What do you Drive?

[dks]

If it is body on frame it may be cheaper. I think a lot of the cost is the electrics as well. I know the actual tow ball is cheap. I did not look into aftermarket kits, yet. I do not, however want to affect the warranty, and do not need to tow urgently.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Of course not- not if you have a pickup truck too.  And if you did need to tow, you'd be better off towing with the pickup anyway. 

Def

[gregozedobe]

That doesn't sound reasonable.  I picked up the aftermarket hitch reciever for the Jeep for less than $100 and installed it myself in about an hour. 

Vehicles with electronic stability control, ABS and other fripperies often need special ECUs and such to cope with a trailer.  Often even just to operate the trailer lights special set-ups are needed  These can get very expensive very quickly.

[Mercury]

I solved a lot of these issues when I got my pickup truck.  I'm tossing around the idea of a tonneau cover or camper shell for the summer so I can go camping quickly with the family.  We only have the weekends, and I hate spending half a day loading and making sure things won't fly out. 

This is a pic of my truck the day I bought it, after totaling my car when a guy hit me in december.

[kkokkolis]

I'm going to buy a Suzulki Ignis II GLS SVHS for my wife. She considered many but settled to this. She drives the original for 12 years.

[Gareth]

I'm going to buy a Suzulki Ignis II GLS SVHS for my wife. She considered many but settled to this. She drives the original for 12 years.

The wife of a friend of mine has done exactly the same thing and for the same reason.  I've not seen it myself but apparently she does like it, though she thinks it lacks a little of the charm of the original.  I certainly liked my old Ignis very much, but it was never a big hit here.

[pfrsantos]

Not many fans of french brands, I see. Maybe you just need to try one to change your minds...

Show content

 

[Gareth]

Not many fans of french brands, I see. Maybe you just need to try one to change your minds...

Show content

 

Hey!  I drive a Renault you know.

[Gareth]

I was helping my in-laws pick out a new car and got to test drive a new Citroen C3 (it's grown a lot in the last 8 years and has very mushy suspension), not actually as bad as I thought it might be, but I wasn't impressed, especially at the price point.  The one that did tick all the boxes for them IMO was the new Ford Ka+.  Nippy around town, competitively priced, relaxed at speed, basic but functional interior and surprisingly roomy in the back seats.  It's looks aren't going to catch the eye of the young and funky, but for a couple in their 70's I think it does very well. 

[dks]

make sure you compare several new cars. 
any car will appear good when compared to your current, 5, 10 year old car, but you need to compare it with its current competitors and not older cars.

[Gareth]

make sure you compare several new cars. 
any car will appear good when compared to your current, 5, 10 year old car, but you need to compare it with its current competitors and not older cars.

That's good advice and I hope I can persuade them to follow it, but given they were all for going straight to the new model D3 (because that's what they've owned for years) it took a bit of charm to get them to look at anything else.  The fact that they have owned two D3s already BECAUSE THE FIRST ONE BLEW UP didn't seem to feature into the equation.  We did also look at the Hyundai i20 and i10 and the Dacia Sandero but there were, legitimately, things they didn't like about them.

[gregozedobe]

Current car: Skoda Octavia vRS wagon/estate/variant (basically VW Golf GTI mechanicals in a different body).

On order:  VW Golf R wagon (more power but AWD to better cope with it).

[murrydan]

My wife stole my Land Rover, so I picked up one of these.

[Gareth]

very nice gents.

[Gareth]

Current car: Skoda Octavia vRS wagon/estate/variant (basically VW Golf GTI mechanicals in a different body).

On order:  VW Golf R wagon (more power but AWD to better cope with it).

I drove an diesel Octavia as a work car a few years ago and it was a real workhorse.  I really can't think of anything I didn't like about for what I was using it for.

[pfrsantos]

My wife stole my Land Rover, so I picked up one of these.

(Image removed from quote.)

When/if I ever get a new/2nd hand car, a beemer is the one I'm going for.

 

Sure, I'd love to get a Porsche 911, but it's not very practical and the price is forbiding (same goes for the Ford Mustang).

[dks]

Ford mustang and its 2/5 safety rating...  you are lucky to not afford it

[pfrsantos]

Ford mustang and its 2/5 safety rating...  you are lucky to not afford it

[jzmtl]

My wife stole my Land Rover, so I picked up one of these.

(Image removed from quote.)

When/if I ever get a new/2nd hand car, a beemer is the one I'm going for.

 

Sure, I'd love to get a Porsche 911, but it's not very practical and the price is forbiding (same goes for the Ford Mustang).

It's funny how Mustang (and Wrangler) are so expensive outside North America, here it's just a regular car and priced like one.

[murrydan]

It's funny how Mustang (and Wrangler) are so expensive outside North America, here it's just a regular car and priced like one.

Have you looked at the prices on the Land Rover Defender? In the UK,they are less than $20K… they're like $120K in the US.

[moonweasel]

It's funny how Mustang (and Wrangler) are so expensive outside North America, here it's just a regular car and priced like one.

Have you looked at the prices on the Land Rover Defender? In the UK,they are less than $20K… they're like $120K in the US.

To be fair, that is because they are not sold there as new, private companies import 25 year old Defenders and upgrade/rebuild, essentially customised, to US tastes to a low volume niche market, Or just plain old rarity from the ones that were last sold there way back.
 Mustang and whatnot are production vehicles, sold new in those countries.

[dks]

LR have been expensive for years. I do not know anybody that bought a new defender in 20 years. Many buy used range rovers but not for offroad use. They are just fashion vehicles. It is hard to justiy buying a defender when you have other more reliable, comfortable and cheaper Japanese options. Even the armies have moved on.

There is good reason the Indian owners have stopped production.

[gregozedobe]

LR have been expensive for years. I do not know anybody that bought a new defender in 20 years. Many buy used range rovers but not for offroad use. They are just fashion vehicles. It is hard to justiy buying a defender when you have other more reliable, comfortable and cheaper Japanese options. Even the armies have moved on.

There is good reason the Indian owners have stopped production.

I thought the main reason for stopping Defender production was difficulty meeting newer govt regulations esp environmental & safety (incl crash test).

[dks]

Main, yes (according to them..... ), but if it was selling well they could have invested in sorting that out, for an iconic car. The Jeep (Currently the Wrangler)  has been around for longer than the LR equivalent, from similar origins.

[microbe]

2001 banger, and I like it.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Main, yes (according to them..... ), but if it was selling well they could have invested in sorting that out, for an iconic car. The Jeep (Currently the Wrangler)  has been around for longer than the LR equivalent, from similar origins.

I thought they were redesigning (aka ruining) the Defender and planning to bring it back?

Def

[Spartan19]

Here's mine. 5 speed and 275,000, but still goin! Love Saturns!

[gregozedobe]

I thought they were redesigning (aka ruining) the Defender and planning to bring it back?

Yep, I read that they will revive the Defender badge sometime in the future, but it is likely to be quite different to the current bare-bones 4WD.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yes... the photos I have seen have been.... disappointing.

Def

[El Corkscrew]

Plymouth -> Saturn -> Ford -> VW -> Jeep

What's should I get next?

I like my Jeep Patriot b/c it gets pretty good gas mileage, has decent storage space, low ticket price and  6 yrs/70000 have had no issues.

Loses points on interior quality, and the side view mirrors are crap.

I want a Preep or a Jeius