Automobiles

[sbornia]

As a car guy (who does not actually own a fun car at the moment, unless you count a beat-to-shit Volvo V50 T5 with 103k miles on it) I am having trouble reconciling that I really liked our rental Chrysler Pacifica while in Colorado. It drove better than our lumbering Honda Pilot, was easier to load and unload, and took two bike bags standing up. WTF is wrong with me that I'm daydreaming about trading in the Pilot for an Odyssey? ;-)

[robin3mj]

Unfortunately the answer is always “minivan”. You won’t regret it.

[rec head]

We are DINKs and had a Pacifica while we waited for our Rivian. It was great overall but not so great in snow. I got winter tires in time for the snow to stop so I don't know how much they would have helped.

Re:Amphicar, my dad had lots of cars when I was a kid but I was too small to drive. Except the Amphicar. We got that in the water and I drove into a sandbar. I didn't feel too bad because I didn't even know what a sandbar was. It did have the floater on the key chain. I can't believe I remember that.

[AngryScientist]

As a car guy (who does not actually own a fun car at the moment, unless you count a beat-to-shit Volvo V50 T5 with 103k miles on it) I am having trouble reconciling that I really liked our rental Chrysler Pacifica while in Colorado. It drove better than our lumbering Honda Pilot, was easier to load and unload, and took two bike bags standing up. WTF is wrong with me that I'm daydreaming about trading in the Pilot for an Odyssey? ;-)

I believe the Pilot and the Odyssey share a platform. The Pilot is an absolutely terrible version of a bloated American market SUV. Almost any Pilot owner would be better off with an Odyssey and a set of snow tires. Our minivan continues to impress me with how versatile it is and just how much stuff it can swallow.

[AngryScientist]

In other news, my old BMW was part of the stupid Takata airbag disaster. They send me hate mail to have a recall done about once/month, but then it's always a massive runaround with any of the local dealers to get the actual work done.

I just opted for the DIY airbag recall = airbag delete.

Wow, it's been a while since I have driven a car without airbags, it just feels "right" in there now. So much simpler and cleaner.

[72gmc]

Wow, it's been a while since I have driven a car without airbags, it just feels "right" in there now. So much simpler and cleaner. ]

Steering wheels that aren’t trying to do anything but steer are so much nicer to look at.

[fastupslowdown]

I'm still driving my 2006 BMW 3 series. Best car I've ever owned. No interest in getting anything newer. Keeping it till it dies which doesn't look to be anytime soon

[rwsaunders]

[TonyP]

It'd be worth test driving just to wrap it around a pole.

[j44ke]

minivan

[AngryScientist]

Thats a Hellava lot of forward facing light there!

[vertical_doug]

Thats a Hellava lot of forward facing light there!

helps in poaching.

[j44ke]

Thats a Hellava lot of forward facing light there!

helps in poaching.

And racing down alleys to the grocery!

[j44ke]

I saw one of Arctic Truck's Suzuki Jimny mods in Iceland. It looked very similar to this one. Nice looking setup. Needs a snorkel though. And orange paint.

[j44ke]

I like this one.

[vertical_doug]

minivan

They sell a mini version for $13,000 or 1.9mm yen in Japan



https://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/...ign/index.html

although these vids are more fun

[j44ke]

There has been a focused effort in areas where the Kei trucks and mini-mini-vans have been popular to make registration very difficult or impossible. Sense is that lobbying from car manufacturers - including Toyota - are behind it.

[sk_tle]

There has been a focused effort in areas where the Kei trucks and mini-mini-vans have been popular to make registration very difficult or impossible. Sense is that lobbying from car manufacturers - including Toyota - are behind it.

I think kei cars are the victims but what the lobbies want to avoid is China to flood the market with electric mini-cars/vans/trucks. No US, european or japanese brand is ready to compete with them in that area.

They don't want a repeat of xiaomi and dji.

[j44ke]

I think there are so many political aspects to full-electric in the US that the market has effectively plateaued and car manufacturers will return to hybrid motor development.

[Saab2000]

I think there are so many political aspects to full-electric in the US that the market has effectively plateaued and car manufacturers will return to hybrid motor development.

The growth has certainly flattened out and Tesla prices have come back to earth. I sadly bought mine at peak Tesla pricing. Other than having annoyances with the touch screen UI, it's been super efficient and reliable car. One unexpected service visit that was a warranty issue that took about an hour to resolve.

Electric isn't for everyone for sure but it's way easier to live with than people would believe. Gotta be able to park and charge at home thought to get maximum benefit.

Looking forward to my Mazda MX-5 Miata to show up this fall! Pics and reports to follow when it does.