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subego · 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by reader50

I think I missed something. Did the van survive? Was the perp caught?

This was with the Crosstrek I rented.

Asshole in an overloaded pickup rear-ended me. Hard enough it pushed the Crosstrek about 5 feet, and popped the bumper halfway out of its retaining clips.

Couldn’t memorize the plate in mirror lettering while trying to get off a six lane highway. Of course, the ****er took off.

Here’s the cherry on top. Zipcar requests I immediately return the car, but won’t give me a replacement because my account is now suspended since I’ve been in an accident.

Really?

reader50 · Sep 4, 2018, 06:16 PM

Buy a dash cam. After watching Russian car crash videos, I bought one. So far, it's only recorded my own bad driving. Nothing YouTube-worthy yet. But if someone totals my car in the future, there will be a video record.

The better dash cams have rear-facing cameras as well as front-facing.

subego · Sep 4, 2018, 06:20 PM

The whole experience definitely made me want one more.

iMOTOR · Sep 4, 2018, 07:14 PM

I think a dash cam is good to have no matter what, but even with a high end 1080p model, you can't really decipher a liscense plate from a passing car. The car practically has to be less than 10 feet directly ahead to read the liscense plate reliably. I imagine the compression would be even worse on a 4K camera to keep the file size down.

subego · Sep 4, 2018, 07:55 PM

If it was a rear-view model, this would have picked it up, both as he came up on me, and the 10 seconds he was stopped afterwards.

In theory, I could have just put the car in park and snapped a picture with my phone, but my “get off the highway” instinct took over.

Perhaps because of seeing too many dashcam videos of pileups due to people stopped on the highway.

subego · Sep 9, 2018, 04:30 PM

“Son of the bitches... who delete? Is not spam. Is Skoda”

electrode17 · Sep 20, 2018, 03:35 AM

To be honest, social media especially Youtube is saturated with dash cam videos capturing a lot of traffic accidents to occasional insane wildfire driving. I actually don't mind having one since it can be used as evidence in case of emergency.

mindwaves · Sep 21, 2018, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by mindwaves

Thinking of buying a new car. Previous car was a Civic and current car is a CR-V. I live and work abroad, so I don't have access to my CR-V. Want to buy a car here. Choices here are pretty much the same in the US.

Requirements/desires:
1) 4 doors
2) more upscale/premium type of car than my last 2 cars, but doesn't need to be BMW/Audi type
3) female appeal (means females see it and think more highly of me)
4) $30,000-$45,000 USD
5) not a dead-end car like Lexus IS/GS (Lexus may be phasing them out)

I'm thinking of Subaru Forester, VW Golf (maybe?), Lexus ES. Any suggestions? I would buy an Equus G70 (money notwithstanding), but they don't sell them here.

Reserved a Model 3. Going to be either red or white. Get performance version.

subego · Sep 21, 2018, 05:15 AM

Fun!

Did they say how long it would take?

mindwaves · Sep 21, 2018, 09:52 AM

Well, I’m not in the US, so international deliveries are a bit iffy, I’m hearing second half of 2019. A long time to wait. Getting the performance version will let me have it a bit earlier than others.

justinn007 · 07:20 AM

I like hatches too.

On the other hand, the shallow trunk space on hatches also annoys me - you're just forced to pile your trunk stuff vertically.

mindwaves · Sep 25, 2018, 09:12 PM

Hatches are nice. I wish that the 3 was a hatch. I would like to test drive one and I will probably do so when I'm back in the States next month. Anyone in CA who wants to meet up? I'm in SoCal.

Brien · Sep 25, 2018, 11:53 PM

I am and always will be a hot hatch guy.

Jawbone54 · Oct 9, 2018, 02:56 PM

I've become a bit of an F1 fan the past year, gravitating mostly to Max Verstappen.

If you guys are interested, Amazon Prime has a pretty good series showing some of the ins and outs of the development process. I'm curious to know if anyone else has some recommendations I've missed.

subego · May 30, 2019, 06:53 PM

I just saw an old, ratty Mitsubishi Eclipse.

Goddamn, that was a fun car. It’s a crime they stopped making it.

vmarks · May 30, 2019, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by reader50

Buy a dash cam. After watching Russian car crash videos, I bought one. So far, it's only recorded my own bad driving. Nothing YouTube-worthy yet. But if someone totals my car in the future, there will be a video record.

The better dash cams have rear-facing cameras as well as front-facing.

Pure-gear dash cam and Owl are iOS compatible dash cams. They have apps, so you get the footage even if something happens to the camera.

Thorzdad · May 31, 2019, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by subego

I just saw an old, ratty Mitsubishi Eclipse.

