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YOUR RESEARCHBesides your 996, what's your "significant other"?
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combination of a shorter service life
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(The core issue is the combination of a shorter service life for hybrids, and the batteries...
Besides your 996, what's your "significant other"?
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Leading evidence: 'combination of a shorter service life' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'combination of a shorter service life' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check these vids out' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Besides your 996, what's your "significant other"?
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I ran into that a lot when I looked at the STI and the EVO MR.
Besides your 996, what's your "significant other"?
Use dollars per mile as an arbitrary scale
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Besides your 996, what's your "significant other"?
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Besides your 996, what's your "significant other"?
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I fully understand any dealer not wanting to let some "18 yo tire kicker" on a test drive, but these are everyday cars not an Enzo and I was seriously looking.
Besides your 996, what's your "significant other"?
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I have gotten a test drive on any car I have ever wanted from BMW's , VW's Audis's, Lincoln's to Porsches and never been faced with a you must buy it before you drive it.
Besides your 996, what's your "significant other"?
Test drive in the s2000's
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at the time was denied a test drive in the S2000's when they we new what a joke He walked and bought a brand new M-roadster so I guess it ended up being his gain.
Besides your 996, what's your "significant other"?
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Still not sure on the exterior design, but I've never bought these cars because they're aesthetically pleasing to the eye
In spite of buying an awesome 996 C2 recently, I'm getting teary-eyed tonight about my "other car" . . .
Can't imagine selling my sweet BMW E30 Cabrio, "Uberfun".
Show us your "significant other." Here's mine, folks:
Love the Alpina!! My sig other right now is an S4 that is about to be history after 6 weeks of ownership and <1K miles. Some trans and other issues. I'm seriously looking to trade it back to Audi for a new Audi TT roadster which I'll use as my DD. Will know this week. The TT's are pretty sweet.
Phil, you really ARE sick!!! You'll do anything to keep from driving a car over 1,000 miles!
Well, what did you expect???? I had to welcome you back from vacation in the proper manner.
This is my baby.
She might be leaving me today
. Got a guy coming to look at her in an hour. I think I might shed a tear if she goes.
But, it's not all bad. Tried working a deal on the following yesterday but ended up walking. We'll see what happens.
They wouldn't even let me test drive it until I signed the papers. They won't budge from MSRP either. However, the interior is leaps and bounds ahead of the previous Evos and the seats are nothing short of outstanding. But, they went and showed the true Mitsubishi colours with the tackiest looking shift boot I've ever seen. Not a big thing, but it's the little things that count sometimes. The trunk is also about half the size of the old cars. Still not sure on the exterior design, but I've never bought these cars because they're aesthetically pleasing to the eye
.
This will be my 3rd Evo; it's not like I'm some tyre kicker
. But, on the flip side, I wouldn't want to buy a new car with 50 miles on it that's been driven by some 18 year old driving with his foot resting on the clutch, so I understand their stance.
They are both hopped up economy cars (very nice ones at that) for around $30K, not Lamborgini's or Ferrari's. I walked from any dealer that would not give me a test drive and in the end I got to drive both cars.
I fully understand any dealer not wanting to let some "18 yo tire kicker" on a test drive, but these are everyday cars not an Enzo and I was seriously looking.
You guys have some gorgeous cars, but I agree...Rob wins.
Here are my others. The SL600 is wifey's toy. Range Rover and BMW 330i are the family mobiles.
Tim, thanks for the welcome home - back from Orlando -75 and sunny - to Philly 17 and sunny.
Damn! You know I've had 3 S4's and the last one I kept for
500 miles!!!
and sold it to buy the Porsche. My '01 S4 had 21,000 miles on it when I sold it to buy the second S4 (now with 950 miles). I cannot argue with your contention that I am very ill.
My '62 Bug Cabrio with my old '02 Passat Variant (someone else's baby now).
Did a complete body-off resto about 10 years ago, and recently built a 2110 for 'er.
My '62 is actually faster 0-60 than the 996.
Here's my first Porsche...my '72 914 1.7
I've since owned an '89 944S2 Coupe (Black), a '99 Boxster 2.5 (Ocean Blue Metallic), an '01 Boxster S (Lapis Blue Metallic), and an '02 996 C2 (Speed Yellow). The 914 is the only one I've kept throughout, and it is now proud to share my "stable" with an '02 996 C4S, Arctic Silver Metallic.
