# Do You Drive/Have A Car?



## ArtMusic

I was just wondering if any of you own/have access to a car for transport? Do you own a car? Do you rent a car for regular use? Do you borrow a car from someone (e.g. family, partner)?


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## pianozach

Southern California.

You really HAVE to have a car. NOT having one is a major inconvenience.

Except for a short time in College (I did have a motorcycle, a Honda 350 XL), and several months a few years ago, I've never been without a car.


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## Art Rock

Yes. When I was still working (can't believe that's already almost 9 years ago) it was a no-brainer, as it cut down commuting time by over an hour per day compared to public transport. Nowadays we use the car to visit family and friends (pre-Covid), many of whom cannot be reached conveniently by public transport, larger-scale shopping and daytrips/holidays (pre-Covid). Our car is now almost 10 years old, and is pretty environmentally friendly for a traditional vehicle (about 23 km/l = 54 miles per gallon).


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## Ingélou

We jointly own a car, which we both drive according to need. We left it till we were 30+ before we got a car, because of worries about the environment, and I hope we both have the good sense to give up if we live to be very old, as we've both known instances of obstinate old people who've clung on to their car and had accidents. 

In the meantime, it's convenient and also exhilarating to have the means to explore beautiful Yorkshire once lockdowns are a thing of the past, fingers crossed..


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## HenryPenfold

I have 2 cars, a Mazda 6 which was gifted to me by my sister and a late Toyota Avensis. The missus drives a Ford Fiesta (based in another city/country). We have an old style Farbon Cootprint .....


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## Krummhorn

We have two cars, mine is a 2000 Infiniti I-30, and hers is a 2006 Honda CR-V. 

The Infiniti is my daily and the one we use when going on vacations/trips. 

There is mass transit here, but the hike to the closest bus stop is about a mile ... the bus route does not go by my church, but it did go past my former church - would have required three transfers and about 3.5 hours each way of my time. In the car it took 35 minutes!


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## Strange Magic

We have two cars, both relatively small and fuel-efficient; both with 5-speed manual transmissions. We enjoy driving the hill-and-dale terrain of northwestern NJ and adjacent Pennsylvania, exploring new and little-traveled roads. The interaction with the vehicle with a manual transmission is quite pleasing as one tailors the gear to the varying road conditions. Stirling Moss or Juan Fangio would concur.


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## Jacck

HenryPenfold said:


> I have 2 cars, a Mazda 6 which was gifted to me by my sister and a late Toyota Avensis. The missus drives a Ford Fiesta (based in another city/country). We have an old style Farbon Cootprint .....


I have Mazda 6 too (from 2012), though I am looking to buy a new car. Mazda CX-5 is a high contender. One of the cheaper SUVs.


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## Kjetil Heggelund

Yes, and there's even a new dishwasher in it


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## Jacck

Kjetil Heggelund said:


> Yes, and there's even a new dishwasher in it


the Mazda? I don't know about that, but it has a very good sound system
https://www.minidsp.com/media/kunena/attachments/43426/BosePremiumSystem_MazdaCX-5.pdf


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## HenryPenfold

Jacck said:


> I have Mazda 6 too (from 2012), though I am looking to buy a new car. Mazda CX-5 is a high contender. One of the cheaper SUVs.


I have reached the age where I get a free bus, tube, train and tram pass for London, so when my cars give up the ghost, that's it for me.


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## Kjetil Heggelund

Jacck said:


> the Mazda? I don't know about that, but it has a very good sound system
> https://www.minidsp.com/media/kunena/attachments/43426/BosePremiumSystem_MazdaCX-5.pdf


I was hoping someone misunderstood that  I have a Volkswagen Tiguan 2009 model and today we bought a new dishwasher for our kitchen.


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## eljr

pianozach said:


> Southern California.
> 
> You really HAVE to have a car. NOT having one is a major inconvenience.
> 
> .


I think this true for anyplace in America less NYC.


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## elgar's ghost

Despite liking some cars from an aesthetic viewpoint I've never been interested in the mechanical side of things nor have I ever wanted (or really needed) to drive - it always struck me as some kind of multi-task hell. Also, I used to get travel sick when I was younger so that may have turned me against the idea even more and even now I get a headache if I try to read in a car. Luckily all the jobs I've had have been within either walking distance or an easy commute. I appreciate cars can mean freedom but I've never regretted being without one - it would be a luxury I can well do without. Besides, I like train journeys!


