Useless Conversation

[Selby]

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.

Unfortunately I'm in this boat. Picked up a 2012 F250 4x4 recently and for winter driving it's great. The rest of the time it's overly large & annoying to park. I'm thinking of dumping it but am not sure what to get that has 4 wheel drive (steep streets in neighborhood that ice over, the slipping & sliding off the road & down the hills took out my Prius 2 winters back).  I do know I don't want payments as that has been sucking so much more than I last remember. Having a truck is great for actually owning a home, but I haven't needed it as an actual truck for 6 months.

[Yegolev]

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)

Yeah, if you had been in Austin then I'd probably have done the conference and delayed my project go-live for a week.

I haven't even driven an IS yet so nothing is written in stone there.  Still love the G37, esp with some performance tires.  Not sure what is going on with the new Q50 but I do know that Jon Snow knows nothing.

Also what I know is that the (2011) G37 non-driving features are rather crap.  Spending 2.5 hours in the car per day, I would like a XM radio which performs better and a bluetooth which does more than handle phone calls.  My wife has a 2015 Cadillac SRX and that thing has more features than a spaceship (too bad it's GM quality), including the two things I mentioned.  Can't I get a car that drives like (or better than, if it's even possible) the G37 that also has nice commuter features?

I also know that I occasionally have need of all-wheel drive but the answer there could be a Toyota something.  Except I don't have anywhere to park a fourth vehicle.  Not without looking trashy.

My brother became a certified BMW mechanic and told me straightly to never buy any German car.  Except maybe a VW.

Also I saw a BMW i3 on the road today.  No, thanks.

[01101010]

Yeah, if you had been in Austin then I'd probably have done the conference and delayed my project go-live for a week.

I haven't even driven an IS yet so nothing is written in stone there.  Still love the G37, esp with some performance tires.  Not sure what is going on with the new Q50 but I do know that Jon Snow knows nothing.

Also what I know is that the (2011) G37 non-driving features are rather crap.  Spending 2.5 hours in the car per day, I would like a XM radio which performs better and a bluetooth which does more than handle phone calls.  My wife has a 2015 Cadillac SRX and that thing has more features than a spaceship (too bad it's GM quality), including the two things I mentioned.  Can't I get a car that drives like (or better than, if it's even possible) the G37 that also has nice commuter features?

I also know that I occasionally have need of all-wheel drive but the answer there could be a Toyota something.  Except I don't have anywhere to park a fourth vehicle.  Not without looking trashy.

My brother became a certified BMW mechanic and told me straightly to never buy any German car.  Except maybe a VW.

Also I saw a BMW i3 on the road today.  No, thanks.

Had a chat with my mechanic when he was going over my PA inspection last year. Was bouncing some future plans in car buying with him and he said that fixing a German car is not that bad, but the catch is the parts usually will be the thing that hits you in the ass rather than labor. Since he knows I am capable of doing mid-range repairs, he suggested I stick with regular American-based cars (American manufacturers and the Japanese cars made around here) because just buying the parts for German cars will make me cry. He also said if you are going to ever lease a car, then go for the German makes and be sure they cover as much parts and labor as possible.

[Yegolev]

The parts for a G37 are also intense, but you probably won't need to replace anything.  I have had work done on a 2000 Maxima and a 2011 G37, nothing on a 2003 Altima and a 1996 Maxima.  Pretty good record.  Word amongst people is that Toyota has better quality than Nissan, which intrigues me.

Then you have the GM products.

[Sky]

I'd love to get a new Camaro, they're so hot...but ye gods I want a reliable vehicle. We put reliability pretty much at the top of the list. Well, not f13-style top of the list, because she decided she's not going with the McLaren. You guys. 

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.

I was looking at Wranglers when I bought the FJ. Nowhere near as comfortable and the reliability was abysmal (and the Cherokee I used to drive was always breaking down, so I believe the reports). We've been pretty happy with the Toyotas, especially the FJ (she's not as meticulous about maintenance as I am, though).