Goddamn, that was a fun car. It’s a crime they stopped making it.

There are a couple of old Eclipses running around here. Never got to drive one, but I always thought they had a nice look about them, in that semi-funky Mitsu sort of way.

mindwaves · May 31, 2019, 07:53 AM

The Eclipse and Eagle Talons were a bit funky, but I think that the real horror is not making the Lancer Evolution anymore. That would be a nice car to drive.

sek929 · May 31, 2019, 09:09 AM

Eagle Talon is such a great name for a car.

Laminar · May 31, 2019, 10:07 AM

Better than Eagle Vision??

subego · May 31, 2019, 05:17 PM

Had no idea it was the same as the Talon, but looking back, of course it is.

ZipCar had Eclipses for awhile, and I just loved renting them. Absolute blast to drive.

sek929 · May 31, 2019, 05:20 PM

I came really close to buying a Plymouth Laser years back, which was definitely the least desirable car of that shared platform.

subego · 08:18 PM

I likewise didn’t know about that version either. I admit, it has driven Plymouth up in my estimation.

BLAZE_MkIV · Jun 27, 2019, 02:05 PM

Well it’s looking like my ‘04 Boxster has finally given out. So my waffling between a Tesla S and a 911 needs to end. I’d appreciate your thoughts.

Laminar · Jun 27, 2019, 03:23 PM

My work has electric charging stations, used Ss are in the $30k range, and my wife has a gasoline-powered vehicle for those like 5 times a year where electric isn't good enough. If my current car wasn't costing me almost nothing to keep, I'd be looking at the S.

ShortcutToMoncton · Jun 28, 2019, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by BLAZE_MkIV

Well it’s looking like my ‘04 Boxster has finally given out. So my waffling between a Tesla S and a 911 needs to end. I’d appreciate your thoughts.

I’ll be honest—those are incredibly different cars. Sure the S has beyond-incredible straightline acceleration, but I didn’t find it particularly exciting to drive other than that feature, which is admittedly super fun. If you’re comparing to a Boxster or 911, it will feel like what it is: a big and heavy sedan with incredible torque. That’s still really cool, but a much different driving experience than the Porsches which make you feel like you’re driving.

How did you like your Boxster? I’ve had my eye on a late-model Honda S2000 for a while now. Overly expensive for a 12-year-old vehicle even with low kms, can’t be winter-driven, and super impractical for a guy with two kids—makes no sense, really. In fact I almost decided to try for one of those absurdly styled new Type Rs instead, if only because it’s a four-seater, but keep coming back to the roadster. I guess it’s mid-life crisis confirmed...

Brien · Jun 29, 2019, 01:04 AM

Originally Posted by mindwaves

The Eclipse and Eagle Talons were a bit funky, but I think that the real horror is not making the Lancer Evolution anymore. That would be a nice car to drive.

Rumor is the Evo is coming back.

Laminar · Jun 30, 2019, 08:06 AM

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton

and super impractical for a guy with two kids

Two??

OreoCookie · Jun 30, 2019, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by Laminar

Two??

Well, two very thin children, apparently.

Laminar · Jun 30, 2019, 12:46 PM

Well, he's not American.

BLAZE_MkIV · Jul 1, 2019, 01:48 PM

The Boxster was great. I got it because it wasn't an American rust bucket or a BMW which are super common with businessmen around here. I have a second set of wheels with winter tires I swap in so I can drive it all year round. I test drove the Model S, and it is quite a bit heavier, most noticeable in parking lot conditions. There's no transmission so like an automatic theres less involvement in the driving. But even the 911's are going automatic with the PDK. I was hoping to last long enough to see more gen 2 EVs.

ShortcutToMoncton · Jul 2, 2019, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by OreoCookie

Well, two very thin children, apparently.

I mean....I’d obviously make them choose which is my favourite

Originally Posted by BLAZE_MkIV

The Boxster was great. I got it because it wasn't an American rust bucket or a BMW which are super common with businessmen around here. I have a second set of wheels with winter tires I swap in so I can drive it all year round. I test drove the Model S, and it is quite a bit heavier, most noticeable in parking lot conditions. There's no transmission so like an automatic theres less involvement in the driving. But even the 911's are going automatic with the PDK. I was hoping to last long enough to see more gen 2 EVs.

I mean, they certainly are—you can’t argue with the absolute performance gains of PDK, particularly as argued by rich dot com nerds and middle-aged women who either can’t or don’t want to drive stick while stuck in traffic anyway, amirite? Let’s face it, auto is easier and more convenient and yes, I guess better performance on that racetrack you’ll never visit, too. But it doesn’t give you the same grin....

The S2000 is kind of like your mid-2000s Boxster, but less refined and a little more crazy. It’s wonderful.