I really don't understand this. I have gotten a test drive on any car I have ever wanted from BMW's , VW's Audis's, Lincoln's to Porsches and never been faced with a you must buy it before you drive it. Yet I keep seeing people tell me this about EVO's , STI , S2000's I mean come on. How can they honestly expect a person to buy a car they have not driven? I can understand if they are picky about who they give test drives to but I would expect that anyway but a co-worker of mine who was over 60! at the time was denied a test drive in the S2000's when they we new what a joke He walked and bought a brand new M-roadster so I guess it ended up being his gain. I really wonder how these guys sell any of these cars in the long run.
With regards to the "can't drive it before you buy it" deal, I would never buy a car without driving it first. Well. maybe if I had more money than god.
I was just talking to a guy this weekend sitting in front of Starbuck's that had driven up in a Pontiac Solstice. I was trying to be the equal opportunity car enthusiast and asked him how he liked it. He said he bought it without driving it. The dealer arranged for him to "sit" in one before he plunked his money down. But that was all he got. Amazing...
I must be a very unique P-car owner, as I bought mine w/o driving it. In fact, until it showed up on a flat bed at my house, I had never been in a 996 before. The pics looked good, the reviews were positive and the price seemed reasonable. No regrets yet!
I did the same thing - except mine was shipped via enclosed trailer from midwest. As with yours, pics looked great, price was reasonable (at the time) and I have no regrets. I think I remember what it feels like to drive it, too!
Agreed on the Evo's and STi's but never had the problem with the S2000. The Subaru dealership plain out said 'no test drives' to which I did reply "how do you expect to sell any?' - on that I received a confused look and I walked out....
Yeah, but I can kick his *** 0-60.
This is my BMW. Looks stock, but is supercharged and has some other little performance enhancing touches under the skin. I can't imagine selling her. I think I'd sell the Carrera first.
I test drove two STI’s (2006 & 2005) and a 2006 EVO MR. Maybe it’s because I showed-up in a S2000? I ended up in a 2006 G35 6-MT Sedan. It was last on my list but a pleasant surprise. But now I can’t get the 2001 996 C2 test drive experience out of my head…
The V10 S6 looks like a blast to drive!
my other child:
1990 mazda RX-7 undergoing a track build.
- it's almost done, i'll post up new pics of it then but for now here is the car before the huge buildup.
Specs:
- 13B-T motor shooting for 280WHP
- RE-Amemiya FC2000 GT aeropackage -> lets me fit 255 tires on the front, 275's on the rear widebody.
- Mazdaspeed sway bars and front arm re-enforcement bar.
- Cusco Zero2 coilovers w/ plates
- Racing Beat Turbo II racing exhaust
- No a/c, no power steering, no emissions, no interior, no radio, no high beams, no passenger seat. all race.
Have you driven an M Roadster? Curious to know what's behind the preference. I know you love your S2000, but the M - especially with the S54 motor and Sport Mode - is like some kind of super-civilized version of an AC Cobra. Very fun car.
I'm curious too. I'm sure they have come along way since I tested an MY01 - I liked the suspension & the slick gearbox but the 9,000 rpm redline felt abusive & it had zero bottom end.
I bought the M roadster & loved it.
Current rainy day S.O. is a lex GX470.
Great thread fellas.
Here is my newest addition which warranted a new daily driver that can fit a booster and a car seat in the rear:
Nicholas Anthony - 2 weeks old tomorrow.
My new 7 series with Asanti 22's, the wife's Rover - which she absolutely LOVES, and the 2 together.
Thanks guys! The Alfa is now in total pieces being completely rebuilt from the paint up. New 2 liter SPICA injected motor and aiming for 220hp in 2,000 lbs. Should kill bugs faster than my Fiat
Thanks, skiracer. He really is... he's got 3 AQHA Hall of Famers in his pedigree, and I just fell in love with him. We've been through a lot together. Truth is, though, he's a little hot for the likes of me.
carpundit, his skidpad numbers aren't that impressive, but his brakes are amazing. Really should have seatbelts.