Turns out our Subaru dealer is reportedly shady, next nearest one is an hour away. She's leaning slightly to the Mazda CX-3 GT 5 door. Gotta find a Prius 4 to test drive, too. Kia Soul !, Honda HR-V EX, and VW Golf TSI SE are off the list (she really wanted the Golf but repair rating is really bad + costly parts). I'm still partial to the Crosstrek unless the dealer is actually shady (you know how online reviews can be).

[Nebu]

I test drove a Mazda 3 speed and was quite impressed by the handling, acceleration, and braking.  I think the Mazda 3 is a great value.  What about the Ford Focus?  It's a fun car and quite capable near the top of the line (SVT).

[Mandella]

I have a Ford F-150 Extended Cab.

My daughter drives a BMW.

:\

[01101010]

I test drove a Mazda 3 speed and was quite impressed by the handling, acceleration, and braking.  I think the Mazda 3 is a great value.  What about the Ford Focus?  It's a fun car and quite capable near the top of the line (SVT).

Mazdas are solid cars with the worst marketing and distribution I have ever heard of.

[Viin]

Unfortunately I'm in this boat. Picked up a 2012 F250 4x4 recently and for winter driving it's great. The rest of the time it's overly large & annoying to park. I'm thinking of dumping it but am not sure what to get that has 4 wheel drive (steep streets in neighborhood that ice over, the slipping & sliding off the road & down the hills took out my Prius 2 winters back).  I do know I don't want payments as that has been sucking so much more than I last remember. Having a truck is great for actually owning a home, but I haven't needed it as an actual truck for 6 months.

I switched from an FX4 to an Audi A6, my commute is amazingly more enjoyable. Parking is a breeze, I'm comfortable and the driving is great. I do miss having a truck on occasion (particularly for camping or going into the mountains for the weekend) but we've been able to make due with our Honda Pilot for most hauling tasks.

[Yegolev]

I have a Ford F-150 Extended Cab.

My daughter drives a BMW.

:\

So you live in Atlanta?

[Mandella]

I have a Ford F-150 Extended Cab.

My daughter drives a BMW.

:\

So you live in Atlanta?

Just outside the metro area...

Ya got me.

 

[Selby]

I do miss having a truck on occasion (particularly for camping or going into the mountains for the weekend) but we've been able to make due with our Honda Pilot for most hauling tasks.

Yeah, I've got a 40 year old station wagon that does everything except haul dirt, so it's kind of hard to justify keeping it around.

[Merusk]

I test drove a Mazda 3 speed and was quite impressed by the handling, acceleration, and braking.  I think the Mazda 3 is a great value.  What about the Ford Focus?  It's a fun car and quite capable near the top of the line (SVT).

Mazdas are solid cars with the worst marketing and distribution I have ever heard of.

Yeah, the wife's 3 hatchback has proven to be pretty solid. I'm not a fan only because it's a little too cramped in the pilot seat for me. Other than that it's a great little car.

[schild]

I feel like if you're looking at a Focus, the only option is the RS.

[schild]

My allergic reactions are now bad enough that I had to go to the ER tonight.

I am none to pleased.

[Trippy]

It might help to fix your diet.

[apocrypha]

Had to get a bus somewhere unfamiliar today for the first time in over a decade. I used to hate getting buses. Wait for ages, bored, until one shows up, not know how close to reality the timetable is, get to your destination and wander around lost like a fart in the mist for ages, etc.

Now? Get to bus stop, use smartphone app to find when the next bus is with live updates. Fill in the 10 mins waiting with Pokemon Go or checking email or whatever. While on bus check maps to see which stop is closest to your goal. Fill in time on bus with Pokemon Go, etc. Get off at exactly the right stop, use maps again to walk directly to your destination. Just... great tbfh. <3 smartphones. That probably makes me sound like a right old man.

