Useless Conversation

[Merusk]

I'm driving a Kia Optima as this week's rental. Avoid this company at all costs, this car is a piece of shit. Transmission that kicks in like its a sportscar, breaks of a luxury sedan and the engine of a lawnmower. I nearly wrecked three times in the first half hour because its such a mixup of driving experiences.

1) "OH, it's got some kick.. I nearly rear-ended that car at the light. I'd better let them get some distance first."
2) "Shit, the brakes don't kick-in like a sports car. Got to give people more distance so I don't rear-end them when they brake hard like that."
3) "Well, with the kick at least I can get up to highway speeds and merge ea...fuuuuck why are you slowing down at 45mph, car!!"

That's ignoring the terrible fit and trim on the interior. Lots of crappy b-level plastics. The steering is sluggish and I'm being blown all over the road in a sedan-class car. Also the wipers did a shit job and the rental only has 25k miles on it so it's pretty new. The display is terrible as well, but it IS a step above the Fusion I had two weeks ago.

So yeah, fuck Kias.

The thing that gets me is how many people who buy things without doing any research. Maybe it's because I work in a library?

Particularly when it comes to a $20k + investment.  Yeah... I don't get it either.  Then again, I do research for a living.

Dumb people don't research and most people are dumb. The same amount of thought goes into home purchases as cars. "I like how this one looks, lets get it!" *house in a flood plain/ foundation issues/ failing electrical/ lots of shitty DIY "upgrades"*  All feels no fact.

  Imagine a scenario in which you'd be a dumb fuck to try to save a little money.

Water heater or A/C? I'm leaning water heater.

[Cyrrex]

I asked how much the fee was, and it was $3.50 (I actually laughed and almost called him the Loch Ness Monster, but I try not to confuse people with my humor).

It took me a sec, but that gave me a good chuckle. 

[Yegolev]

Water heater or A/C? I'm leaning water heater.

I've done those a lot.  Today I'm having someone come out to fix my hot tub.  Yeah, normally I wouldn't tell you knobs that I have a hot tub, but clearly it's yet another machine that occasionally betrays me, which could be another rant.  So, we will see how that goes.  I'll probably again be refraining from insisting that he just fix it and let me get on with life.

[Signe]

Do you live in McMansion Hell?

[Sky]

I'm driving a Kia Optima as this week's rental. Avoid this company at all costs, this car is a piece of shit. Transmission that kicks in like its a sportscar, breaks of a luxury sedan and the engine of a lawnmower. I nearly wrecked three times in the first half hour because its such a mixup of driving experiences.

1) "OH, it's got some kick.. I nearly rear-ended that car at the light. I'd better let them get some distance first."
2) "Shit, the brakes don't kick-in like a sports car. Got to give people more distance so I don't rear-end them when they brake hard like that."
3) "Well, with the kick at least I can get up to highway speeds and merge ea...fuuuuck why are you slowing down at 45mph, car!!"

That's ignoring the terrible fit and trim on the interior. Lots of crappy b-level plastics. The steering is sluggish and I'm being blown all over the road in a sedan-class car. Also the wipers did a shit job and the rental only has 25k miles on it so it's pretty new. The display is terrible as well, but it IS a step above the Fusion I had two weeks ago.

So yeah, fuck Kias.

Great comments, thanks! I'll relay what you and Selby said to her. Anyone else who has experience or rents a lot of cars, let me know about them! She really wanted another Toyota Matrix, as she's been pretty happy with that, but they discontinued it (as they did my FJ, which I love).

[01101010]

I'm driving a Kia Optima as this week's rental. Avoid this company at all costs, this car is a piece of shit. Transmission that kicks in like its a sportscar, breaks of a luxury sedan and the engine of a lawnmower. I nearly wrecked three times in the first half hour because its such a mixup of driving experiences.

