Thread: What are you driving?

Aloha!

I travel frequently and rent a car often. For the last five years I've been renting the Kia Optima. I have to say, I'm damn impressed with this car.

I read that Kia recruited Audi designers and engineers to design this car, and it shows. I drive an Audi A8 and I find the Kia Optima a close second, for what.... about 40k less in price?

My mechanic told me, "Kia may be a nice car for 10 years or so, but it's going to cost you plenty to keep it on the road after that 10 year warranty runs out.". Really? My Audi cost me a bloody fortune to keep it on the road shortly after my FOUR year warrenty ran out, and it's kept at my wallet like a Woodpecker every year since then.

As I posted earlier in this thread, I've had it with paying more for cars than my first home cost me. Not to mention the very high maintenance cost of keeping a high end German import on the road. Every time you visit an Audi dealer with an out of warranty Audi, you best have your credit card at-the-ready for a 2k plus service charge. My next car may very well be a Kia Optima. 10 years bumper to bumper and from what I have driven in rentals over the last five years, these cars have me liking them very much. I also get complements at the gas pump when I drive them. Go figure! Never got complements on my Audi.

-Zip

I have 2 trucks. An 01 Dodge Dakota with a 4.7 v8 and an old T100 Tojo with a 3.4 V6.
The Dodge will get 21 if it is a long stretch of highway. About 15 in town if I keep my foot out.

Seems the Toyota will do a bit better in-town. Never had it on the highway yet.

Costs money to go down the road. I never complain about mileage as long as the truck performs properly. I have found over the years that you can make mileage if you slow down and get it into overdrive ASAP! In a hurry? Buy some gas!

The cost of the new diesel-powered trucks will buy a TON of gas in my book.
See what those Colorado Diesels cost?

I was doing build and price on Chevrolet's website. Comparable Colorados with the gasoline V-6 and the turbo-diesel were around $36,000 and $40,000 respectively.

Early reviews of the Toyota Tacoma diesel have it starting in the mid-twenties to $30k range. I'm skeptical of those prices.

You can bet you will have to pony up more than the Colorado to get the Tacoma. JMO

Agreed, Tom. One review even said the diesel Tacoma would be less expensive than the gasoline version. I'll believe it when I see it. I'm not putting much stock in what I have read about the Tacoma diesel so far.

Originally Posted by ZipZop

As I posted earlier in this thread, I've had it with paying more for cars than my first home cost me.

My former idiot boss considered that to be a point of pride. He actually repeatedly bragged about the fact that, since college, his car payments have been higher than his housing payments.

Idiot drives 300 miles a day to commute to and from work. He bought an $85k BMW on a 6 year payment plan. Meanwhile he and his wife and three kids live in a two bedroom house without a garage. Yup, the Beemer sits outside year round. After 6 years his car will have over 300k miles on it and all three of his kids will be teenagers, all stuck sharing a single bedroom.

Everybody has different priorities.

I actually thought this thread might be about driving golf balls and what driver to use. Me, I've been car-free since 1998. Since then, I've lived in France, lived in the U.S.A., visited England, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, and Italy, all without a car. Ditching the thing was one of the best things I've done.

Originally Posted by Utopian

My former idiot boss considered that to be a point of pride. He actually repeatedly bragged about the fact that, since college, his car payments have been higher than his housing payments.

Idiot drives 300 miles a day to commute to and from work. He bought an $85k BMW on a 6 year payment plan. Meanwhile he and his wife and three kids live in a two bedroom house without a garage. Yup, the Beemer sits outside year round. After 6 years his car will have over 300k miles on it and all three of his kids will be teenagers, all stuck sharing a single bedroom.

Everybody has different priorities.

That's idiotic indeed. At that commute mileage level, you need a disposable car. You are basically running it into the ground, so you have to treat it as a high cost quick-consumable. You need the cheapest car you can buy with the best warranty and dependability rating. For me it would be a Kia or Hyundai midsize because I'd want the 100k bumber to bumper and 35 plus mpg. The hell with comfort or prestige. And I'd proabably buy USED. A one year old car would be my target buy to get that huge new car depreciation out of the way. Something with 5k on the clock but with the remainder of the 100k warranty in tact.

Once that BMW gets past warranty, he'd better add another 3-5 grand a year for maintenance. High end German cars are wonderful when they run. When you need maintenance, it's outrageous. I "Have a guy" that owns a private garage and he services German imports. Cuts the cost of repair about in half VS an Audi dealer. But still, it costs me about 2-3k a year in maintenance to keep my car on the road. Even simple things like a fuel pump failure end up costing you $1,900.00 in parts and $350 in labor with a 3rd party garage. Don't even ask what it would cost at an Audi dealer.

-Zip

Originally Posted by Brontosaurus

I actually thought this thread might be about driving golf balls and what driver to use. Me, I've been car-free since 1998. Since then, I've lived in France, lived in the U.S.A., visited England, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, and Italy, all without a car. Ditching the thing was one of the best things I've done.

Aloha!

I have often dreamed about being car-free, but alas, it has yet not to be. I need a car on the mainland. Hawaii? Best public bus system in the U.S. (and very inexpensive to ride) and everything I need within easy walking distance to my condo. I could get by with my motorcycle until I hit about 70 and it becomes too dangerous for me to be on two wheels in a highly populated tropical island city.

I lived in France for two years when I was younger. So I know what it's like to live without a car, even though my car was sitting in my parent's driveway waiting for me back in the USA. Le Metro and Batobus were my friends in Paris.

Talk show host Bruce Williams used to brag how he never owned a car and how many tens of thousands of dollars he had saved by not diving into car ownership. He said if he absolutely needed a car for something, he'd rent one for a few days or a week, then be car free again for a year until he needed to rent one again.

-zip

Originally Posted by ZipZop

Aloha!

I have often dreamed about being car-free, but alas, it has yet not to be. I need a car on the mainland. Hawaii? Best public bus system in the U.S. (and very inexpensive to ride) and everything I need within easy walking distance to my condo. I could get by with my motorcycle until I hit about 70 and it becomes too dangerous for me to be on two wheels in a highly populated tropical island city.

I lived in France for two years when I was younger. So I know what it's like to live without a car, even though my car was sitting in my parent's driveway waiting for me back in the USA. Le Metro and Batobus were my friends in Paris.

Talk show host Bruce Williams used to brag how he never owned a car and how many tens of thousands of dollars he had saved by not diving into car ownership. He said if he absolutely needed a car for something, he'd rent one for a few days or a week, then be car free again for a year until he needed to rent one again.

-zip

Thanks for your appreciation.