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## Bulldog

Here in New Mexico, you might as well be dead if you don't own/use a vehicle. My wife and I have 2 cars. I love to drive - control, power, and speed.


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## Varick

Strange Magic said:


> We have two cars, both relatively small and fuel-efficient; both with 5-speed manual transmissions. We enjoy driving the hill-and-dale terrain of northwestern NJ and adjacent Pennsylvania, exploring new and little-traveled roads. *The interaction with the vehicle with a manual transmission is quite pleasing as one tailors the gear to the varying road conditions.* Stirling Moss or Juan Fangio would concur.


It's a shame more Americans do not appreciate the feel and relationship between themselves, the car, and the road when driving with a manual transmission. It's getting more and more difficult to find vehicles sold in the US with a manual transmission. We are already a nation of horrible drivers, and the complete takeover of automatic transmissions isn't helping any.

V


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## Varick

To the OP: We own two cars. Right now I have a Hyundai Sonata which is a nice comfortable ride. It was a vehicle I picked up for a steal so I would have been silly to turn it down. Not exactly the vehicle I wanted. I would rather had a manual transmission (which is pretty much all I've ever owned) if I was going to drive a sedan but, I couldn't turn the price down. When a deal comes around like it did, it's one of those situations that I wish it would have gotten totaled a few weeks after buying it. I would have made a nice profit on it with the insurance, but alas, that never happened. When it's done, I will most likely be getting a pick up truck. I do too many home improvement jobs for my family and side jobs for extra $ and having a sedan is a major obstacle in getting a lot of these jobs done in an efficient manner. During the week, I just drive the company van. Only on weekends does my car see the road. My wife has a Honda CRV.

V


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## Bulldog

Varick said:


> It's a shame more Americans do not appreciate the feel and relationship between themselves, the car, and the road when driving with a manual transmission. It's getting more and more difficult to find vehicles sold in the US with a manual transmission. We are already a nation of horrible drivers, and the complete takeover of automatic transmissions isn't helping any.
> 
> V


Agreed. I've been driving manuals for decades - love it. It's the only way to be fully engaged with your car.


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## SixFootScowl

I have 2001 Chevy S10 and am happy to not drive in to work every day (30 mile round trip), so use it for occasional trips like grocery or chiropractor. Wife has a 2008 Mazda 5 that we actually drive more because she hates going in the S10 because it is a stick and sprung more stiffly than the Mazda. Also have a motor home that hs not gone more than 200 miles since August 2019. Oh and I co own with my son, a 1992 Mustang 5.0 5-speed that is a royal blast to drive but it does not get driven but maybe 500 miles per summer. I have to have at least one vehicle as my wife is tutoring two Mexican girls (full American citizens by birth) and drives to Detroit (30 mile round trip) to get them three days a week. Besides we like to take drives in the country in summer.


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## NoCoPilot

Art Rock said:


> When I was still working (can't believe that's already almost 9 years ago) it was a no-brainer, as it cut down commuting time by over an hour per day compared to public transport.


I'm just the opposite, when I worked I took public transit and used the commute time to read, listen to music, engage online, etc. Since retiring, I need my car a lot more -- but not every day.


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## NoCoPilot

Bulldog said:


> I've been driving manuals for decades - love it. It's the only way to be fully engaged with your car.


I always drove clutches until my knees started giving out. Now I'm very fond of my CVT (continuously variable transmission). It drives like a Tesla -- you push, it goes.


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## SixFootScowl

Varick said:


> It's a shame more Americans do not appreciate the feel and relationship between themselves, the car, and the road when driving with a manual transmission. It's getting more and more difficult to find vehicles sold in the US with a manual transmission. We are already a nation of horrible drivers, and the complete takeover of automatic transmissions isn't helping any.
> 
> V


I started driving stick about 1976 and all my personal vehicles have been stick since then: '63 Chevy Biscayne inline six 3 on the column, 1979 Suzuki 500 twin (well not a stick but a manau  ), 1977 F100 inlind six with 3 on column, 1984 F150 inline six four on the floor, 1995 F150 inline six five on floor, 2001 Ford Ranger inlin 4 with 5 speed, and current 2001 S10 4 banger 5 speed. My son bought a stick for his first vehicle (the s10 I now own), followed by manuals ever since. I remember when I first showed him the push start he was bowled over with how neat that is. Got me home a couple times when starter went out on me.


