What Kind Of Vehicle Should I Get?

Ted DuPuis said:
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This makes a lot more sense to me, and you can even do a couple of fun upgrades like some gauges on the A-pillar or something. I always found my Dodge to be pretty fun to drive. If nothing else, the thing's got enough power that it really scoots when the turbo spools up.
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I like them because when I'm driving in the "downtown" (very narrow street and tall buildings on both sides) with the windows down, I can pretend that I'm flying a jet. :)


One thing I did to my Ford that helped the appearance (and lighting) was to put some new headlights in it with HIDs.

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How much of a difference do those really make on a practical level? I have an older jeep that I'm going to need to get new headlights for in the near future, and I'd like ones a little brighter than the stock ones if possible...
 
Geico266 said:
I would get in way too much trouble in that thing. I'm trying to change my image! :rofl::rofl::rofl:
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Change? To what?

The Z would be perfect .. it goes fast .. is fun .. and .. has room in
the back for cupcake deliveries to the guys on Bandit Row.
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
I like them because when I'm driving in the "downtown" (very narrow street and tall buildings on both sides) with the windows down, I can pretend that I'm flying a jet. :)
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Oh man, letting that turbo wind up and howl is just awesome. That never got old!

How much of a difference do those really make on a practical level? I have an older jeep that I'm going to need to get new headlights for in the near future, and I'd like ones a little brighter than the stock ones if possible...
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If you buy the right ones the difference is about literally night and day. My old factory headlights were so bad that on high beams people thought I had them on low beams. On the twisty backroads that I live off of (probably not dissimilar to some of what you find in Colorado), it was approaching the point of dangerous with all the deer around here.

The new headlights are true HIDs for the low beams with H1s for the high beams. The low beam projectors do an excellent job of shining the light exactly where it needs to be, and there's a very definitive line that exists between where it throws light and where it doesn't. It doesn't blind oncoming drivers, but it lights up the road like crazy. On high beams it's even better. The real trick there is that it's got four separate lenses, two for low and two for high, so each one is optimized for that.

I don't know what type of Jeep you have, so that will influence it. If you've got one with composite headlights like a Grand Cherokee, then you can probably get something like what I got. If you have a Wrangler or something similar with the sealed beams, you may not. If that's the case, I'd suggest Silverstar sealed beams. I've used those on a few different cars and been happy with the results.

Also, if you get multiple lenses, add a relay that will keep the low beams on when the high beams are on. Makes a big difference. Additionally, on my trucks with not-so-great lights I added some driving lights which I used in conjunction with the high beams. Found that helped a lot. A good pair of Hellas will make a world of difference there!
 
We use our 89 Dodge Cummins for hauling stuff. Tank of fuel lasts about a year. Daily drivers are motorcycles. When the snow starts falling, I drive my 2004 Pontiac Vibe. Yes I know, Pontiac..... However, its just a re-badged Toyota Matrix. AWD, mid 20's for mileage. Bought the car in late 2003, and I have about 48,000 miles on it. With a set of Dunlop Graspic studless snow tires on it, it'll plow through almost anything. Car has never let me down. Only maintenance so far was an added block heater when it was new, and oil/filter changes. What I really like about the Vibe is it has two 12V outlets up front along with the panel mount 110V outlet. Handy for when the passenger is bored and needs a place to plug in the laptop.

Our other winter ride is a 2005 Honda Element. Just ticked over 18,000 miles on it. Took it to CO and MN last month and hauled a motorcycle home in the back. Well, it was a small motorcycle. Mileage is low-mid 20's, and it'll carry more stuff than the Vibe. Does just fine in the snow with the stock tires, as we survived driving through NE last month on Hwy 2/91 during a snow/sleet/freezing rain/rain/slush storm.

Vibe will tow a small flat trailer just fine. We hauled my BMW R45 home from CA with it. Element will probably handle a bit more. And again, for the big stuff, we have the Dodge.

Subaru's are pretty popular up here, but they were more $$ than the Vibe and Element and wouldn't carry as much as them, either (I can fit three road bicycles upright in the back of the Vibe).
 
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SkyHog said:
I test drove a Honda Pilot today. Very, very nice truck. I'll be sitting in one soon.
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If you get the chance, take it out on the interstate for a longer haul before buying. My parents bought a Pilot back in ?07? I think. It rides fairly 'stiff' for what I expected - almost comparable to my lifted 03 Jeep Wrangler. I'm not a big fan of its leg room, either, but I'm a bit 'extreme' on the leg room requirements. ;) They may have updated things on the newer models, though, so I may be way off base.
 