After 20+ years of service and about 145,000 miles, my SVO is now my secondary car and my Porsche is now my daily driver. The SVO still has just about all the original engine parts with the exception of typical wear items like starters, a few clutches and the alternator. Other than that, nothing really done to the car mechanically.
How do you like your X3? I was given that as a loaner once. It was an auto 3.0 and felt slower than my 5sp 2.5. My car has 104K miles now and its been very reliable except for the oil sensor and the aux radiator fan. On my third for each. I also had to replace one CV boot last year. Hope to get 200K miles out of it.
Correction: I have wannbe SUV height.
I actually like it. It has a pretty stiff suspension so it's very bumpy on bad roads but with X-drive and its low center of gravity (for and SUV), the car handles very well and feels more like a wagon than a SUV. I had 2 E46 before, both 5-speed manual and liked them a lot. The automatic in my 3.0i X3 keeps the car in the Drive mode on very low RPM so you need to choose either the sport modus or the steptronic function to get the car moving and use all of its 225hp. I think the X3 is much more agile than a comparable X5and it's "only" 500 lbs heavier than a 3 series wagon.
+1. My DD in the winter is an 05 X3 2.5l. We have put 83K on the odometer and have owned it 2.5 years. To date, we have had zero problems. The 2.5l engine lacks power, but gets the job done. I would buy this car again. With Michelin X-Ice winter tires, it can handle anything. The wife wants a bigger SUV, so we will be trading it in for a MB GL450 this spring. My summer DD is an 07 Mini Cooper S. Great car as well.
-Blake
for another 80 days (lease will be up)...problem is that I like the X5 and don't know what to do......I guess something will pop up...like a Hummer H2 hmmmmmm
The X3 has been a great car so far. The 3.0 has enough power for daily duties. Free maintenance is a plus. My GF likes driving it better than the MBZ and she won't even get into the Porsche.
I spent two solid days in the back seat of Audi Q7 4.2L in China last November on back country roads and have to say that ride blew me away. It is an excellent departure away from traditional SUV/SAV ride and I would not hesitate in picking one up.
That's in line with what I've heard. I've never driven one but drove the new X5 last year; it felt like a heavy X3 - pretty harsh ride probably due to the steal front axle.
In this German test the Q7 beats the new X5 and ML in terms of comfort and fun factor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGz-WfZ2TXY
Just sold one - I loved it but it had Flaws
Too Big
No interior space unless you put the tire on the outside
40 gallon tank - Get used to 9 MPG and $80 fill-ups
Barely fits in the garage
If I did it again it would be the SUT
my personal opinion is that unless you're buying a japanese light pickup, for big suv's and pickup's, deisel is the only way to go, to lighten the pocketbook a bit.
if there was a deisel hummer, i'd rock it.
The H-1 is a real Humvee, made for offroad, heavy-duty use. It's a beast. The lesser "Hummers" are imposters, IMO: porked-up, uglied-up Suburbans. A real Suburban or Yukon makes more sense, especially at the gas pump. Speaking of beasts...
I don't drive much 17K miles in 2 years in the X5.....
I guess the size might be a problem.. I just bought a house in a small 29 home community and don't think the neighbors would like to look at the H2 all day....there is no way I put that thing in my garage next to the P...
I think it will be a new X5 and this time a 4 year lease.... that way don't have to think about it too much and the free maintenance can't be beat...just wish it had a REAL 3rd row and was a little bigger..but my wife refuses a Chevy Tahoe, cadillac escalade or GMC Yukon ( and she is supposed to be the US citizen!!)
I think that every day, it's getting "less cool" to drive a Hummer of any kind. If I get that feeling in the midwest, I'll bet the west coast is even worse. Sorry, don't mean to offend any owners, but I'd be embarrassed to be seen in one, and I don't normally care what people think of my vehicles (purple Miata = proof
).
I guess I just consider the purchase of any H2 to almost be TRYING to infuriate people. I've gotten flipped off for no reason a few times in my 996, but I'll bet that's nothing compared to being behind the wheel of an H2. YMMV.