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## HenryPenfold

Varick said:


> It's a shame more Americans do not appreciate the feel and relationship between themselves, the car, and the road when driving with a manual transmission.


We pretty much never had a choice in Britain/Europe. I'm sick to death of manual, give me automatic any day of the week - in fact, there should be a law banning the manufacture of manual gearboxes. When I was in Portland Oregon for a while in the 1970s, I met an American chap who bought a Triumph Spitfire 2 seater and converted it to automatic. Following immense American peer group pressure, he hated what he'd done and deliberately smashed the car up!


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## Strange Magic

My current car (my wife drives a 2005 Scion Xa, a ferocious little road car with its 5-speed manual) is our 7th Subaru. I bought it, a 2011 Impreza, used, at a good price because it was a 5-speed manual and the dealer said that nobody (well, hardly anybody) was interested in a manual transmission anymore. Plus it was white (ideal for both visibility and for not looking dirty even when it is), and had built-in roof racks and some other goodies that I wasn't even looking for (sun roof). Love it, and such fun to drive. When better cars are built, the Japanese design, and sometimes build them. Subaru is a prime example.


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## Strange Magic

HenryPenfold said:


> We pretty much never had a choice in Britain/Europe. I'm sick to death of manual, give me automatic any day of the week - in fact, there should be a law banning the manufacture of manual gearboxes. When I was in Portland Oregon for a while in the 1970s, I met an American chap who bought a Triumph Spitfire 2 seater and converted it to automatic. Following immense American peer group pressure, he hated what he'd done and deliberately smashed the car up!


One strong feature of a manual transmission is their durability. Compared with a slush-o-matic, they are indestructible. And I've only once had to replace a clutch.


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## SixFootScowl

Strange Magic said:


> One strong feature of a manual transmission is their durability. Compared with a slush-o-matic, they are indestructible. And I've only once had to replace a clutch.


I have had a lot of trouble with hydraulic clutch linkage on my 01 Ford Ranger. Replaced everything, slave, line, master, still would not hold a pedal. Things are notoriously difficult to bleed because master is on a sever angle. MY Chevy S10 master is dead level. 150,000 miles it has never had any tranny, clutch, or linkage work. I once changed out the tranny fluid around 70,000 miles. We put in Redline MTL.


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## ArtMusic

And I bet many of you who drive regularly might have CM on, or maybe not? I don't enjoy listening to music on the road. The road noise is far too noisy.


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## HenryPenfold

ArtMusic said:


> And I bet many of you who drive regularly might have CM on, or maybe not? I don't enjoy listening to music on the road. The road noise is far too noisy.


For the last couple of years, I have had a CD of Mozart's Horn Concertos, Barry Tuckwell, Academy Of St Martin In The Fields, Neville Mariner on repeat. I found that when I had Deep Purple's Machine Head in the player, I picked up too many speeding tickets.


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## Dorsetmike

My car is a Mazda now 14 years old, I've had it just on 6 years, when I bought it it had done just under 41,000 miles, I've added less than 5,000 to that. Recently it has just been used to go to the supermarket about 3 miles away or occasionally to a larger one about 6 miles away.
Never had an automatic, don't want one either, just more to go wrong, like a lot of other things on current models; I often wish I'd kept the 1962 Ford Classic that I sold when I turned 70, I could fix most things myself, now you need a few £1000s of computerised test equipment to find a fault.


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## HenryPenfold

Dorsetmike said:


> My car is a Mazda now 14 years old, I've had it just on 6 years, when I bought it it had done just under 41,000 miles, I've added less than 5,000 to that. Recently it has just been used to go to the supermarket about 3 miles away or occasionally to a larger one about 6 miles away.
> Never had an automatic, don't want one either, just more to go wrong, like a lot of other things on current models; I often wish I'd kept the 1962 Ford Classic that I sold when I turned 70, I could fix most things myself, now you need a few £1000s of computerised test equipment to find a fault.