1) "OH, it's got some kick.. I nearly rear-ended that car at the light. I'd better let them get some distance first."
2) "Shit, the brakes don't kick-in like a sports car. Got to give people more distance so I don't rear-end them when they brake hard like that."
3) "Well, with the kick at least I can get up to highway speeds and merge ea...fuuuuck why are you slowing down at 45mph, car!!"

That's ignoring the terrible fit and trim on the interior. Lots of crappy b-level plastics. The steering is sluggish and I'm being blown all over the road in a sedan-class car. Also the wipers did a shit job and the rental only has 25k miles on it so it's pretty new. The display is terrible as well, but it IS a step above the Fusion I had two weeks ago.

So yeah, fuck Kias.

Great comments, thanks! I'll relay what you and Selby said to her. Anyone else who has experience or rents a lot of cars, let me know about them! She really wanted another Toyota Matrix, as she's been pretty happy with that, but they discontinued it (as they did my FJ, which I love).

Kia's and Hyundai are mostly disposable cars. Hell anything designated econ or compact/sub-compact are disposable except the hondas and toyotas.

[Merusk]

Very true.  Love my Toyota. The wife loves her Mazda 3 but I'm still not sure it will be good long term. I do t hate it the way I have the American cars I've drive or the Kia so that's a start.

So as far as cars my recommendation stays with Japanese.  Loved the Hondas, nissans, toyotas but the only American I even liked was. Charger. 

Water heater or A/C? I'm leaning water heater.

I've done those a lot.  Today I'm having someone come out to fix my hot tub.  Yeah, normally I wouldn't tell you knobs that I have a hot tub, but clearly it's yet another machine that occasionally betrays me, which could be another rant.  So, we will see how that goes.  I'll probably again be refraining from insisting that he just fix it and let me get on with life.

Would you do the hot tub again is the question I've got.  We've considered it for when I do my 3 season room add on but I'm still not sold.  We've got a whirlpool tub and its nice but we both want a deeper soaker.  The part that keeps me from saying ok without hesitation is the maintenance and upkeep. 

[Samwise]

Anyone else who has experience or rents a lot of cars, let me know about them!

I've owned/driven Hondas pretty much my entire life, but last summer I did rent a Mustang and that wasn't bad at all.     Well, aside from eating twice as much gas, but it felt like a small price to pay when I was flying down Hwy 1.

[Chimpy]

Pretty much everyone I know who owns a Subaru loves them. I would probably have bought an Impreza if I had not found the deal on my GTI.

I keep looking at the Crosstrek as a car I would like to have, but I have many more years in my GTI since I drive less than 8k miles a year. Would be nice to have something with a bit better ground clearance and all wheel drive for winter.

[01101010]

Pretty much everyone I know who owns a Subaru loves them. I would probably have bought an Impreza if I had not found the deal on my GTI.

I keep looking at the Crosstrek as a car I would like to have, but I have many more years in my GTI since I drive less than 8k miles a year. Would be nice to have something with a bit better ground clearance and all wheel drive for winter.

Blasphemy!

Just jealous though. I love my old Acura - and I'm with you, I drive 7-8k a year and rarely in the winter, but if I need to, the RSX is fine for much of the time.

[Chimpy]

Oh I am not getting rid of the GTI, forgot to add a "though" at the end of the last sentence. 

[Sky]

Chimpy, that's what I'm pushing her to get, better ground clearance and higher seat position for visibility on American highways. She was looking at a Honda Fit and I flat-out told her no (I almost never do that, but I wouldn't ride in it on a highway). Also getting the AWD is huge. She was originally looking at the Impreza on the Subaru lot and I was checking out the Crosstrek.

She doesn't want the GTI, just the highest non-GTI config. But I think those are the two leading contenders, along with the Prius 4...which the Toyota dealer didn't have in stock (only 2 Priuses...Priii...in stock at all). The mileage on the Prius is of course bananas, but we don't drive a ton, so I don't weight that very heavily (I have 44500 on my 2008 FJ).