It's funny how much image enters into this stuff. I'm certainly not a defender of the Hummer, but I'd rather see one of those on the road than a Prius. There was a study published last year that said that showed that when you consider the environmental impact of manufacturing and disposing of a car, and the service life of that car, a Hummer does half the damage to the planet that a Prius does. (The core issue is the combination of a shorter service life for hybrids, and the batteries... nickel is mined in Canada, shipped to China for processing into batteries, shipped to Japan to be installed in the cars, and then the cars are shipped here for sale. All on diesel powered freighters. Then, when the car is finished its life, there is no clear plan for dealing with the toxic batteries). It turns out that manufacturing processes and service life have a much bigger impact on how 'green' a vehicle is than how much fuel it uses.
I often tell people - just to be a *****, but it's true - that when you consider German regulations for auto manufacturers (which are the toughest in the world for processes, content and stewardship) and the fact that Porsches last so long (68% of those ever made are still in service), my 996 is one of the 'greenest' cars around.
Reminds me of the International Harvester model "C" that I had to drive when the farm was bailing alphalfa. I was 10 or 11 and just big enough to reach the clutch/brake pedals. As I recall the big brake pedal could be split so you could brake either the left or right big wheel. I never mastered it - perhaps that is why I'm working on the heel/toeing now!
Well I don't know much about tractors but in my current search for a zero turn mower I came across a $11K diesel kabota zero turn. I can only imagine that thing is more than double the cost not even including his mower attachment.
I wish he were my neighbor so he could mow my lawn!
Very interesting Bruce, nice information to know. Will keep it in mind when it is time to buy another P-car
My wife will love my latest reasoning and justification for it. The MPG in it's category/class was enough ammo for my current 996, oh yeah, I also made her test drive it
Hahaha....no, it's not much more than the Kubota zero turn diesel mower. Those things are nice by the way!
I paid around $13,200 for the tractor at 0% financing for 3 years (over half way through paying for it). The attachments aren't too pricey (I only have a rotary cutter, finish mower, and box blade), just the tractor. I did my homework and A LOT of shopping around to get the best price.
It's funny though......the tractor by itself weighs 500 lbs. more than the Porsche.
That's my "cabin" out in the woods and I need it to cut brush as well as around the pond and large yard. Time on that tractor is 2nd only to time spent in the C2.
Oh ok, that's not bad.. I'm settling for a Great Dane ZT 61" since they are in transition and have great online prices. This year will be my first time mowing the lawn at my new home and from what I was told, I should be prepared to ride for 1.5 hours or 2 hours.
There was a psychiatric study done recently showing that people drive very large vehicles mainly for the feeling of power they get, not for the utility (big surprise). One fellow at my office commutes alone in a Ford Excursion. I think Dave Barry was right when he termed the Suburban the "Chevy Subdivision."
Happily, Bruce sees beyond the myopic view of measuring only tailpipe emissions and gasoline consumption when considering the true environmental impact of a motor vehicle.
The quest for zero emission cars, hybrid cars, electric cars, alternate fuel cars, and others that promise the holy grail of attractive gas mileage and/or reduced levels of emissions ignores the total cost of the car on the environment, including the oftentimes costly "upstream" costs of manufacture and "post-ownership" costs of disposal.
Naturally, it's easier for manufacturers, politicians, and environmentalists to tout the apparent advantages of a high, gas-mileage car rather than have a serious discussion about, for example, how the cost of electricity generation and delivery should be considered in the environmental impact of a battery powered car that's charged overnight in your garage. Similarly, it appears beyond the interest or comprehension of those same people (and the general public) to consider the challenges and understand the issues of toxicity in battery decommissioning and disposal, as well as the importance of using appropriate materials in the construction of our cars that have a high rate of recycling capability.
I don't know if a Hummer is more environmentally benign than a Prius, but I believe that jumping to a conclusion about the Prius being better for the environment simply because it's a hybrid is bad science.
i did take the big picture into consideration. you don't need a hummer. the utility of it is comparable to say a nice subaru hatchback. that hummer interior is tiny and even tinier relative to the consumption and overall gigantor size of the vehicle.
and you don't go from a hummer to get a prius. the prius, utility wise, is too small for what a hummer shopper needs (family). but i bet you most hummers, lke most passenger cars, are driven... carrying 1 person at a time. thus i can justify driving a tiny sports car with two real seats....
that gets ~20mpg.
what the hummer gets you is a fuqin large car that has some military thug appeal for people into that look (built up my celebrity PR, athlete PR, hummer marketing engine etc). it's not fast. off-roading it is a niche niche niche hobby. it drives like any other commuter car. people justify the value of it and the sickly low mpg by the qualitative measures.
it's totally irrational.