I know the feeling. With my Ford Escort, all I needed to know was the Holy Trinity (starter motor, battery & alternator), how to change a radiator, know a welder to bodge the exhaust and a mate who knew a bit about electrics. When I open the bonnet these days, I don't recognise what I'm looking at!


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## Dorsetmike

HenryPenfold said:


> I know the feeling. With my Ford Escort, all I needed to know was the Holy Trinity (starter motor, battery & alternator), how to change a radiator, know a welder to bodge the exhaust and a mate who knew a bit about electrics. When I open the bonnet these days, I don't recognise what I'm looking at!


Much the same here, except I knew the electrics as well (I taught electronics in the RAF and industry) I also had a cousin living nearby who was a mobile mechanic we managed an engine change, he had the necessary hoist.

Another time I needed an engine change while still in the RAF, who should I live next door to but an NCO from the MT section (motor pool)


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## Varick

ArtMusic said:


> And I bet many of you who drive regularly might have CM on, or maybe not? I don't enjoy listening to music on the road. The road noise is far too noisy.


Definitely no CM in my work van. WAY too noisy. In my car if all the windows are rolled up (winter only) I can listen to CM, but that's a short window of the year. I usually listen to podcasts or audio books when I'm in the car. If I do listen to music in the car it's non CM. My wife's Honda CRV is still too noisy (and an inferior sound system to mine) for CM.

V


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## Strange Magic

HenryPenfold said:


> I know the feeling. With my Ford Escort, all I needed to know was the Holy Trinity (starter motor, battery & alternator), how to change a radiator, know a welder to bodge the exhaust and a mate who knew a bit about electrics. When I open the bonnet these days, I don't recognise what I'm looking at!


My father, who thought almost everything had gotten worse over his lifetime (he may have been on to something) did say that there were two things that had improved enormously: A) cars and their tires, and B) winter clothing. I am old enough to be able to say that he was correct. While under a modern car's hood is a technological visual tangled mystery, they are remarkably more dependable. And winter clothing certainly has gotten both lighter and far more effective.


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## Phil loves classical

Had to cancel my insurance, with 5 minor offenses within last 3 years, my car insurance skyrocketed. A couple were deserved, I'll admit. Rant: I heard Canadian police officers have a quota on the number of tickets to give out. They look for any opportunity to nab you. I drove a lot in the US, never got a ticket (although was close one time). They seem to go by real driving conditions. Speed limits are more reasonable in the US. One speeding ticket I got in Canada was driving a bit over 100km/h on a straight highway in the middle of nowhere with no cars around.

One sort of hobby or obsession is documenting the routes I take, so I can recall certain memories from different parts of the map, with mouse-drawn lines.


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## ldiat

pianozach said:


> Southern California.
> 
> You really HAVE to have a car. NOT having one is a major inconvenience.
> 
> Except for a short time in College (I did have a motorcycle, a Honda 350 XL), and several months a few years ago, I've never been without a car.


Southern California. i agree. and thinking i may get "car shields" as the car has 77,000 miles on it. but its a Toyota and they go for awhile


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## starthrower

I hate the expense but I couldn't get around without a car. But auto insurance rates have gotten ridiculous over the past decade. Too many people driving like idiots so the premiums keep going up.


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## senza sordino

I used to own a Mazda, manual transmission. I got rid of it in 2009 when the car was old and in need of some major repairs. I haven't owned a car since. I had started taking the commuter train to work in 2004, so I wasn't driving the car much by the time I got rid of it. Fortunately, I was able to trade in my car to the wrecker's yard in exchange for two years of transit passes. 

I now belong to a car share program. I get a car two or three times a year for errands that would be difficult on public transit. This is much more convenient than a car rental and probably cheaper. There are about half a dozen cars within a five or ten minute walk, and if available, I can be driving within minutes once I book the car on my phone. 

For the past five years, I have lived close enough to walk to work. I sometimes cycle to work. It's a thirty-minute walk or ten-minute cycle. I don't cycle in the rain or when it's too cold and icy.


