Maxima 2002 really great car for a family.

I’m considering one of these: 2007 Buick Regal

Wow, never updated here.  I traded my Subaru Impreza WRX in back in Dec. 2006.  The transmission in the car seemed to be doing something wrong again, and given how screwed up it got earlier in it’s life, I decided it wasn’t worth the frustration.

Now I drive a 2007 red Honda Accord V6 with a 6-speed manual transmission.  Slightly less powerful than the WRX, but runs on regular gas with a better fuel economy.  Also has some nice features the WRX didn’t have.

Picture to follow at a later date.

Picture!

Yeah, I did it

I sold my dream car, Katara, my ever-so-cool White 1985 Toyota Celica GTS Convertable.  The car was still in great condition so when I put it up for sale, it went fast to some guy who like me always wanted one. Good for him, I hope that he enjoys it like I did.  It was a continual point of contention and I finally said to-hell-wid-it. 

After returning home from our trip to Europe last Summer and seeing how those people do just fine with smaller cars, I decided to retire two of my larger cars and to purchase a more economical car that would continue to satisfy the needs of our family of five.  With that, now in place of our GTS, sits an ever-so-cool White 2007 Toyota Rav4.  After doing all of the comparisons for fuel economy, cargo space, HP, flexibility of use, etc…, I thought it was the best dollar value in its class.  And, I like the look with the full sized spare tire on the back; it makes me want to go on safari or something!
Anyway, the Rav4 is great in all aspects and I have no negative things to say.  And, my gas mileage is great.  I’m averaging anywhere from 25 to 31 MPG.

I still have the ‘02 Ford Expedition, when I want to flex some muscle and, although, we enjoy it very very much, the gas mileage sucks!  This Summer, when we take our vacation for a two week tour of the Northern California Coastline and back through Yosemite, we’ll be driving in the Expedition. 

Happy motoring

PS.  I’d post a picture but, I don’t know how?

You sold the Crown Vic? Awww…   

Yeah, my “Queen Victoria” was a great car.  Classic American highway cruiser!  Big picture window up front, a front seat that was the size of a sofa, and a trunk big enough to squeeze in a small Honda Civic.  Good performance too!  Oh well, these times, they are a changin…

I’ve always wondered why Diesel hasn’t caught on in the US. If SUVs had diesel engines, they could get 30 MPG.

I think diesel in the US is a multi-part problem.  The first is that many Americans had bad experiences with them in the 1970’s, and for some people that memory lives on. 

Second, the diesel distribution network is not as complete as the gasoline network.  There are large numbers of gas only fuel stations, making it less appealing to consumers as their refueling choices become more limited. 

Third, some states had their emissions laws written in a way that outlawed diesel passenger cars.  California, Massachusetts, Maine, New York and Vermont all were adhering to a law that was so stringent that no new diesel vehicles could be sold in those states.  Its not very economical for a car company to produce (or import) a car that you couldn’t sell in states containing nearly 20% of the US population.

Finally, some people might not realize the savings.  Currently, diesel is selling well over $4/gal, while gas is just reaching $3.50/gal (at least here in FL).  People not fully thinking it through might only see that the fuel is more expensive and not realize that the reduced consumption would offset the increase price.

On a different note, my Accord’s transmission was rebuilt at 24K miles to resolve an issue with it popping out of third gear.  Some day I’d like to own a car that doesn’t need its transmission rebuilt in the first couple of years of owning it. 

New car: 2009 Honda CR-V.

David Nelson - 09 August 2004 12:31 AM

That was a proverbial blast from the past! My Taurus is long gone and now I’m driving a 1987 Mercedes 300D Turbo (Diesel.) Mechanically it’s the stock configuration. I’ve just replaced the speakers and updated to a stereo deck with line-in to support playing music from my iPhone.

Current mileage is over 340k and it still runs like new with no major work in its lifetime. Just regular oil changes.

I don’t have an overall photo of the car itself. Will have to take one soon. In the meantime here are a couple related ones to share…

Of course I had to snap this photo when the odometer displayed all 3’s!

And I had fun taking this one of the emblem on the trunk during last year’s snow.

Two weeks ago I bought my very first brand new car, a Citroën C4. It’s a 1600cc hatchback, 4-speed auto, and it’s just lovely. On top of looking really nice, it’s easily powerful enough for everything I would want it to do. The boot is around 400 litres, which is great for a little car.

Because many of the vehicle manufacturers in Europe are pooling resources, the engine in the C4 is the same as that in the Mini Cooper, now made by BMW. The diesel engine in the Range Rover (now owned by India’s Tata Motors) is made by Citroën.

I can’t yet speak with any authority on my new car, because so far I’ve done only 305 kilometres. But if it lasts as long as my previous car, a (GM) Holden Vectra, I’ll be looking at my next purchase in 2027.