CJones said:
If you get the chance, take it out on the interstate for a longer haul before buying. My parents bought a Pilot back in ?07? I think. It rides fairly 'stiff' for what I expected - almost comparable to my lifted 03 Jeep Wrangler. I'm not a big fan of its leg room, either, but I'm a bit 'extreme' on the leg room requirements. ;) They may have updated things on the newer models, though, so I may be way off base.
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Well, we took it on I-40 for a few exits and it definitely drives like a much bigger truck than it is, but the roominess was pretty impressive to me (and I'm a fatass).

I liked the stiffness....feels nice and tight, but I wonder if that gets old quickly.
 
Geico266 said:
You bring up another avenue that I have thought about. Just put some bucks into the truck! I could have the body work done, repaint it, get rid of the plastic bedliner and have one sprayed in. New fog lights, new tube running boards, and I'm good to go for another 200K! Cost say $3K, certainly better than depreciation that comes with buying a new car. Here in NE we pay HIGH ($500 - 700 per year based on value of vehicle, right now my truck is under $100) taxes every year, plus 7% sales tax when you buy it, that is $2,100!
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Orrrrr.....

Find a late-model Jeep Wrangler (TJ). Pull the Cummins from your current truck and replace the TJ's 4.0L gasser. Throw some Dana 60's regeared to 5.88 rolling on 37" IROKs with beadlocks, ARB lockers, an Atlas 4.3-1 twin-stick t-case..... You want to drive it on the road, so you don't want too much lift on it - maybe a 4.5" Rubicon Express Superflex kit, do a high-hood with tube-fenders all around, belly-up skid, 1" body lift. You'll have a heckuva daily driver that would get you through anything you can throw at it. Oh... and you can put the top down in the summer and do the mall-crawling thing. ;)

Ok, so when are you going to bring my new ride to me?? :D :D
 
CJones said:
Orrrrr.....

Find a late-model Jeep Wrangler (TJ). Pull the Cummins from your current truck and replace the TJ's 4.0L gasser. Throw some Dana 60's regeared to 5.88 rolling on 37" IROKs with beadlocks, ARB lockers, an Atlas 4.3-1 twin-stick t-case..... You want to drive it on the road, so you don't want too much lift on it - maybe a 4.5" Rubicon Express Superflex kit, do a high-hood with tube-fenders all around, belly-up skid, 1" body lift. You'll have a heckuva daily driver that would get you through anything you can throw at it. Oh... and you can put the top down in the summer and do the mall-crawling thing. ;)

Ok, so when are you going to bring my new ride to me?? :D :D
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Dude, if you're gonna lift a Jeep, lift it 6 inches at least. The 6 inch lift kit is cheap as dirt, and you look really badass on the road too.
 
SkyHog said:
Dude, if you're gonna lift a Jeep, lift it 6 inches at least. The 6 inch lift kit is cheap as dirt, and you look really badass on the road too.
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Meh... A RE 4.5" lift will actually net closer to 5-6" and on 37's, you'll be sitting pretty tall. Low c.o.g. is where it's at. The high-hood and tube fenders actually give you another 2-3" of upward flex without having to lift the frame that high. If you start getting too tall, you lose your off-road ability.

The red TJ in this vid is running a RE 3.5" lift on 33's. The white TJ at the end is on 39" IROK's with probably about 5" of lift - the top of his Jeep is only about 1" higher than the red Jeep.

http://www.lookatthejoneses.com/video/JOCCITrailBuilding.html
 
CJones said:
Orrrrr.....

Find a late-model Jeep Wrangler (TJ). Pull the Cummins from your current truck and replace the TJ's 4.0L gasser. Throw some Dana 60's regeared to 5.88 rolling on 37" IROKs with beadlocks, ARB lockers, an Atlas 4.3-1 twin-stick t-case..... You want to drive it on the road, so you don't want too much lift on it - maybe a 4.5" Rubicon Express Superflex kit, do a high-hood with tube-fenders all around, belly-up skid, 1" body lift. You'll have a heckuva daily driver that would get you through anything you can throw at it. Oh... and you can put the top down in the summer and do the mall-crawling thing. ;)

Ok, so when are you going to bring my new ride to me?? :D :D
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We had a jeep when I was in high school, with the 4-cylinder. A good friend was a real city-slicker type. We had an old Detroit lying around (originally used for a water pump on the farm); when I was 15 or so, my dad told my buddy that we were going to put that diesel in the jeep, complete with stacks coming out the sides.

Keeping in mind that this engine was wider than the car and had to be moved on a sled by a tractor, my friend continues to ask about that whenever I run into him - "when are you going to put that engine in that jeep?" :)
 
CJones said:
Orrrrr.....