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## HenryPenfold

Strange Magic said:


> My father, who thought almost everything had gotten worse over his lifetime (he may have been on to something) did say that there were two things that had improved enormously: A) cars and their tires, and B) winter clothing. I am old enough to be able to say that he was correct. While under a modern car's hood is a technological visual tangled mystery, they are remarkably more dependable. And winter clothing certainly has gotten both lighter and far more effective.


Agree about cars, not sure anything could beat my old sheepskin coat from the late 60s 70s handed down to me by my dad.


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## SixFootScowl

ArtMusic said:


> And I bet many of you who drive regularly might have CM on, or maybe not? I don't enjoy listening to music on the road. The road noise is far too noisy.


I listen to non-classical in the car. But in the Mustang we yanked the stereo (it was aftermarket) and went with the basic stereo, which for that car is a much better sound system:


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## Art Rock

ArtMusic said:


> And I bet many of you who drive regularly might have CM on, or maybe not? I don't enjoy listening to music on the road. The road noise is far too noisy.


Never. Far too noisy indeed. We have a 32 GB USB stick with thousands of suitable pop/rock songs on it for the car, played at random.


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## Pat Fairlea

Yes.
Mrs Pat and I each have a car (Gasp! Such planet-destroying indulgence!), a situation that dates from when we were both working full-time. Both cars (Skoda Octavia and Renault Clio) are over 10 years old and used sparingly. When one of them passes away, we'll get used to having only one. And my bike.


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## Jacck

Phil loves classical said:


> Had to cancel my insurance, with 5 minor offenses within last 3 years, my car insurance skyrocketed. A couple were deserved, I'll admit. Rant: I heard Canadian police officers have a quota on the number of tickets to give out. They look for any opportunity to nab you


they do the same here, though for different reasons. The state gave to competence to measure speed to the individual towns and villages and keep the income from the fines. So they installed these speed measuring radars everywhere (even at places where it does not make much sense) and collect fines to earn some revenue. I was fined maybe 4 times during the last year, always for speeds like 58 km/h where there are limits of 50 km/h. It is annoying. Only state police should be allowed to do this, not the individual villages.


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## Krummhorn

HenryPenfold said:


> I have reached the age where I get a free bus, tube, train and tram pass for London, so when my cars give up the ghost, that's it for me.


We really enjoyed using the tube, train and buses when we were in London in 2010. Easy mode for transportation. We could easily live in London without a car for sure.


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## Dorsetmike

So when are you moving Lars? Just think of all the beautiful organs we have for you to play.


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## NoCoPilot

Strange Magic said:


> My father, who thought almost everything had gotten worse over his lifetime (he may have been on to something) did say that there were two things that had improved enormously: A) cars and their tires, and B) winter clothing. I am old enough to be able to say that he was correct. While under a modern car's hood is a technological visual tangled mystery, they are remarkably more dependable. And winter clothing certainly has gotten both lighter and far more effective.


And when was the last time you got a flat?


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## NoCoPilot

starthrower said:


> I hate the expense but I couldn't get around without a car.


It's somewhat ridiculous, but both Mrs. NoCoPilot and I have brand new 2020 cars. Hers has about 800 miles on it, mine has a touch over 8000. We bought them for three reasons: 1) much better safety features than the 10-20 year old cars they replaced (curtain airbags, antilock brakes, forward collision avoidance, backup cameras, etc.), 2) insurance actually went DOWN because of #1, and 3) we could afford to buy brand new cars (1st for both of us) with cash because the stock market went crazy. We figure these'll be the last cars we ever own, unless electric cars make a breakthrough.


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## Strange Magic

NoCoPilot said:


> And when was the last time you got a flat?


It was probably at least 20 years ago. I hit a giant yet concealed pothole when coming home from work on Christmas Eve day and blew the tire to pieces, so it was not a case of tire/"tube" (remember them?) shoddiness. The coming of tubeless tires, belted tires, then radial tires revolutionized travel. My father would regale us with tales of early trips in the old Model A or whatever, marred by frequent tire/tube flats and repairs. And they weren't all that reliable in my youth either. Progress!


