What car brand you drive? POLL

[Speedliner]

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

I'm in sales and my company gives us cars - Ford Fusion in my case which is a great car. This is my weekender. Replaced my motorcycle and sounds almost as good. Almost.

 

[skellington]

Sounds like you like the e-Golf. That's good to know. I think that it makes a lot of sense for us as well, but my wife is currently a little skeptical of VW. We will be taking some test drives over the next week and that is the first car on the list.

I've leased a LEAF and am now driving a Kia Soul EV. Both are excellent cars for around town, if you have a place (home or work) to charge them daily. I prefer the Soul over the Leaf, but they are very comparable.

In both cases, the depreciation has been super-steep, and I have to recommend leasing if possible until battery prices (and long term degradation issues) settle out.

 

[SVQuant]

I've leased a LEAF and am now driving a Kia Soul EV. Both are excellent cars for around town, if you have a place (home or work) to charge them daily. I prefer the Soul over the Leaf, but they are very comparable.

In both cases, the depreciation has been super-steep, and I have to recommend leasing if possible until battery prices (and long term degradation issues) settle out.

Thanks for the recommendations. We'll lease if we get an EV. The Leaf is out because it is a 4-seater. One of our neighbors got a Soul EV recently and it does look nice. Hadn't really thought about it, but will definitely consider it. Does it seat 5? Not that we always need that, but having the ability to do it occasionally would be great.

 

[panamike]

Some one needs to lower the tone

For just over 3 years we have had a Dacia Stepway in red but its time for a change.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

So we have just ordered a Dacia Stepway in white

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[skellington]

The Leaf is out because it is a 4-seater. One of our neighbors got a Soul EV recently and it does look nice. Hadn't really thought about it, but will definitely consider it. Does it seat 5?

Technically the Leaf seats 5.

And the Kia Soul EV does seat 5. We've had 2 in the back with a car seat. (The boxy shape gives you more shoulder room in the front and the back. But at the cost of the cargo area being more vertical. Groceries, in particular, end up in my passenger compartment because it is easier than trying to pile things up.)

But I think all of these (except for the Tesla and some plug-in hybrids) are sub-compacts, so the space is somewhat limited (but not terrible for a commuter car.)

 

[jhawk1000]

I have a Chevrolet Equinox we use for daily driving. I always rent a car for vacations or longer trips. My fun car is a car I have owned since brand new 40 years ago--a Porsche 911 SC Targa which looks pretty good for such an old girl. I drive the car only on nice days, it has 125K on the odometer which runs out to 3K miles per year over its life. I probably drive it 500 miles a year now but I drive it like it should be driven. It is stock except for a change in stereos from the original Blaupunkt to a newer Alpine, two amps under the seats, and some new speakers. It does have sheepskin covers for the front seats but that is it. Not as fast as some of the newer cars but one hell of a lot more fun to drive and a head-turner

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

at 40 years old.

 

[John King]

2x Subaru Foresters.

We can get into them without using any orthopaedic aids ...

They are remarkably quick off the mark.

Incredible fuel economy on the open road.

Handle better than a rear/front wheel drive car, without the "happy tail" of the former.

Comfortable for touring.

Flexible for carrying lots of stuff.

Mine has a dual range, 5 speed manual. SWMBO's has a Sportshift 4 speed auto.

[Edit] Both our Foresters have the 2.5L EJ253 naturally aspirated engines. [End edit]

One of the safest cars ever made, for both primary and secondary safety. Can't cut through the B pillar with the jaws of life - they break ...

 

[Mountain_Man_79]

20 years ago I rocked the 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse, which I bought new in 2000. Lasted me for 10 years with zero issues, so that was nice. A young mans car -

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Then I discovered the luxurious joys of Jaguar and picked up a 2003 S Type.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

To this day, still one of the most comfortable cars I’ve ever owned, granted it handled like a car much, much larger than it was. As any Jag owner does, when it began bellowing smoke inside of the cabin, I promptly purchased another Jag.

The 2009 XF came next. Not as comfortable, but a sheer joy to drive. Nothing like an 8 cylinder engine and rear wheel drive to make for a fun time. Of course I had to have the racing green.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Recently I cheated on Jaguar with a pretty young Volvo. Enter the 2017 S90. Both comfortable and entertaining, which is good as it’s a measly 4 cylinder and less then inspiring to drive. So I’m happy to let it do the driving for me. Fantastic interior however...those Swedes got that down pat. And apparently crash tested on ballistic gelatin moose...so it’s got that going for it -

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

So what’s next? Currently I am chomping at the bit for a 2021 2-door Ford Bronco when they become available. So we shall see...

 

[Mountain_Man_79]

But it wasn’t always relatively nice cars...prior to these I had several heaps of junk -

86 Ford Escort EXP (I still contend this stood for ‘experimental’)
83 Chevy Caprice station wagon (where the 3rd row faced backwards)
84 Dodge Omni (I have nothing endearing to say about this vehicle)
76 Pontiac Ventura (suped up - this one was kinda fun)
97 Toyota Corolla (the worlds most boring car?)

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I’ve owned one new car in my life, a Suzuki, and it was totaled 40 days into ownership when a pothead blew through a red light and T-boned us. First payment hadn’t even cleared the bank. That’s when I leaned my lesson on financing and what “upside down” meant. Fortunately, Mr Pothead had insurance, so I was able to argue my way to where I was before we bought the car. The next car was.a used KIA, which I still financed, but the next car after that was the used 2008 Mazda 5 Sport that we wrote a check for (with the trade). We saved up for years to avoid financing. The Mazda was a great deal, 5 years old, 11000 miles on it. Still have it to this day, and all I’ve had to do with it is oil changes, and finally, new tires. Sadly, I’ll likely need to upgrade soon, as we are finally outgrowing it with the 3 kids. I might just keep it and not get hosed on the trade.