Good discussion and although I share the concern about the batteries of hybrid cars, I think it's too simple to beat down the Prius because of the way nickel travels around the world on diesel powered freighters. It's not that any other car is made all of a piece in Detroit or Stuttgrart.
I must have more discerning tastes in even commuter cars, because Hummers drive exactly like they look. My idea of a "commuter car" is a Honda Civic Si or a VW GTI. You're giving Hummers too much credit.
The difference is quite huge. The shipping is a very big part of it, but so is the cost of producing the nickel in the first place. It's a very energy intensive process, before it even gets on the train from Sudbury to Vancouver, on the ship for China, etc. etc. etc. To give you an example of how energy intensive processing raw materials can be, the oil sands in Alberta consume more electricity than the entire Greater Toronto Area, just to get it out of the ground. Before refining or anything else.
But in fairness to Toyota, the same study showed that the Yaris was practically a saint, environmentally speaking. Basically, the way this study worked, they took the total fuel cost associated with the car - manufacturing as well as during its service life - and divided it by its projected service life in miles. They used dollars per mile as an arbitrary scale. This is how the Prius suffered so badly. The Yaris uses very little gas, is more efficiently manufactured, and has a long projected service life.
Nor was the Prius the worst. The total energy cost per mile for the Accord Hybrid is $3.42. A Dodge Durango was only $1.57. The Scion xB was a ridiculous 49 cents. Again, a combo of much more efficient manufacturing, and along potential service life. Our cars have an ashes-to-ashes energy cost of $2.80 per mile, just below the global average of $2.94
The comments I made about German manufacturing laws were separate from the study, but I really admire them. No solvents in the paints (which is why the finishes are so delicate), no heavy metals in the car, anywhere (at least in recent years). They have to be, I think , at least 65% recyclable with components stamped and recoverable. On and on. It's pretty cool.
Again, good stuff/great reading not to mention a little more ammo for another day.
"Yes dear, if we want to do our part another p-car is the only way, we must get a GT3, TT or 997S, please think green"
As it is a 2-seater, if you find yourself out in Seattle in good weather, you're welcome to come for a ride. As it was designed by a 5'4" Frenchman (Rene Fournier) who didn't imagine current US people sizes, you should be less than 6'2"--and Must be less than 200 pounds fully clothed....no fudging of the weight numbers allowed. But within those bounds....no problem.
If it has an AMG badge on it, I would probably drive it. I love their products. Niether of these are made by AMG (other than the wheels), but you get the idea. Mercedes builds some unbelievably fast cars.
Yes, I've noticed, but just wondering why not?
Other than the lack of a manual transmission (a grievous error, IMHO), I think AMG is pretty awesome.
Check these vids out on YouTube:
www-dot-youtube-dot-com/watch?v=aDzkyvw0GMc
www-dot-youtube-dot-com//watch?v=HNBfsw28zw4
That would be fantastic!
A once in a life time opportunity I could not turn down. If I make a summer road trip I will give lots of notice and hope it would work out.
I am 5'11, 175 lbs.
Thank you much for such a kind offer
Ludwig
Jim, your car looks great. I am take it you went with black wheels? I don't recall you ever posting pics of the final decision on your "Photoshoppers?" (a.k.a. wheel color) thread.
Jim's Photoshoppers? thread
The omission of a final resolution and pics was not nice.
When you were a kid, didn't your mother tell you that you are supposed to share?
Tim,
I did go with the black wheels. I'm not sure if it was the right decision or not. It completely changed the character of the car. Before it was sort of a hotrod look and now it's pretty menacing. I don�t like it that much sitting still but I�ve been told by a bunch of people that it looks great on the track. I should have a CD of track pictures in a week or two. I�ll post a side shot then.
Jim
