Starting to look at new car options (1:1)

never seen one,guess its kinda like holden in that its just a different body on a typical frame and not sold in the U.S like commodore VS GTO ,but the nissan looks like its a stretched sentra?--josh

[PBO]

It's from the Skyline/GTR platform

My wife has one. We call it a sports wagon in Australia, they come in as grey imports from Japan but I suspect the emissions are too high for the US??

Anyway, V6 turbo, awd, 5 speed goes very well 0-60 in 6.5 & carries the kids to school in true sleeper style. Great RC carrying potential...

nice!,if i was to ever own a ricer it would be a skyline GTR,bad arse 6 bangers right there! and id venture to say it isnt the emission but competition in there own company,cant have too many models flooding the market,which is whay GM is now GOV't motors--josh

[Metallover]

I found a good site awhile ago. People just submit reviews about a car they have owned. I find it pretty interesting and very imformative. I'm sure there are sites like it, but here is one - http://www.carsurvey.org/

looking at the website my vote goes for the mazda.

[BP-Revo]

No, the US is more or less devoid of Hatchback/Estate/Touring vehicles. We only have a small handful offered here.

We drove a "one notch below the top of the line" F150.

We currently have an 09 Ram. Ride is butter smooth (argue with me as much as you want here, this is the best riding truck right now...period), and engine is powerful as hell. In the Edmunds review it tied the Tundra for the tow test (tow large trailer up a steep incline) and it's acceleration was least affected by towing/hauling. Had the second best 0-60 time (behind the Tundra). I attribute that to the Tundra having a 6 speed and the Ram only having a 5 speed.

People have their own opinion about trucks and cars, but in the end you buy the car that fits your criteria and needs. If you buy a car simply because you are a brand loyal nut, then you are losing out, plain and simple. This was our criteria: power and ride quality. We rarely do significant hauling towing (usually just a bike in the bed and a small u-haul trailer with another bike on it), so that wasn't a huge factor for us, but it does it fine anyway. The Ram had the best ride and had plenty of power. Ride is butter smooth and it is every bit as quiet as our BMW (up to about 90mph, at least), and is damn fast for a 5000lb+ vehicle, especially once it gets going.

Not to take away from Chevy or Toyota though, they make great trucks as well. The Tundra is just a bit overpriced (in my opinion) and we never got to drive a Chevy (the salesman at the Chevy dealer was a jackass - it was obvious we wanted a 1500 model and he would only let us look at a 3500 for whatever reason, so we left without a test drive).

But buy what suits you best. It's well known that the Dodge gave up some payload capacity to improve ride, so if you do serious towing all the time, step up to a Ram 2500/3500 or get a different truck.

never a big fan of dodges,they typically rust out VERY quick in ohio atleast.if i was to get a doge truck it would be this SRT-10--josh

http://www.shadetreemechanic.com/ima...Quad%20Cab.jpg

[Finnster]

I hate Dodges. Big POSs, and now they are owned by the Italians...
Chevy...disappointing IMO.. I hope they turn it around.

I like Fords quite a bit. Never did until I got my Mazda, (30% owned by Ford, and shares a number of parts.) My new car is a Ford/deer mauler that's a 3-row family hauler. Bought w/ 16K miles & 100K B2B warr for a steal.

The Mazda is fantastic. For the year I was buying, Mazdas were rated nearly as reliable as Toyota, and above Honda and Nissan. It has been. I only paid to have my (R) brakes done once, then I've done them myself. I just buy new Wagner rotors and pads, and its ~ $200 for the whole car and an hr of work. The only real repair has been replacing the EGR valve, which I did for $120.
Linc is right about the sheetmetal, it is thin, and more rust prone than I would have thought. OTOH I do live in the east coast where they drench the road in salt. FWIW, my chevy truck before that ended up with quite a but of rust too. I did sound deaden (Raammat) the car, so that helped alot. For the 15K I paid for a fully loaded hatchback, I can't complain. So much fun to drive still. Manual tranny FTW.

depends on where you live though,there are still alot of people livin in the sticks out here and fords and chevy trucks are a must,dodges dont have the ground clearance and a sport wagon would crush its driveline even trying,they're still are some cool lookin ones out there though.--josh

[Finnster]

Originally Posted by bigsteel

depends on where you live though,there are still alot of people livin in the sticks out here and fords and chevy trucks are a must,dodges dont have the ground clearance and a sport wagon would crush its driveline even trying,they're still are some cool lookin ones out there though.--josh

True, but I'd say its maybe 5-10% of truck owners that actually need that. The rest are blacktop cowboys. When the OEMs start putting 20in rims and LPR tires on the SUV, you know where its meant to go.

I grew up in Denver, and everybody drives a truck there, yet most everybody lives in the city and the only offroading the truck gets is a dirt mountain road with a little washboard. Some people actually go into the deep woods hunting/hiking and need a 4x4, but not too many ever use it that way. Just makes me laugh a bit anymore.

BTW.. what year of car is that in your av? It looks very close to my brother's '73 firebird...

Originally Posted by Finnster

True, but I'd say its maybe 5-10% of truck owners that actually need that. The rest are blacktop cowboys. When the OEMs start putting 20in rims and LPR tires on the SUV, you know where its meant to go.

