[cooltouch]

SUrprised that nobody has mentioned the Fiero.

The Fiero was a great example of management totally screwing things up. The car was originally intended to be an economical commuter car. Yeah? A mid-engined two seater as a commuter car? I'm sure that's not what it was originally designed to be. But insisting it be a "commuter car" no doubt forced the designers into all sorts of corner-cutting that should have never been done. No wonder it was a dog in its first iterations. Pontiac finally wised up and in 1986, the last year of the Fiero's production, they were making a car had finally become a very good performer. But they'd run it into the ground with their mistaken attempts to market the car, so too little too late, and they axed it -- when if they would have left it in production, it might have gotten pulled out of the slump they'd forced it into.

[jhaji]

I loved the Fiero that I had in college. Loved the mid-engine & the fiberglass body. The handling was better than the Z3 I had later on but the reliability left much to be desired because it was essentially engineered with parts out of existing cars. I have owned more Japanese cars than either German or American, but the Z3 has been the most reliable car that I have owned. On the other hand my Golf GL was even worse than the Fiero.

The sky high insurance premiums also contributed to the Fiero being pulled off the Pontiac lineup.

The Fiero died a fiery death on a Chicago highway a few months after I sold it to a friend. He saw smoke coming out of the hood, pulled over to the shoulder & saw flames shoot out. The firefighters did not make it in time to save the car. He was OK.

[cooltouch]

The Z3 -- now you're talking. I've always liked it better than the Z4. The Z3 was available as both a roadster and a hatchback. I've often fantasized owning one, and have realized that, in order to be totally happy, I'd have to own two -- both the roadster and the hatchback.

[timw4mail]

I've got a Scion iQ. 3 + 1 seating, 94 horsepower, and CVT transmission.

Probably the most fun Toyota I've ever driven... (and keep driving, 120,000+ miles later)

[wtlwdwgn]

My OB after its baptism of the dirt road. It rode and handled the washboards really nicely. I'm very pleased.

[Canada_Rockies]

Subarus are great vehicles. We remember with pleasure our 1981 GL5 wagon. We only need one vehicle, and 5th wheel trailers don't work with a wagon.

[timw4mail]

I've got a Scion iQ. 3 + 1 seating, 94 horsepower, and CVT transmission.

Probably the most fun Toyota I've ever driven... (and keep driving, 120,000+ miles later)

A picture for scale

[lesmore49]

The Fiero was a great example of management totally screwing things up. The car was originally intended to be an economical commuter car. Yeah? A mid-engined two seater as a commuter car? I'm sure that's not what it was originally designed to be. But insisting it be a "commuter car" no doubt forced the designers into all sorts of corner-cutting that should have never been done. No wonder it was a dog in its first iterations. Pontiac finally wised up and in 1986, the last year of the Fiero's production, they were making a car had finally become a very good performer. But they'd run it into the ground with their mistaken attempts to market the car, so too little too late, and they axed it -- when if they would have left it in production, it might have gotten pulled out of the slump they'd forced it into.

It was a very nice sportscar at the end...with the 2.8 liter V6 and 5 speed standard. Another short lived Pontiac sports car was the Solstice...both coupe and convertible. Believe they had a DOHC 4 cylinder, turbocharged engine with a 6 speed manual available. Sharp looking and quick with the Turbo 4.

[wtlwdwgn]

Mazdas are good vehicles too.

[monochrome]

We plan to buy a new vehicle when we finally get a spot in our new building's parking lot.
We'd consider a Subaru but the the local dealer is a known clip joint and has a lousy service department.

We have narrowed it down to another Mazda or perhaps a Kia.
We can commute to either dealer by public transportation when necessary,
and they have five and four star rated service departments respectively.

The local Ford dealer dropped out of the running when it was announced
they would no longer make cars.

Chris

Shame about the Sub Dealer. They’re such good cars.

Mazdas are good vehicles too.

I’ve helped* one daughter buy a KiA Soul and the other a Mazda 3 Hatchback. Both cars have been faultless and both girls love them.


* My daughters are competent, independent, successful women. By ‘helped’ I mean I explained the Art of War with Car Dealers and sat quietly while first Salesmen then Finance Managers did what I predicted they would do.

[Canada_Rockies]

Shame about the Sub Dealer. They’re such good cars.

We outgrew our 1981 GL5 wagon, but it was as reliable, economical and surprising speedy for a 1.8 l 4 cylinder. When my son got to 6'2", my daughter to 5'7", the same as my wife, and Tammy the Sheltie all got into it, we had to phase our breathing. (Kidding).