[IainC]

Had to get a bus somewhere unfamiliar today for the first time in over a decade. I used to hate getting buses. Wait for ages, bored, until one shows up, not know how close to reality the timetable is, get to your destination and wander around lost like a fart in the mist for ages, etc.

Now? Get to bus stop, use smartphone app to find when the next bus is with live updates. Fill in the 10 mins waiting with Pokemon Go or checking email or whatever. While on bus check maps to see which stop is closest to your goal. Fill in time on bus with Pokemon Go, etc. Get off at exactly the right stop, use maps again to walk directly to your destination. Just... great tbfh. <3 smartphones. That probably makes me sound like a right old man.

Ten minutes between buses? What kind of third-world hell-hole do you live in? Even out here, most routes have a bus every 5-8 minutes.

[Merusk]

No it's 20-30 mins between busses. He just happened to get there just before the bus instead of just after it.

[Chimpy]

Heh, I live in a town with one of the best bus systems in the US and the most frequent route in the entire city has a ten minute interval. Most routes run at 30 minute intervals, some are once an hour.

So to answer your question, he obviously lives in the first-world shithole that is the USA 

[Cyrrex]

Except that we already know that he is somewhere in the UK.

But I'd go out on a limb and say that lots of people live in places where even 30 minutes would be pretty cool.  Also, people living out in places like the Amazon jungle have almost no bus access at all.

[Chimpy]

Except that we already know that he is somewhere in the UK.

Oh yeah, I wasn't paying attention to who had posted.

[apocrypha]

No it's 20-30 mins between busses. He just happened to get there just before the bus instead of just after it.

This. I live in Lancashire, UK, a county that time forgot. Right up until the 1980s when time suddenly remembered it again and privatised all the bus services, leaving it with a public transport system to rival Soviet Russia's most desolate wastelands.

[Signe]

My allergic reactions are now bad enough that I had to go to the ER tonight.

I am none to pleased.

What sort of allergies?  Allergies from outside or is it specific food like peanuts?  I can't even imagine how bad they must have been to send you to the ER! 

Now I'm itchy all over.

[Sky]

I miss my truck, but I can do much of the stuff with the FJ (though unloading 5/8" drywall from teh roofrack is a ball buster) and I really didn't like having no internal storage. If I did get a Tacoma for my next truck, it would have to be a crew cab. I definitely miss being able to randomly toss shit in the back (load of wood, topsoil, etc) that I wouldn't want to put inside because I actually care about my vehicle's interior. The pickup with a decent liner? Pitch anything in there!

[schild]

My allergic reactions are now bad enough that I had to go to the ER tonight.

I am none to pleased.

What sort of allergies?  Allergies from outside or is it specific food like peanuts?  I can't even imagine how bad they must have been to send you to the ER! 

Now I'm itchy all over.

The best we've been able to figure out is that I'm allergic to lavender, so I'll break out from randomly touching shit. It's a mess.

[Paelos]

Went an allergist recently and had the tests. Figured out I'm allergic to dogs, almost every grass pollen, and almost every tree pollen. Also I have problems with Dairy. Yippee.

[schild]

Allergist hit me with something like 84 tests, nothing came back positive. But clearly I'm allergic to fucking something.

[Teleku]

New England?

[schild]

These attacks started in Phoenix in 2008...

and now that I think about it, shortly after surgery. I wonder if I had complications.

[Trippy]

How much antibiotics did you take?

[schild]

In the last day,

all of them

Edit: After the surgery, all the ones they told me to take.

[Trippy]

I would suggest doing some research about how the bacteria in your gut (or lack thereof) can affect things like allergies. If you like reading books here's one I would recommend:

https://www.amazon.com/Microbiome-Solution-Radical-Heal-Inside/dp/039957350X

[schild]

I'm not reading that and I suspect it has nothing to do with my gut. Now that I've connected the dots, long-term bacterial infection from sutures is FAR more likely.

[Yegolev]

Drink kefir.  A quart a day, at least.