Find a late-model Jeep Wrangler (TJ). Pull the Cummins from your current truck and replace the TJ's 4.0L gasser. Throw some Dana 60's regeared to 5.88 rolling on 37" IROKs with beadlocks, ARB lockers, an Atlas 4.3-1 twin-stick t-case..... You want to drive it on the road, so you don't want too much lift on it - maybe a 4.5" Rubicon Express Superflex kit, do a high-hood with tube-fenders all around, belly-up skid, 1" body lift. You'll have a heckuva daily driver that would get you through anything you can throw at it. Oh... and you can put the top down in the summer and do the mall-crawling thing. ;)

Ok, so when are you going to bring my new ride to me?? :D :D
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Like I tell my buddies, I'm not a Dodge fan, I bought the Cummins diesel through Dodge and they threw in the Ram truck so I could get drive it around. :D

I think I would rather put the Cummins in an RV-10! Might be a tad nose heavy though. :yikes:
 
Cummins BT4 from the step vans are a better transplant candidate into a Jeep ... a bit less nose-heavy.
 
Arbiter419 said:
Tell that to Ken Block.

29fxq85.jpg
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Are you saying he doesn't "like" girls?
 
SkyHog said:
I test drove a Honda Pilot today. Very, very nice truck. I'll be sitting in one soon.
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We've got an older (2002) Acura MDX, which isn't much more than a gussied up Pilot. The absolute best highway cruiser I've ever owned. Comfortable, holds a ton and surprisingly quick for a fairly large vehicle. Been very reliable except for the torque converter which was a known issue. Dealer replaced it no charge. The Pilot/MDX are good choices.

Gary
 
Gary said:
We've got an older (2002) Acura MDX, which isn't much more than a gussied up Pilot. The absolute best highway cruiser I've ever owned. Comfortable, holds a ton and surprisingly quick for a fairly large vehicle. Been very reliable except for the torque converter which was a known issue. Dealer replaced it no charge. The Pilot/MDX are good choices.

Gary
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'05 Pilot in our home fleet. Agree with your assessment. Not a gas mileage champ by any means - hard to get much over 20 mpg at semi-legal highway speeds.


Trapper John
 
Trapper John said:
'05 Pilot in our home fleet. Agree with your assessment. Not a gas mileage champ by any means - hard to get much over 20 mpg at semi-legal highway speeds.Trapper John
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Hmmm... that's interesting, last trip to Portsmouth NH, about 700 mile round trip, the MPG was about 25. :dunno: That was at pretty consistent 65 MPH on the interstate. However, start getting up to the 70-75 MPH range and the MPG drops considerably. Around town it is usually 15-18 MPG.

Gary
 
Gary said:
Hmmm... that's interesting, last trip to Portsmouth NH, about 700 mile round trip, the MPG was about 25. :dunno: That was at pretty consistent 65 MPH on the interstate. However, start getting up to the 70-75 MPH range and the MPG drops considerably. Around town it is usually 15-18 MPG.

Gary
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A lot of it depends on how you drive (for instance, do you get in top gear quickly and then let the torque do the work?).

Anyway, I've found that in the cars I've driven (a 4Runner with the V8 - great engine - and a 2500), I've gotten 15% or better difference in gas mileage between 65 and 70. Of course, that's with open exhausts on them; I'm not sure how much of a difference that makes with mileage and differences in speeds.

When I sat down and did the math, I decided I liked that 15% better than the approximatly 2.5 minutes driving at 70 would save me. I've got to say, though - driving at 65 is boring. :)
 
Gary said:
Hmmm... that's interesting, last trip to Portsmouth NH, about 700 mile round trip, the MPG was about 25. :dunno: That was at pretty consistent 65 MPH on the interstate. However, start getting up to the 70-75 MPH range and the MPG drops considerably. Around town it is usually 15-18 MPG.

Gary
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We never go below 70...at 75 in the summer with AC on, 20 to 21 mpg is about as good as it gets, but that's usually with 4 or 5 people and bags, which probably doesn't help.


Trapper John
 
Cap'n Jack said:
I've yet to see an inexpensive transmission replacement on any vehicle.

What percent of the fleet?
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It's gone through some engineering changes. 2006 and later seem to be much better. 2003, 04, 05 had some real issues at $5K to replace, most under 100K miles.
 
My next car - 2010 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI


 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
When I sat down and did the math, I decided I liked that 15% better than the approximatly 2.5 minutes driving at 70 would save me. I've got to say, though - driving at 65 is boring. :)
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Yep, like the 15 % better as well. The drive was nearly all interstate with very few stops. Set the cruise control and just steer. Wasn't much traffic so it was a pretty easy drive. Guess I would have saved an hour at 75 verses 65MPH, but that didn't bother me.

Gary
 
One of these.
 

