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07-09-2015, 07:39 AM   #16
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I have four vehicles, but I will stick to my two favorites.....although my old 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 is certainly a worthy contender....and Mrs Rupert's 2005 Ford Escape has been a nice and inexpensive ride...she is looking at a new one now.

First and foremost....my '97 Jeep Wrangler. It has been everywhere..from the West coast to the East coast and many points in between. It has never ever let me down, is extremely low maintenance, I hardly ever have any repairs to be made, and it is a great ride around town with its easy turning radius and easy parking.
Still looks like new...I take great care with all my vehicles to keep them in top condition.

Looks damn good for almost 18 years old...and it looks good inside and out!


Second is my 2002 Audi TT...Mrs Rupert bought it for me two years ago. She was going to buy me a new one but I liked this one better and it was a one owner, owned by a doctor that kept it garaged and in perfect condition with only 49K miles on it.
This is the most fun car to drive I have ever owned and I have owned a lot of cars. Very comfortable, plenty quick and fast and it gets 30+mpg.





It has a huge trunk and is great for the two us to travel in. Comfortable, economical, and every curvy road is a treat!


Like I said, it is like new inside and out!






Great to put your camera gear in the rear seats where you can grab them fast! You can also put two passengers back there...but you have to saw their legs off first!


I keep it in perfect condition too!


Did I mention....it matches my Fuji X20 too!


Still...for all the fun and excitement of the little Toy Car TT, the Jeep wins my heart every time. Best vehicle I have ever owned!

Nice thread here, I love viewing what you guys drive and reading your comments!

Best Regards!

07-09-2015, 10:52 AM - 1 Like   #17
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I have a 2013 non turbo FIAT 500. So far it has been great, but I have heard horror stories about dealer service. I do all my maintenance myself so I haven't been back to the dealer yet. I have also modded the crap out of it to get better handling, and more and smoother power. That included overwriting the engine and transmission control units software. I really like the car's overall size and interior comfort for the front two seats. My daughter rides in the back and she is a small person. Works for her. I may consider trading up to a turbo Abarth at some point, but I am not sure about it. I like the gas mileage and zero oil consumption that I am getting with the non turbo. It is also much simpler from a mechanical standpoint. The resale value sucks so that is another reason to stay with what I have.
07-09-2015, 12:29 PM   #18
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I have a 2007 Hyundai Accent hatchback that I bought new and I've rolled 73k miles on it so far. It's a tough little car that can take a lot of abuse and keep on driving. At one time I had D2 coilovers on it with a lot of negative camber. It handled great on the track but it sorely lacks power. I'm back to stock suspension now. The car is small and fairly comfortable for people in the front. It can get a little tight in the back for full sized adults but it's fine for my kids for now. The trunk is surprisingly spacious for a car this size.

All in all, it's a decent car for what I need it to do. At 8 years old I slowly begin to think about a replacement but I can't see myself putting out >$20k money for a more upscale car. I'd rather get a Pentax FF body instead.
07-09-2015, 01:21 PM   #19
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2013 Mazda 3 hatch I bought used. I like the mpg 36 all around about 40 hwy. I like it has a timing chain not belt. I put a DVD and amp in it. I view it as a disposable lighter or one of those $10 charcoal grills you throw out at the end of the summer. This is the first car I ever viewed like that.

Previously I had a 07 Mini Cooper ( quite a challenge to put DVD and amp in that ! )and a 87 Honda crx that I bought new. I sold it as my daughter only fit in the front seat ( in car seat ) and although legal I knew I would take some heat on it. I just sold the crx and all my tools. I moved last year and lost my garage. I could not own either car without a garage.

Mazda is coming out with a cx 3. A crossover that sits up higher. I would eventually like to get something like that.

07-09-2015, 05:17 PM   #20
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My wife has a 2007 Subaru Forester. Her second one and she loves them.

For my job I have a company supplied 2014 Ford Escape. Not a bad little vehicle. Okay gas mileage. Since the company bills me $30/week for any personal use I make sure i get my money's worth out of it.

My personal vehicle is a 2000 Ford Edge. I love it. A great road trip vehicle. Gas mileage is not all that great, but aside form road trips it does not get a lot of road time. In fact I went from mid February to mid June on one tank of gas.
07-09-2015, 06:27 PM   #21
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1997 Ford Expedition 5.4L with heavy duty/trailer towing package.
Bought it second hand in 2001 for USD 11k, with 98k miles on it.
It had been driven and taken good care of by a nice old lady (my mother).

Likes: build like a tank, comfortable, roomy, fantastic sure-footed handling on a inter-state at 80 mph for such a big truck.

Dislikes: ... none.
07-09-2015, 06:30 PM   #22
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Ex 2004 Subaru Outback 6-cyl.

2012 Honda Accord EX-L V-6 Black / Black Formal car.
Like: Invisible Dad car. NOT a BMW/Lexus /Infiniti/Tesla/Jaguar/STS-V/Mercedes/Audi/Porsche. (Yawn). Who would I impress?
Dislike: Road noise. It's not an Acura

2015 Mini S Getrag 6-speed Hardtop, BR Green / White Roof & Mirrors. Mild mid-life toy.
Like: buzzing around town; waving at other Mini's; parking just about anywhere; not caring what anyone else thinks about a 60 year old guy driving a MiniBimmer.
Dislike: Anything to do with the back seat.