 

[John King]

But it wasn’t always relatively nice cars...prior to these I had several heaps of junk -

I'm certain that no one is interested in my history of vehicles owned since 1964, so I will spare everyone that ...

All did the job well, some got highly modified along the way.

Both our Foresters have the 2.5L EJ253 naturally aspirated engines.

 

[Mountain_Man_79]

I'm certain that no one is interested in my history of vehicles owned since 1964, so I will spare everyone that ...

Don’t be so sure! Someone here may very well want to hear your storied 66 year motoring history in detail. I mean, it’s not me, but someone might!

 

[John King]

Well, I'll spare everyone the details, but I still hold a heavy vehicle licence. BTW it's not quite 64 years ... ... only about 56 this December. But I have been driving since I was about 13 y.o. on our stations ('ranches' in USA "english" ).

I've driven almost everything, from big farm tractors to semi-trailers; Morris Mini Minors to 250/275 LM Ferraris. Under almost any conditions imaginable.

Pontiac Firebird around Squaw Valley area (that black ice was dangerous, even just in the car park ... ). SS Camaro and Shelby Mustang in Stockton, CA. Fiat 125 Coupe in Sacramento.

WWII 'Jeeps' in mid and western Queensland.

No tanks, bren carriers or Bushmasters ...

 

[jhawk1000]

My history of cars is overly excessive--Triumph Spitfire, TR6, Fiat 124 Spyder, MGB, Camaros, Mustangs, T birds, and then I got serious--Porsche 911SC Targa (I still have), Maserati Merak, Porsche 944S, Mercedes 300, BMW 635, Porsche 928, Audis, Jeep, Cadillac, Lincoln LS, 57 Chevrolet Bel Air 2dr Hardtop, Infinitis. Goes on and on and on and then I semi-retired and the fun stopped.

 

[Danny_SWE]

Toyota Avensis 98
I had a white 2.0 "Sun" edition before, then it broke, so now I have bought myself a white 1.8 "Luna" edition
Love that car, very good! Hope this new one will last a few years more.

 

[Holoholo55]

OK, since modest cars are acceptable, I'll lay out mine.
A 1975 Honda Civic CVCC hatchback 4 spd manual in yellow. It was my Mom's car first and in three years, she put 90,000 miles on it. It was a huge leap for my Dad who had previously owned only American cars, and he took a chance on the smallest car on the road and his first with FWD and a manufacturer who was known more for motorcycles. We chose yellow for visibility. She drove it all over the Big Island on good roads and bad. She loved that car. I drove it from 1978 until I replaced it with...
A 1987 Honda Civic hatchback 5 spd manual in burgundy. My first new car. It again was a reliable workhorse and I drove it until...
A 2002 Honda CRV. It was reliable but did need more repairs than previous Hondas. It served us well for carrying big cargo and many passengers as well as all our gear for camping with the Cub Scouts, until replaced by...
A 2015 Honda CRV. Current car. I average 26-27 mpg in mostly in-town driving. I expect it to last at least ten years. My nephew still drives the 2002.
Yeah, made Hondas into a habit. That first little yellow Honda convinced me.

 

[WaltP]

Lexus RX350, their small SUV. Trouble-free after all these years. And can get quite a way out there if one knows what one is doing and is patient.

 

[Gerard]

A Nissan Note, one of the

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

few cars that I can get into without breaking my back.

 

[Michael Meissner]

2x Subaru Foresters.

I own a Subaru Forester that I've had for about 4 1/2 years.

I bought the Forester after the brakes failed on my Honda Element (conveniently just as we were passing the Honda dealer). I had had the Element for quite a few years, and I tend to keep cars until I drive them into the ground. But I live on a dirt road that isn't plowed by the city and I really wanted 4/all wheel drive. At the time, Honda did not have anything with 4 wheel drive that met my other criteria (suv form factor, and not a van, etc.).

One of the things that I liked about the Forester model (Touring) we got was it had the Eyesight Drive Assist System. While it is perhaps a little too sensitive, I feel it does help if I'm starting to swerve.

However, the Touring model does have a sunroof, which I would prefer it didn't have (my daughter and I get migraines if the sunroof is open). At least, I can keep the sunroof closed, unlike the Element which had no option for closing the sunroof.

Unfortunately one of the features I loved about the Element in that the seats could fold completely up to the sides to allow for carrying tall items was not in any of the SUVs when I looked in 2015. Some the vans had it, but after driving a series of vans before getting the Element, I didn't want to go back to that, due to all of the issues with a van.

I grew up with a father into VW vans, and I did several cross country trips in my father's van. While the VW vans of the 1970's were iconic (like wow man), I don't see the need to drive them now.

I should mention my wife and daughter hated the Honda Element, and even if they were still making them, I would have needed to switch.

Also, the rear seats don't fold all of the way back like they did in the Element to allow a person in the rear to sleep better. Again, none of the SUVs had this feature any more. I assume there was a safety reason for it. But when we do long car trips, it was really nice to be able to sleep in the back.

My wife always had a thing for Mustangs, and she went through 2 of them (yellow and then green). Unfortunately a few years ago, it became apparent that she had some mobility issues, and we had to sell the last Mustang and buy a Toyota wheelchair van (complete with the handicap sticker).

Before getting the van, I spent some amount of time loading and unloading her wheelchairs (first walker, then manual chair, and finally a powered chair that could be folded down) into the Forester, so I appreciated the amount of room it has, and the ability to fold down one of the two rear seats.

 

[Breezy]

Skoda Karoq. Love it!

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)