American cars vs. Euro cars

[chisel]

Volkswagen!

 I see your a Diesel man <S>!

The TDI equipped Beetle/ Jetta are very nice. Passat equipped with TDI yet?

Havent a clue on pricing/availability for Diesels in the US.

Sorry if there not expensive enough for ya  

Currently Driving a 98 beetle TDI 72,000 Kms and nary a problem.

60mpg (imperial) If I dont drive like an amazinhunk  

[Zigrat]

well i would recommend 1 of 2 things for you ripsnort

for 42k you can get a real nice new 525 bmw. it has 184 horses, which is really more than enough for anything you need to do in a car, plus it is niiice.

if you wanna spend a bit cheaper. id recommend subarus. my dad just bought a subaru impreza WRX with 228 horses and it is FUN to drive   plus it has standard all wheel drive... imo the subaru is a better buy than a bmw 3 series or an audi

if you need lots of legroom in the rear seat go with the bimmer since the subaru sint so hot in this department, better than (example) the terrible legroom in the rear of a probe, but not as good as my friend's dodge intrepid.

anyways if you wanna spend 40 grand i think you really have to go with the 5 series   you WONT regret it.

[INDN]

I can see Rip at con now nose pointed straight up to ceiling. No time for us lowly pickup driver any more.  

Taurus love mine. so there.  

[StSanta]

A car?

Heh, I borrowed a motorcycle during a break yesterday.

Screw cars. Screw anything that doesn't go up on one wheel when ya give full throttle.

 

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Von Santa
Staffelkapitän 9./JG 54 "Grünherz"
"If you return from a mission with a victory, but without your Rottenflieger, you have lost your battle."
- D. Hrabak, JG 54 "Grünherz"

[GRUNHERZ]

Ahh BMW!  

For about $40,000 you should look for the 5 series. At this price you can get the 525i with a 184hp engine, the base MSRP is $35,400 though your total price will most likely be about 40,000 as BMW loves selling you options that really should be standard on cars like this. A slightly more expensive choice would be the 225hp 530i which starts out at $39,400 which would end up about 45,000 if you equip it nicely.
They are expensive and shamefully most people do buy them for show or for their housewives with childseats in the back, uggghhh.., but its a kickass car and you should buy one if you can afford it.

[Wingnut_0]

Want a car that will last forever?

I owned a 1979 280zx (Datsun/Nissan) 2 Seater.  I traded even for a 1978 Monte Carlo which had the terrible 305 motor I kept replacing.  The 280zx had 185,000 miles on it when I got it.  It surved 3 wrecks (2 i was not driving   ) and the ONLY thing I ever replaced besides belts and filters was the Clutch plate.  

At 315,484 miles, I got rid of her  

Wingnut

[eskimo]

We have 3 Volvos:
86 240DL - 156 K miles.
86 240DL - 228 K miles.
82 240DL - about 375 K miles (I think it had about 350 when I bought it a few years back, OD is busted).

They hold their value very well, even when they get old because buyers know they don't wear out at 200K miles.

In my opinion, only Mercedes will last as long (or longer).

The main reason why I drive em, however, is safety.  A great deal of saftey features found on all cars were invented by Volvo.
They also weigh over 4 thousand pounds, most comparable size cars weigh less than 3K.  Lots of thick steel to help keep you alive in a crash.

eskimo

[qts]

You know, for $40k, you should be able to purchase something a lot more interesting - like an Abbot SPG. :}

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qts

[Ripsnort]

 

Originally posted by INDN:
I can see Rip at con now nose pointed straight up to ceiling. No time for us lowly pickup driver any more.  

Taurus love mine. so there.  

You know me better than that!  I still throw an elk leg bone out in my front yard for the big-assed black dog to chew on, just to get a reaction from my neighbors, who all seem to be pilots, lawyers, oral surgeons or Real Estate people.  

I'll always own a truck!  Just need something with alittle more economy, that'll last me 10+ years.

[mrfish]

 

Originally posted by Ripsnort:
You know me better than that!  I still throw an elk leg bone out in my front yard for the big-assed black dog to chew on, just to get a reaction from my neighbors, who all seem to be pilots, lawyers, oral surgeons or Real Estate people.  

I'll always own a truck!  Just need something with alittle more economy, that'll last me 10+ years.

if you ever get too snotty, visit your family. i went to oklahoma to see my folks not long ago - all that city wears off the second your old granny hands you a sack of fresh picked green beans and tells you to "get to snappin".  

[Thud]

Trust me, the BMW 5-series is the best buy, it's roomy, comfortable, yet drives like a sportscar many hundreds of kilos lighter. Nothing in its class has come close to its level of perfection.

[Ripsnort]

Here's the first runner up:

   

2001 BMW 3-series 325Ci

Invoice=35,000
MSRP=38,760


[This message has been edited by Ripsnort (edited 05-25-2001).]

[54Ed]

If the Honda quality appeals to you but you want a bit more prestige, get an Acura. They're both made by the same company.

I've got 2 Acuras, with 100k miles on one and 150k miles on the other, and have never had one single unexpected maintenance problem.  That's right, after 8 years with one and 5 with the other, I've never paid a mechanic a dime to fix something that wasn't scheduled in the owner's manual.  

[Tuomio]

No american cars eh? Well heres opposite then.

 

[J_A_B]

No American car?    Well then buy something made in Germany, preferably a Mercedes.  German cars aren't half bad, although they're a bit pricey.  


Don't buy anything made in Japan or Korea, they're all overpriced crap.  Buying a Japanese car is like slapping a "I'm a moron" label on your back.  They might last a long time, but they have a massive list of bad things about them:  

No V-8 available on 90% of them, front wheel drive (front drive sucks ass), no trunkspace, crappy fake spare tire, no headroom, no legroom, rear seat is a joke, plus the tiny Japanese cars crumple badly in accidents.  If that wasn't bad enough, they're badly overpriced for what you get, and replacement parts are also disgustingly expensive.

If you want to buy a Japanese or Korean car, just buy a lawnmower and save yourself some money.

Or, be a smart shopper and buy a good solid Crown Victoria.  If they're good enough for the police, then you can be damn sure they're good enough for your needs.  You'll get twice the car for the same price as a well-equipped Camry or Accord.  My girlfriend just bought a new Grand Marquis (same thing as Crown Vic) for well under 19,000.   Crown Vic/Grand Marquis is unquestionably the best car value on the planet.

Or buy a Cadillac and be happy forever.  Caddys kick the snot out of anything anyone else makes (outside a Bently or Rolls-Royce or something), plus they're bigger.

J_A_B