The Honda HR-V looked decent, but the same size engine as the much smaller Golf worries me (and it's reviewed as underpowered). And we were behind one on the way home and I don't care for how they hang stuff off the undercarriage, given the salt of a NY winter.

[Chimpy]

The Impreza sport might be a good option (it is what I was looking at), less agressive styling and a bit cheaper than the Crosstrak. Still the same basic car.

[Sky]

Iirc, the Crosstrek was the first one she liked the lines of.

[Yegolev]

Do you live in McMansion Hell?

I'm super proud to say that I do not.  I can't see any other houses from my house.  Also it is a custom design.

As for hot tub maintenance, I'm on my second one (used, in fact) and it's a thing to consider.  I think they have the salt ones now, but I don't know how much maintenance that would save.  Mine is the old fashioned bromine, pH test, shock it when all else fails one.  The reason I have a guy coming out is because it is leaking AND two of the jets have popped out of their holes.  I could probably fix the jets but this really feels like someone else's job at the moment.  It is actually the first time I've wanted to call someone on it during the 3-4 years we have had it, so it is just time for it to break in some way.  Also we have gotten in it about three times in 2016.  It's nice, but as the home repair dude I have trouble with the ROI.

One big problem with a hot tub is that it doesn't magically eliminate your family.  They can still come out there and bother the living fuck out of you.

[Yegolev]

The Subaru BRZ looks cool but those HP numbers are tiny.

The WRX is what I'd probably drive but I suppose I need to drive one for real.

[schild]

The WRX is what I'd probably drive but I suppose I need to drive one for real.

Interiors are awful. This was on the list of shit we were looking at, ended up with a Lexus IS350F-Sport.

Butt/Back air conditioning in the south is a big deal during the summer.

[01101010]

Chimpy, that's what I'm pushing her to get, better ground clearance and higher seat position for visibility on American highways.

I never understood the whole visibility thing. When did this become a thing? Just marketing? What the hell are you looking for that you can't see from any windscreen?

[Sky]

Really? Traffic. From my (relatively small) truck, I can see over the top of most passenger cars. I like seeing what's ahead and behind more than one car, it helps me avoid accidents. I like to be spatially aware as far as possible in both directions.

She's ridden in the truck enough that she understands the value of it, as well. It's definitely a real thing, same as ground clearance and AWD.

Now...it can go to the ridiculous ends with massive pickups that can see over the top of my truck, but then you get into the issues of navigating a massive vehicle and parking like an asshole all the time.

[01101010]

Really? Traffic. From my (relatively small) truck, I can see over the top of most passenger cars. I like seeing what's ahead and behind more than one car, it helps me avoid accidents. I like to be spatially aware as far as possible in both directions.

She's ridden in the truck enough that she understands the value of it, as well. It's definitely a real thing, same as ground clearance and AWD.

Now...it can go to the ridiculous ends with massive pickups that can see over the top of my truck, but then you get into the issues of navigating a massive vehicle and parking like an asshole all the time.

Yeah and this stupid ass SUV craze started all that. So now there is a visibility race as to who can have the tallest vehicle without a CDL. I get the vision thing, I do. But adding another tall vehicle to the mix? I shake my cane at you kind sir. I'll keep to the 2d sports coupes.

And how does one avoid accidents? Are they somehow planned? Thought accident was by definition, unplanned. 

[Strazos]

You can definitely avoid accidents by looking around and paying attention. I do it all the time, and I dove in some crazy places.

As for the cars - the Kia Soul is a peeve of junk to avoid. I'm pretty sure the new one I rented in Vegas has faulty brakes.

last summer I did rent a Mustang and that wasn't bad at all.     Well, aside from eating twice as much gas, but it felt like a small price to pay when I was flying down Hwy 1.

This is the correct and only way to tour the PCH.