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Obi Heed Kenobi said:
How much of a difference do those really make on a practical level? I have an older jeep that I'm going to need to get new headlights for in the near future, and I'd like ones a little brighter than the stock ones if possible...
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I put an HID kit on my motorcycle, from the previous 55 watt halogen bulb. Kit draws 35 watts and the difference is like night and day. Wont go back.
 
ggroves said:
It's gone through some engineering changes. 2006 and later seem to be much better. 2003, 04, 05 had some real issues at $5K to replace, most under 100K miles.
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Well...this one is an 09 model so it seems they have the kinks worked out. At the rate were piling on the miles, it'll be about 20 years before we reach 100,000 miles.
 
vontresc said:
OOOh the Plastic fantastic VEB Sachsenring P601 Trabant. 26HP of pure unadulterated 2-stroke power!

I wonder if you could get one dot approved over here
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Absolutely not. After the wall fell, one of the car mags, I think it was Motor Trend, brought one over for testing and the feds were over them like a cheap suit. It was pretty much "You can't run that engine, you can't even look at the ignition, don't even sit in the car and make car noises, and when you get rid of it it's toxic so don't even think about sending it to the wreckers."

It was pretty clear that the feds wanted absolutely, positively NOTHING to do with the Trabi.
 
flyersfan31 said:
Absolutely not. After the wall fell, one of the car mags, I think it was Motor Trend, brought one over for testing and the feds were over them like a cheap suit. It was pretty much "You can't run that engine, you can't even look at the ignition, don't even sit in the car and make car noises, and when you get rid of it it's toxic so don't even think about sending it to the wreckers."

It was pretty clear that the feds wanted absolutely, positively NOTHING to do with the Trabi.
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If you buy it over seas and put 2000 miles on it before you ship it home, they have nothing to say about it.
 
Wow, that car is really, really bad for the environment? I totally want one, just for the statement it provides.

How is it on gas?
 
vontresc said:
Looks like some folks have actually imported Trabbis to the US

http://trabantusa.art.officelive.com/ImportingTrabants.aspx

I think It would be fun to have one as an in town grocery getter/mosquito fogger :D
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I'll be damned!:smile:

Still, why would you want a Trabi when you can have the stylish Wartburg? With 3/4 inch gaps between body panels? Styling ripped from the BMW2002? Nothing spells party luminary like WARTBURG!!!
 
Well if Toyota, Ford, GM, Chrysler won't give the public what it wants I guess India will? :mad2:

http://www.dfwmahindra.com/

http://www.trucktrend.com/future/spied/163_1002_spied_mahindra/index.html

http://www.mahindrana.com/


Assembled in Ohio, hybred's in the works, standard and crew cabs, Mahindra midsize clean diesel pickups / SUV's, 30 MPH is just what the Dr. ordered!

Once again US automakers lag behind. Pickup truck buyers have been asking for higher mileage for years. A small clean burning diesel gets them there, and diesel engines last forever! (almost) They are cleaner and more reliable than ever before, a tad more maintance (adding fuel additives in winter), but certainly doable.

Mahindra’s common rail diesels are cleaner, quieter, greener and more efficient than ever. Our new generation of clean-burning diesels emit 97 percent fewer sulfur emissions than old-school diesels and virtually no sooty particulates. They produce 30 percent fewer greenhouse gases per mile than gasoline engines – while getting 20 to 40 percent better fuel mileage. And they do it all while maintaining the traditional diesel advantages of more torque and greater durability.
 
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Seen last June in Berlin ...

On Hannah-Arendt-Straße in the former East Berlin;

trabi-safari.jpg


and on a still-standing section of the Wall, what is now called "Eastside Gallery":

trabi-wall.jpg


You can take a Berlin tour in a Trabi ...

Here's a 1960's TV commercial[/URL] for the Trabi 601. Who can forget the catchy tagline ... "Drive a Trabant ... or else!" :mad2: :nono:

 
Pilawt said:
Here's a 1960's TV commercial[/url] for the Trabi 601. Who can forget the catchy tagline ... "Drive a Trabant ... or else!" :mad2: :nono:
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Is that actually a line in the commercial? Not knowing German, I have no idea what they're saying.
 
Pilawt said:
Here's a 1960's TV commercial[/url] for the Trabi 601. Who can forget the catchy tagline ... "Drive a Trabant ... or else!" :mad2: :nono:
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Lol It's not a line in the commercial, but I never thought of a Trabbi as nible, and fast.

My favorite part was the four guys in jumpsuits and helmets piling into the car. Definately gives it that clown car feel.
 
This is not intended as a SpinZone comment, merely an observation:

I always found it amazing that people separated only by a political system could turn out cars so disparate in quality. BDR = BMW, Mercedes Benz, Audi. GDR = Trabant, Wartburg.

Nothing but the political system. Same language, same people, same culture. Amazing.
 
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