I’ve helped* one daughter buy a KiA Soul and the other a Mazda 3 Hatchback. Both cars have been faultless and both girls love them.


* My daughters are competent, independent, successful women. By ‘helped’ I mean I explained the Art of War with Car Dealers and sat quietly while first Salesmen then Finance Managers did what I predicted they would do.

I have one daughter, and she meets all of those criteria in spades. Of course, I am Daddy ...

My tactics for salesmen are simple. I make the offer, put a few $20 bills on the counter and go to lunch. The back and forth crap is just that, crap.

[lesmore49]

I use to factory order our rides. I would talk to about 3-4 dealers..selling the same manufacturer's vehicles and list exactly what I wanted in terms of options of that particular car and tell them I was going to factory order ...through the one dealer that gave me the best price on that vehicle .

Given that I was specific in model, options...there was no apples and oranges comparison. It was like a tender that 4 dealers could compete. Usually about 3 out of 4 dealers would be willing to compete and we bought around 3 vehicles at different times, using this system...and I got exactly what I wanted in a car...options, colour, etc. Not like buying off the lot, where I sorta get approximately what I want with all the car sales crapola that goes along in the 'game'.

The price I paid IMO was very good. I felt that capitalism and competitive market forces could be used successfully to a certain degree, in purchasing a new vehicle.

When I was a young guy, I was a salesman for a period of time and I got to know sales tactics. I also found I learned quite a bit about psychology ...that wasn't in the post secondary psychology course I enrolled and paid for.

[neal_nelson]

I drive a 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport Sedan, I've had it since 2007, but was the second owner. I believe if you buy a quality vehicle with the latest technology and maintain it by the book, you won't hate it 10 years later. I just put in new plugs, and am this minute waiting for the last of the new (original equipment) suspension pieces to arrive. I could be selling it instead of putting in new parts, it doesn't owe me a thing, but kind've like the idea of driving a car that still looks great but is really not worth much.

[Ratmagiclady]

I use to factory order our rides. I would talk to about 3-4 dealers..selling the same manufacturer's vehicles and list exactly what I wanted in terms of options of that particular car and tell them I was going to factory order ...through the one dealer that gave me the best price on that vehicle .

Given that I was specific in model, options...there was no apples and oranges comparison. It was like a tender that 4 dealers could compete. Usually about 3 out of 4 dealers would be willing to compete and we bought around 3 vehicles at different times, using this system...and I got exactly what I wanted in a car...options, colour, etc. Not like buying off the lot, where I sorta get approximately what I want with all the car sales crapola that goes along in the 'game'.

Hee, Cool enough. It'd probably be the only reason I'd ever buy new: to order very specifically something I really wanted. I dunno if they will be making such cars in the future because what I usually want is less computer-dependence in systems besides engine management, not every damn function being through an Ipad in the dash that half the Internet can get at better than I can.

There's a limited number of imaginable things-I'd want. Maybe if I were richer I'd want a Mustang or F-type Jag set up just right and in like beige.

Hey, also, since I know some of you guys have Bmer experience, I've got a young friend who just got an E39 sedan, (528i if I recall) ....Nice stock rims on there but some wheel lugs that look a bit dodgy in places, some being slightly stripped out aftermarket pieces. I'm wondering where (Really as in brand names or whatnot) you'd source some good quality stuff for people who really don't have extra money to speak of. OEM replacement for like Alpina wheels (I think that's what they are: I only could give the vehicle a pretty quick looking-over in the rain so far when they dropped by,) would be fine.

[gaweidert]

The Fiero was a great example of management totally screwing things up. The car was originally intended to be an economical commuter car. Yeah? A mid-engined two seater as a commuter car? I'm sure that's not what it was originally designed to be. But insisting it be a "commuter car" no doubt forced the designers into all sorts of corner-cutting that should have never been done. No wonder it was a dog in its first iterations. Pontiac finally wised up and in 1986, the last year of the Fiero's production, they were making a car had finally become a very good performer. But they'd run it into the ground with their mistaken attempts to market the car, so too little too late, and they axed it -- when if they would have left it in production, it might have gotten pulled out of the slump they'd forced it into.

The Fiero was initially a car made with a lot of current production part on the cheap. It's popularity encouraged Pontiac management to increase performance. This really spurred sales. At this point the people who made Corvettes got into the act and pretty much squashed the program. Corvette was, and still is, a statement car for GM and it carries a lot of weight in what goes on in other divisions of GM. Pontiac had to run the Fiero program as a "commuter car" get the program past senior GM management.