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## BobBrines

Tires: My first car was a 1966 Mustang GT fastback, British racing green with white rocker panel stripes. Had those godawful belted bias tires. They would break away without notice. Extremely dangerous. I put a set of Michelin radials on it and I was no longer afraid to go into a corner a little hot.


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## NoCoPilot

BobBrines said:


> Tires: My first car was a 1966 Mustang GT fastback, British racing green with white rocker panel stripes.


Remarkable beast.


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## Geoff48

I acquired my first car, a second hand beetle, when I got my first real job. It was 20 miles away and there was no direct bus route so it was a no brainer if I wanted the job. I replaced it when my first child was born, the boot was incompatible with an old fashioned big carriage built pram. Eventually I acquired a Company car, what a godsend ,no repairs. Then when I retired my last Company car formed part of my package. And when I eventually needed an automatic I bought a Honda Jazz which is now thirteen years old but enables me to do my shopping, see my kids and grandkids, and go out with friends. I think I am a competent driver, a little slower than in my prime, and I have no doubt that when this competence reduces too much my daughters will let me know and the car, or it’s successor, will go. Hopefully long in the future since as a widower the car gives me independence. And I tend to stay relatively local, any long journey now tends to be by train or bus, and my annual mileage is probably less than three thousand miles. So I accept the car isn’t really cost effective but what ho.


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## DaveM

I have a Lexus ES300. Fancy-smanchy you might say, but it is now 20 years old, bought within a week or two of 9/11. And it sports a 6 CD changer and a cassette deck, both not used for years, but were used heavily back when they were relevant. Runs like top. Have a tough time thinking of letting her go.


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## Strange Magic

Longest mileage ever on a car for you? Mine was almost 300,000 on a 1994 Ford Escort wagon driven 100 miles/day on commute plus yearly trips to Florida and back on vacation. Original clutch (5-speed manual, of course). At the end, I was barely able to nurse it to the Subaru dealership to "trade" (hah!) it in on my 6th Subaru. Great car, but it was time to get back to AWD for winter driving.


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## Musicaterina

I never had a car, and I even never had a driving license. I live in a big city, with a good public transport network. With a car, you only have problems finding a parking spot here.


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## Guest

I have a 2021 Tesla Model 3--love it! I've never driven anything like it, and it has probably spoiled me for ever owning another gasoline powered car. It's incredibly fast (the acceleration can pin one to the seat!), smooth, quiet, and largely maintenance-free. I went for the upgraded white/black interior, which has nicer leather-esque upholstery and a better stereo (sounds great and will play up to 24 bit/192kHz FLAC via a USB drive), and the extended range. I don't trust autonomous driving, so I passed on that option.


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## NoCoPilot

I seriously considered a Tesla, before buying my new car, but I worry about the long-term viability of the company with a founder who's nuts. Also, the batteries only last 7-10 years and must be replaced at a cost close to that of the whole car. And service is apparently factory-only? Anyway, some scare points there.

OTOH a friend of mine cashed in some Tesla stock and paid off his house.


Fazioli said:


> I don't trust autonomous driving, so I passed on that option.


My new car has "predictive cruise control" (maintains distance to leading car, rather than speed) and "lane assist" (keeps itself centered between the lines, even on curves.) That last one bugged me. I didn't like having the steering wheel tugged out from under my grip. I turned it off.

Besides, we've got some heavily-patched roads around here and the cameras see the tar as lane markers.


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## NoCoPilot

Strange Magic said:


> Longest mileage ever on a car for you? Mine was almost 300,000 on a 1994 Ford Escort wagon driven 100 miles/day on commute plus yearly trips to Florida and back on vacation. Original clutch (5-speed manual, of course). At the end, I was barely able to nurse it to the Subaru dealership to "trade" (hah!) it in on my 6th Subaru. Great car, but it was time to get back to AWD for winter driving.


I had "only" 164,000 miles on my '98 Forester* when I traded it in for the 2020. It needed a clutch & brakes for $2200 and the blue book was $500 on it -- and I wanted the new safety features.

My cousin Maryanne had a shade over 360,000 on her Outback when we made her give it up as a safety hazard. She resisted.

* - My local Subaru repair shop said for $2200 she'd run another 164,000 miles


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## Guest

NoCoPilot said:


> And service is apparently factory-only?