My daily driver is usually a city pickup truck that’s extremely convenient, practical and totally vanilla to drive......the idea of feeling every bump in the road a couple times a week sounds just about as good as I could hope for.

Laminar · Jul 3, 2019, 11:58 AM

Seconded the boring daily/fun second situation for those that can swing it. As someone that likes doing stupid shit to/with cars, it's nice having a boring car that needs nothing and can get you and yours wherever whenever. Then you can have an unruly, unreliable, enjoyable car for fun without worrying about what happens to it.

Brien · Jul 5, 2019, 11:29 PM

What about a fun daily driver and a MORE fun second car?

ShortcutToMoncton · Jul 6, 2019, 11:34 AM

go on...

subego · Jul 14, 2019, 07:46 PM

BLAZE_MkIV · Jul 14, 2019, 07:54 PM

This is what the tire stores should offer. Make an appointment and get a tire change and alignment, 3sec.

Jawbone54 · Jul 24, 2019, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by subego

Saw this live. Still can't comprehend how fast it was. 1.91 seconds.

Good thing, too. Gasly has been needing all the help he can get. Would still like for him to bounce back and prove his value this season.

Chongo · Jul 24, 2019, 03:24 PM

No fuel?

subego · Jul 24, 2019, 06:45 PM

I thought that was the guy in back.

Thorzdad · Jul 25, 2019, 07:40 AM

There's no refueling in F1.

Jawbone54 · Aug 1, 2019, 12:41 PM

IndyCar is going hybrid starting in 2022: Hybridhttps://www.indycar.com/News/2019/08...INDYCAR-Hybrid

The hybrid system will work in parallel with the internal combustion engines from Honda and Chevrolet, combining growing hybrid technology with the traditional power plants to produce in excess of 900 horsepower...

That's a 200 HP increase IIRC.

mindwaves · Aug 13, 2019, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by mindwaves

Thinking of buying a new car. Previous car was a Civic and current car is a CR-V. I live and work abroad, so I don't have access to my CR-V. Want to buy a car here. Choices here are pretty much the same in the US.

Requirements/desires:
1) 4 doors
2) more upscale/premium type of car than my last 2 cars, but doesn't need to be BMW/Audi type
3) female appeal (means females see it and think more highly of me)
4) $30,000-$45,000 USD
5) not a dead-end car like Lexus IS/GS (Lexus may be phasing them out)

I'm thinking of Subaru Forester, VW Golf (maybe?), Lexus ES. Any suggestions? I would buy an Equus G70 (money notwithstanding), but they don't sell them here.

Going to probably buy a Model 3 on the 18th. Red exterior and with black seats.

Waragainstsleep · Aug 13, 2019, 06:34 PM

Get yourself an electric classic.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48956000

ShortcutToMoncton · Aug 13, 2019, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by mindwaves

Going to probably buy a Model 3 on the 18th. Red exterior and with black seats.

After trying it recently, I really hate the touchscreen. Knobs. Buttons. Tactile feedback. That’s where it’s at.

subego · Aug 14, 2019, 10:54 AM

Can you talk to it to get it to do stuff?

Brien · Aug 14, 2019, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton

After trying it recently, I really hate the touchscreen. Knobs. Buttons. Tactile feedback. That’s where it’s at.

All the cars I’ve seen have gone all-in on touch with their redesigns. How could it go wrong?...

Laminar · Aug 14, 2019, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Brien

All the cars I’ve seen have gone all-in on touch with their redesigns. How could it go wrong?...

Ford tried that and ended up backing off. This is the 2011-2014 Edge:

It's a crappy resistive touch screen and crappy capacitive touch panel below. The only physical control on the entire thing is the volume knob.

Here's the 2017:

The new SYNC 3 setup has CarPlay and a capactive touch screen that's way better, plus they went back to physical buttons below.

The Lincoln MKZ was even worse - the volume control and fan speed control are touch-sensitive sliding...things. Like you sweep your finger across it to increase or decrease volume. It's terrible.

For 2017 they went back to physical buttons.

Of course, it still has that stupid push-button shifter that solves exactly zero problems.

subego · 12:06 PM

I was so excited when I my steering wheel first came with volume buttons.

Never used them. The knob is easier and more precise.

subego · Aug 14, 2019, 03:33 PM

Assuming it’s even possible to tell what that metal plate I’m clamped to on the lower left is, have I picked a bad place for a negative jumper cable?

Right now it’s just a trickle charger, which the circuitry theoretically keeps from sparking, but that’s obviously not the case with a jumper.

Here’s a larger picture if it helps figure out just WTF I’m clamping to, anyway. Last car had a purpose-placed bolt for the negative.