I grew up in Denver, and everybody drives a truck there, yet most everybody lives in the city and the only offroading the truck gets is a dirt mountain road with a little washboard. Some people actually go into the deep woods hunting/hiking and need a 4x4, but not too many ever use it that way. Just makes me laugh a bit anymore.

BTW.. what year of car is that in your av? It looks very close to my brother's '73 firebird...

good point,guess everyones situation is different.
and the pic is of a 73 SD in front and 69 in the back.i have a 76 with a 462 stroker but i coudnt find any good shots of a 76 on google,so i took this one.--josh

[rabosi]

Originally Posted by bigsteel

........pic is of a 73 SD in front and 69 in the back.i have a 76 with a 462 stroker but i coudnt find any good shots of a 76 on google,so i took this one.--josh

Man, that picture brings back memories. I had a 73 with the stock 455 (not HO or SD) back in the early 80's when I was stationed in Japan. Wish I had kept it. Still my favorite car to date.

[BrianG]

Wow, leave for a few hours and come back to this! OK, I don't want to get into a Chevy vs Ford debate (or any brand for that matter), so I will say this:

1: I definitely don't want a truck or a conventional wagon. I don't consider a hatchback a "wagon" even though it is basically the same when you get down to it.

2: I would like a decent amount of power. Something along the lines of 200+ HP and equal torque in a mid-size sedan or sport compact. Turbo is nice because I can get decent mileage as long as I am gentle on the pedal, yet have the power when I want it. However, I am a little leary about the added complexity and increased material stresses that forced induction produces. I'd like longevity. This is probably the main reason why I would not choose the Speed3.

3: Out of the pile of vehicles I looked up, the two choices in the original post most closely match my requirements based on specs, personal experience, price, and various reviews.

4: Another requirement would be to have a rear suspension that can handle around 60lbs of static load in the trunk (modest stereo) without the car bottoming out on bumps, or requiring upgraded suspension components. I had to take the system out of my current car because the suspension arms would hit the rubber bump-stops on bumps that would not faze a normal car. But at the same time, I don't want the car to exhibit a ton of body roll.

5: Price is in the mid 20k range.

[jayjay283]

Time to go german then, GTI it is

[lincpimp]

Originally Posted by PBO

You've been smoking again haven't you

I have an STi & have driven a Lightning also & there is no chance - not even a glimmer of hope that your truck will corner better than an STi. You MAY get to 60 faster if I stuff the launch but once we're at a corner it's bye bye truckie

The STi has a lower COG, better brakes, better gearing in a manual box, awd, better tyres...your dreaming

Last few I ran did not keep up, not dragging, on the interstate, down 2 lane twisty road (no hills in LA, pretty flat). Ran a few regular wrx and a few sti models, the sti were much closer. I do know how to drive overpowered rear wheel drive stuff, so maybe I had the edge over the spoiled college boys in the subies? Who knows, but they are familiar with the ford's tailights.

On a track, or with comparable drivers, the difference would really show. A 4wd low cg car should easily best a 2wd truck, but so far I am still in front. Seemed like I was pulling harder on the straights, and not wussing out as hard on the corners. My truck does have 285 nitto rubber all the way around, if that makes any difference.

Originally Posted by BP-Revo

A lightning, while fast, has NO chance against an STI stock for stock.

Sorry linc, that's reality...

Next time you run a sti in your lightning get back to me on the "reality"... I only know what I have experienced... Maybe they were all bad drivers? Or I am very good? Or I got the "A" everything lightning? I ran one guy in a stock wrx with my 2000 zx12r stapped in the back of the truck. Another 700lbs in the bed does actually help the launch, and it was cold out. My truck loves cold weather, seems like it picks up 50hp in 40f compared to 95f...

I know the numbers say what they say, but on the street those numbers do not really tell the whole story. SVT got the suspension tuning right on this truck, not the best ride, but it sticks hard in the corners.

Originally Posted by jayjay283

Time to go german then, GTI it is

Auuug, VW were designed by meth addicts and assembled by double jointed monkeys!!!

If there was one mfg that I would never buy it would be VW, nothing lasts on those cars, worse than saturn from what I have worked on. Parts are expensive, and in limited supply as well. The new beetle is possibly the worst car I have ever ridden in, and that is saying something...

[PBO]

Originally Posted by lincpimp

Last few I ran did not keep up, not dragging, on the interstate, down 2 lane twisty road (no hills in LA, pretty flat). Ran a few regular wrx and a few sti models, the sti were much closer. I do know how to drive overpowered rear wheel drive stuff, so maybe I had the edge over the spoiled college boys in the subies? Who knows, but they are familiar with the ford's tailights.

On a track, or with comparable drivers, the difference would really show. A 4wd low cg car should easily best a 2wd truck, but so far I am still in front. Seemed like I was pulling harder on the straights, and not wussing out as hard on the corners. My truck does have 285 nitto rubber all the way around, if that makes any difference.

There's some funny stuff in there...I'm picturing you running moonshine

If you're only using 'college boys' as your measure...well there's your problem. It takes a while before you learn to drive a turbo Awd fast. Go find an experienced driver who isn't still learning to change gears, then tell me who's faster