[Sky]

You can reduce the chances by putting the odds in your favor. Having a vehicle that can see farther in both directions puts the odds in your favor.

I drive a reasonable sized vehicle for my needs, and she's getting a relatively small vehicle. We're not driving Hummers or Escalades, here.

[Yegolev]

The WRX is what I'd probably drive but I suppose I need to drive one for real.

Interiors are awful. This was on the list of shit we were looking at, ended up with a Lexus IS350F-Sport.

Butt/Back air conditioning in the south is a big deal during the summer.

This is probably why we get along.  If I do in fact trade up from my G37, it will probably be for some sort of Lexus IS.  I think I'm too old for a WRX.

[Trippy]

Going from a G37 to an IS is a downgrade if you care about driving.

[schild]

Aren't the new G37s steer by wire?

Also, we're white, Trippy.

[Trippy]

The Q50 does indeed have steer-by-wire, uh, steering, while its G37 predecessor (my car) has hydraulic steering compable in feel to the hydraulic steering on previous generation BMW 3 series (current gen is electric-powered steering which also has reduced steering feel). The Q50 steer-by-wire is definitely a downgrade from the G37 steering though it's fine if you aren't driving the car very hard (I've driven a couple of loaner Q50s including a hybrid which was fun in a techy sort of way while my G37 was being serviced).

[Nebu]

Going from a G37 to an IS is a downgrade if you care about driving.

I tend to think that driving a Lexus or an Infinity is a downgrade from a BMW or Audi... but that's just me.

[WayAbvPar]

Driving a Nissan Versa as a rental atm. Might be worth at least test driving. Decent little car.

I got rear ended a few weeks ago, and the guy who hit me is insured by Progressive. I drop my car off, they give me a rental, and a week or so later they call me and tell me my car is ready. I drive over there, give them the keys to the rental, and they pull my car around. And then the guy couldn't get the keys out of the ignition. I tried, no dice. A few other employees try, nada.  So they take my car back to the garage and give me the rental again while they figure out WTF happened.

Got a call this afternoon- they are ordering a completely new shift assembly for it. Chances are it was on its last legs anyway, and just happened to crap out at the perfect moment for me. About time the universe cut me a break  

[schild]

Going from a G37 to an IS is a downgrade if you care about driving.

I tend to think that driving a Lexus or an Infinity is a downgrade from a BMW or Audi... but that's just me.

Honestly, depends on the options. We were looking at AMGs also. Audi is just... meh. They're nearly universally fucking boring except the impractical ones.

[Trippy]

Going from a G37 to an IS is a downgrade if you care about driving.

I tend to think that driving a Lexus or an Infinity is a downgrade from a BMW or Audi... but that's just me.

I switched from an E46 BMW to my current G37 and while the G37 isn't quite as good as the E46 was in the steering and handling departments (when it was actually running) it is pretty darn close and way better than the other sports sedans I tested in that price range other than the BMW E90 which has electric-powered steering (i.e. worse steering feel than my G37) and I didn't want another BMW because of the realiabilty issues I had with mine.

[Abagadro]

I like the look of the Q50, plus its John Snuh's car now! 

I'm waiting for the new Volvo S90s to get old enough to get a used lease return at a decent price. I figure 2-3 years and I can trade in my S80 for one. 

[01101010]

I clearly do not make enough money to continue this conversation. I buy my cars used and only if I can fix them myself... within reason. 

[Nebu]

Honestly, depends on the options. We were looking at AMGs also. Audi is just... meh. They're nearly universally fucking boring except the impractical ones.

To be fair, I traded in my BMW for a Jeep Wrangler.  It's the biggest vehicle adjustment I've ever had to make, but I'm enjoying the places I can drive without giving a single fuck.

[Soln]

Subaru Forester Premium+

[schild]

If I know Yegolev, he doesn't want a car uglier than him.

(Edit: Also, Yegolev and Wife Unit better come visit Austin again after we move into our new house)