. Also holds the car in place until you press it. Traditional brake pedal is for the traditional brakes.
@Saab2000, have you looked at the Nissan Leaf? The Plus models bump the battery from 40 to 62 kWh, which gives like 220 miles of range. They have a 160-kW motor instead of the standard 110-kW.

I've had the more pedestrian Leaf for three years and it's been fucking stupendous. The electronics and touch screen are still too Jetsons for my taste, but at least the radio has two knobs and the HVAC has actual buttons that you can feel and operate without looking. Also surprisingly good in snow, I have yet to purchase snow tires.

Also, built like a Nissan. They've come a long way since my B-210.

[Saab2000]

One-pedal drive sounds like what Nissan calls e-pedal. When engaged, the big one on the right will use the motor for braking when you lift. Also holds the car in place until you press it. Traditional brake pedal is for the traditional brakes.
@Saab2000, have you looked at the Nissan Leaf? The Plus models bump the battery from 40 to 62 kWh, which gives like 220 miles of range. They have a 160-kW motor instead of the standard 110-kW.

I've had the more pedestrian Leaf for three years and it's been fucking stupendous. The electronics and touch screen are still too Jetsons for my taste, but at least the radio has two knobs and the HVAC has actual buttons that you can feel and operate without looking. Also surprisingly good in snow, I have yet to purchase snow tires.

Also, built like a Nissan. They've come a long way since my B-210.

I haven’t looked at a Leaf but did talk to an owner a few months ago and he loves his Leaf.

One of the things that appeals to me about Tesla is their Supercharger network. I’m not a huge road tripper but that seems like a pretty solid system they’ve developed.

[Saab2000]

Noticed that Volvo has a new electric vehicle. Not available yet. Not sure what some of the descriptive terms mean, like "one pedal drive".

https://www.volvocars.com/us/v/cars/c40-electric

As mentioned, one pedal driving is easy. Lifting off the accelerator pedal simply engages the regenerative braking effect of the motor and the car slows. The amount of regeneration can be adjusted in some cars and it’s pretty smooth. Helps slow battery discharge and saves the brakes. Took about 3 miles to get used to it. Very intuitive.

[j44ke]

I’ve thought about what the best mix of gas/battery vehicles would be, and right now it seems like a local utility vehicle - something for hauling groceries or plywood or plowing the drive - would be best as the electric vehicle. Then the gas/hybrid would be the long haul vehicle. So I think I’d be interested in a small battery truck (definitely not that Tesla idiocracy design). Like the small Toyota/Nissan (not made any longer) trucks but battery powered, 4WD.

[zachateseverything]

I haven’t looked at a Leaf but did talk to an owner a few months ago and he loves his Leaf.

One of the things that appeals to me about Tesla is their Supercharger network. I’m not a huge road tripper but that seems like a pretty solid system they’ve developed.

the third party charging networks have come a long way in the last couple years too. road tripping an EV isn't high on my priority list (especially during the holidays) but you should be able to go just about anywhere and find level 3 chargers.

[zachateseverything]

At this point I wouldn’t pay for the full self driving. I personally don’t think we’re close to that for a number of reasons.

As to the touch screen UI I won’t deny that it’s something to adapt to but since I’d be the only driver it would be a situation of set it up and then not worry as much. But your point is well taken.

I think they’ve been working on build quality issues but it’s still imperfect. The tester I drove had a whistle at a window. No doubt they need to up their game when an Accord or Camry are far superior in terms of build quality. No excuse at that price point. The only real thing to say is that Tesla is still new to manufacturing, relatively speaking. They should definitely hire some folks from Toyota or Audi to improve interiors and build quality. I like the vegan interior.

The absurd acceleration is of only minor interest to me as the base car I drove goes 0-60 in like 5.5 seconds, which until a decade ago was high level sports car territory.

Tesla is clearly a mix of genius and tragic comedy at the same time. But I liked their product and I think I can easily imagine a 3 or a Y as my daily driver.

yeah, don't pay for full self driving. that functionality is going to be "18 months away" for the next 10 years. but I'm talking about just the "autopilot" that comes as a standard feature. Like I said, it's just good enough to get you killed.

I'd recommend that you check out the EVs from Audi and VW. If nothing else they're still eligible for the federal $7500 tax credit.

[thollandpe]

One thing less-than-perfect with the e-pedal (right now) is that the brake lights come on if you're using any regenerative braking at all, so that can annoy drivers behind you.

The other little secret about EVs right now is those incentives also serve to take a big bite out of resale value. That's actually good news if you're shopping for used vehicles and would qualify for little or no incentives if you were shopping new.

[zachateseverything]

that's true. but they also got me into my Volt for not really that much money. I paid effectively $20k for a brand new hatchback with a nice leather interior, good ride and handling, and low running costs. I'm not sure that I'll care that I won't see that money on the backend when I'm looking to move on to a different car in another 4-5 years.