That does seem to be the case, but depending on the problem, they can sometimes fix it remotely. I decided to have the automatic garage door option added, and they sent a technician to me!


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## NoCoPilot

Geoff48 said:


> I acquired my first car, a second hand beetle


My first car was a '67 Ford Cortina. Damn thing wouldn't run in the rain.... The distributor couldn't be sealed properly. Not a very useful feature in Seattle.


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## Strange Magic

Worst cars I had, both bought used, were a Ford Pinto and a Chevy Vega. Mechanics would roll their eyes: one had a perpetual camshaft problem--rear end not getting proper lube; the other an endlessly leaking head gasket, evidently both conditions widely known within car mechanic circles but unknown to me at the time. With the exception of the excellent Ford Escort, it's been Japanese (and almost all Subaru) ever since.


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## Barbebleu

In answer to OP. Yes and yes. I drive a Vauxhall Astra and my wife drives a Renault Captur. We both do (did) lots of things so two cars are well nigh essential.


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## TxllxT

Last week we drove our Citroen Xantia (from the year 2000, 220.000 km) for the last time  one and a half hour to the far north of the Netherlands, and we returned :angel: with a second-hand Peugeot 308 SW (from the year 2012, 160.000 km, new transmission belt). I've driven seven second-hand manual Xantias, but now we are happy with our six gear automat, which uses 2.2 l /100 km on the highway with a steady 100 km speed. I also experienced that the Peugeot is coping better with the Dutch speed bumps than the famous hydraulic suspension of Citroen. Citroen's suspension is great for comfort on long road trips, but the curse of road humps is taken worse than Peugeot.


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## NoCoPilot

Musicaterina said:


> I never had a car, and I even never had a driving license. I live in a big city, with a good public transport network. With a car, you only have problems finding a parking spot here.


I wish I lived in a place where a car was optional. Glad to hear Cologne is one.

In Amsterdam, with all of the 15th century narrow roads and extensive bike paths -- and RESPECT for bike riders -- and *great* public transit options -- it would be silly to own a car.

In Seattle [heavy sigh] not so much.


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## TxllxT

NoCoPilot said:


> I wish I lived in a place where a car was optional. Glad to hear Cologne is one.
> 
> In Amsterdam, with all of the 15th century narrow roads and extensive bike paths -- and RESPECT for bike riders -- and *great* public transit options -- it would be silly to own a car.
> 
> In Seattle [heavy sigh] not so much.


https://www.amsterdam.info/parking/#:~:text=The%20hourly%20price%20for%20on,and%2024%3A00%20on%20Sunday. The Parking fee is 5 Euro / hour, 45 Euro / day.


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## Krummhorn

Dorsetmike said:


> So when are you moving Lars? Just think of all the beautiful organs we have for you to play.


If things go the wrong way in November 2024 this could become a possibility.


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## Harmonie

No. I tried to learn back in high school, but then I didn't do so well, so I took a break and thought "Eh. I'll learn later", but then health issues happened, and yeah.

I live in a very car-dependent area, so... =/


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## Varick

Fazioli said:


> I have a 2021 Tesla Model 3--love it! I've never driven anything like it, and it has probably spoiled me for ever owning another gasoline powered car. It's incredibly fast (the acceleration can pin one to the seat!), smooth, quiet, and largely maintenance-free. I went for the upgraded white/black interior, which has nicer leather-esque upholstery and a better stereo (sounds great and will play up to 24 bit/192kHz FLAC via a USB drive), and the extended range. I don't trust autonomous driving, so I passed on that option.


So how many miles does the extended range get on one charge?

V


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## Krummhorn

Just upgraded from 2000 Infiniti to this 2018 VW Passat SE w/ 2.0L Turbo.

Infiniti was going to need a new cat convertor and a complete front end overhaul ... not worth spending that much on a 21 year old auto.


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## Tikoo Tuba

I live rural and have a small truck . 27 mpg . Blast me if I can do better . Well , a donkey and cart
would be fine . But not here , somewhere else , even more rural , where the butterflies are free ...


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## SixFootScowl

NoCoPilot said:


> And when was the last time you got a flat?


But for some reason, most cars come equipped with a spare tire. An anachronism we cannot let go of?


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