Last edited by monochrome; 08-04-2015 at 12:55 PM.
07-09-2015, 07:23 PM   #23
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So'd anyone hear about the new Ford FRT truck? completely powered by methane.... ; p
07-09-2015, 08:47 PM   #24
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Geeez,
all you guys with these new-fangled vehicles,
Try a 1990 Toyota 4-Runner V6, 5-speed, with about 140K original miles on it.
Never been used as a commuter, my dad bought it new, and I bought it off him.
Good family vehicle, plenty of space, great driving position, it's paid for, and has been mostly maintenance free. Original engine, and tranny, on it's second clutch, brakes in good shape, just had to change the water pump last christmas.
Lousy in-town milage, which is what we do most, most of our trips are 5-miles or less, but it can still get about 20mpg on the freeway with the cruise control on. Tires are pricy for it.
It's our only vehicle, and my wife drives it most of the time. Would like to get something with better fuel economy, maybe a hybrid Highlander, but can't stomach getting into payments again. Will drive it into the ground likely.
Interesting read about what others have in their garages
07-09-2015, 09:00 PM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by K-Three Quote
Geeez,
all you guys with these new-fangled vehicles,
Try a 1990 Toyota 4-Runner V6, 5-speed, with about 140K original miles on it.
Never been used as a commuter, my dad bought it new, and I bought it off him.
Good family vehicle, plenty of space, great driving position, it's paid for, and has been mostly maintenance free. Original engine, and tranny, on it's second clutch, brakes in good shape, just had to change the water pump last christmas.
Lousy in-town milage, which is what we do most, most of our trips are 5-miles or less, but it can still get about 20mpg on the freeway with the cruise control on. Tires are pricy for it.
It's our only vehicle, and my wife drives it most of the time. Would like to get something with better fuel economy, maybe a hybrid Highlander, but can't stomach getting into payments again. Will drive it into the ground likely.
Interesting read about what others have in their garages
The 4 door version of that vehicle is one of the 2 that I learned to drive on with my learner's permit. Electric everything, recalls constantly, my mother finally got smart and got something other than another 4-runner. She went with a 2nd or 3rd gen Subaru Forester after that.
07-10-2015, 12:00 AM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by lammie200 Quote
I have a 2013 non turbo FIAT 500. So far it has been great, but I have heard horror stories about dealer service. I do all my maintenance myself so I haven't been back to the dealer yet.
Well, I'm about to find out. Fiat = Alfa Romeo. See my post above. I'll update it when I get results.


QuoteOriginally posted by lammie200 Quote
I have also modded the crap out of it to get better handling, and more and smoother power. That included overwriting the engine and transmission control units software.
Yourself? That's really very cool. The cheapest place that I could find to do it for me would cost me about 700 euros. How does it work really?
07-10-2015, 12:25 AM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by Clavius Quote
...but what's even worse, I think I'm not going to be able to prove them wrong! Last Tuesday, I brought my car in for the yearly checkup and maintenance. They quoted me 1200 euros (~1500USD?) in repairs! Both front wheel stabilizers, both front wheel bearings and a back seatbelt. Parts costing peanuts, but very costly in labor. I find it unbelievable that so many things can deteriorate during only one year. Also, I know what bad bearings and stabilizer sound like, and I don't hear anything! So, I'm bringing it in for a checkup at a different garage, as a second opinion next week. I really hope it will be less! I hate it when other things get in the way of lens purchases!!
beetje raar om dit in het engels te doen maar het blijft een internationaal forum

I work a lot on Punto's which are basicly the same and worn stabilizer end rods are common, but I only change them when you start to hear them. You also have to take them of the car to be able to feel if they're worn since the stabilizer makes it that there's constant pressure on the ball joints. I've never heard of a punto with worn front wheel bearings, but i've also never seen a punto with the 1.6 diesel. But bearings can be a MOT failure (apk afkeur) without you noticing.

07-10-2015, 12:39 AM   #28
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QuoteOriginally posted by gwboes Quote
beetje raar om dit in het engels te doen maar het blijft een internationaal forum

Haha.. Geen probleem! Je Engels is super.


QuoteOriginally posted by gwboes Quote
I work a lot on Punto's which are basicly the same and worn stabilizer end rods are common, but I only change them when you start to hear them. You also have to take them of the car to be able to feel if they're worn since the stabilizer makes it that there's constant pressure on the ball joints.
Thanks for your response! I've learned some new car/thechnical English from you here. And in hindsight, I wan't entirely correct when I described my problem in my first post. It's the two front ball joints that they want to replace. Not the stabilizers, they were replaced around three months ago. I could surely hear them knocking, yes. Can it be that the broken stabilizer have worn out the ball joints extra quickly?


QuoteOriginally posted by gwboes Quote
I've never heard of a punto with worn front wheel bearings, but i've also never seen a punto with the 1.6 diesel. But bearings can be a MOT failure (apk afkeur) without you noticing.
Correct, these are all related to my yearly MOT. All these have to be repaired before they give it the green light again.
07-10-2015, 07:54 AM   #29
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2005 Mazda RX-8

Love:
"Hi Velocity Red" color
Manual 6-speed transmission on twisty roads
Wankel rotary high-revving engine
Swoopy curves of the body
Suicide back doors to get dog into doggie-sized backseat
Rear wheel drive handling on those twisty roads

Dislike:
Attention given to "hi velocity red" autos by officers of the law
Manual transmission in highway stop and go traffic
Wankel rotary engine gas mileage.....20 mpg of premium gas on a good day
Inability to put any kind of kayak or bike rack on the swoopy roof and trunk
Sand and dirt accumulation from putting dog into back seat
Rear wheel drive handling on snow-covered roads
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Last edited by pbancr; 07-10-2015 at 11:10 AM.
07-10-2015, 08:59 AM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by pbancr Quote
2005 Mazda RX-8
Very sharp lookin' car! Love it!

Statistics I have read say the red color is not any more likely to be a "cop stopper" than other colors....but I don't believe it! I had a '69 Red Roadrunner......cops loved it...but maybe it wasn't the red they loved after all....it was the fastest car around in its day. A few cops only got a brief glimpse of it as it flew out of their reach.
Regards!
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