Ask Lemmy

Simple, stupid, and reliable

Bicycle, because fuck traffic.

2017 Ford Focus 1.0L with 18k on the clock when I got it. It was free.

2019 Škoda Fabia Monte-Carlo Edition.

It's a relatively small car, but bigger on the inside, allowing my 6.5 feet (1.98m) and considerable bulk to sit comfortably and commute a route where sadly public transit isn't an option. It's only drinking 5.5l per 100km (~~4.277~~ 42.77 mpg) and I have had good experiences with that model in the past in regards to the cost of maintenance.

I can go 200km/h (125 mph) (downhill and with a tailwind) and the sporty features (manual transmission, sports suspension, sports seating, stronger engine and spoiler) are really nice when going quickly around corners on country roads or speeding down the Autobahn.

None. I don't have one and do not want one. They are a blight. I want them gone.

A 2005 Seat Leon TDI. It was cheap, uses little fuel and is reliable. In the summer I drive our 1988 Trabant 601. It's fun and tiny, but definitely not reliable.

Though after moving to a bigger city from the countryside, my main modes of transportation have become my bike and a tram, the car is only for when I visit my parents where no public transport goes

Toyata Matrix. It gets me around. Keeps me out of trouble.

I don't drive because I know I'll eventually hit someone, whether by my own fault or another's, and i don't want that on my conscience.

There's often a high chance at least one of any participants in traffic, regardless of the chosen mode of transportation, is truly dumb or having a dumb moment and will fuck something up for everyone else.

And I know that when a dumb fuck eventually crosses my path or I myself become one, I won't be able to handle the situation reasonably, so my chosen preventive measure is staying away from the wheel.

Scion FR-S

It's just so fun and pretty

1997 Mazda Miata. Simple, reliable, easy to repair, incredible aftermarket support, huge community with a ton of knowledge, and an absolute joy to drive.

Plus the headlights go up and down.

Mercedes E350 2008.

I wanted an old school Mercedes, but the old 90s S Class would have been too expensive to run so after a bit of research, I came across the W210 and then I realised than a W211 was within reach.

So I bought it. Been a bit of drama with it. 2 fender benders, parts and maintenance. I DIY a good bit and I am happy with my decision. Gone cross country three times with it and daily drive it on my job which involved driving around 200 miles a day. It's comfortable, fast, and quite reliable.

I am happy with my decision till a light comes on the dash. Still, cheaper than car payments.

2007 Nissan Navara (Frontier) pickup truck.

I originally bought it because a german luxury saloon wasn't big and unpractical enough and I've dreamed of a pickup truck like that since I was a kid but then I started my own business and now I'm using it as my work truck, hauling tools and construction supplies.

2017 lincoln MKZ. Got it used for about 26K, just before used car prices went nuts during covid. So comfy, huge trunk too. Glad i went with used luxury as opposed to something brand new, barely had 40K miles on it and was in great shape.

I drive a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid because it was cheap and my city is too car centric to get away with no car. I walk more than I drive at least though

Honda Fit. It's tiny but mighty. I call it a bisexual car because it fills all the holes when looking for parking. City car, but it gets around.

I have a 2021 Seat Leon FR PHEV Hatchback.

It is basically a Spanish VW Golf.

I got it one and a half years ago as my first car after getting my license at 35.

As a first car it is very luxurious, as a daily driver at 35 it is comfortable but highly annoying (every cabin control is either in the infotainment, or on touch surfaces (some without lighting) which forces you to take you eyes off the road to set cabin temp, Turn on heated rear window, turn on heated seats and more).

It is mine because I bought and paid for it.

2010 (I think) Ford Fiesta.

Because it's what I have available to drive.

dodge grand caravan. main reason is my wife has a large amount of medical issues and the captains chairs have the longest time till pain for her along with it being at this sorta perfect but height such that you don't have to lift into it but you also don't drop onto it. Its also super versatile and for a non car vehicle gets decent gas mileage. unfortunately they killed it to push their pacifica whos seats are not as good. we need to check out some of the others like honda or toyota now. on the upside if they work out. way better reliability.

2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder. Bone stock except for a LSD I dropped in when a bearing grenaded in the transaxle. It was my daily driver for a long time.

2003 Subaru WRX. It was my daily before the MR2, but I blew the head gaskets around 200k miles and got the MR2 while I rebuilt it. It's now lifted, running a 2.5l ej25 with the stock 2.0l heads. It's become my fun car that I use to tow stuff with and take out when the snow makes the 2-seater convertible impractical.

But now we mostly drive my girlfriends 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid. It's bare bones low end model, but she likes it.

2008 F350 Diesel. I'm a farmer so there's a good chance there will be something covered in oil/shit/blood/ice/mud or combination thereof in the box at any given time. I can put a pallet of seed or a 1000L tote of fertilizer in the back. And I can pull a 35' flat deck loaded with bales with it. And honestly it gets fairly good mileage on the highway when its empty. It has about 1100km of range on a tank if I keep my foot out of it.

I'd love an electric that does what it does, but that's a pipedream for a few years yet. Maybe when I've driven this into the ground it'll be a thing.

2005 Peugeot 206 Gti.

I blew up my car on saturday and it was a very cheap shitbox that I could buy with cash on hand on a sunday to get to work Monday.

Im working my way through everything wrong with it upgrading as I go. If I make it through the problems list, then Ill have an amazing base to start adding horsepower and removing practicality once I get a new daily driver.

2007 Toyota 4runner

I have a lot of outdoorsy hobbies and am an avid DIYer, so I need something with room for gear/lumber/etc. a roof rack to strap on my kayak or other bulky gear, a trailer hitch to tow small trailers or put a bike rack or basket on to carry a cooler and such when there's no more room in my trunk, and some space for friends and/or my dog. Some ground clearance is nice for when I find myself on shitty deeply rutted dirt roads, and 4wd for when I drive onto the beach to go fishing. I'm also an essential worker (911 dispatch) who has to be able to get to work in the snow, and I work a weird shift that sometimes has me commuting before plows have been through.

I don't really go "off roading," I'm not going out looking for mud and Rocks to go driving over for it's own sake, but I do sometimes, in the course of whatever else I'm doing, have to drive off the road.

I also sometimes camp in my car, and it's nice to be able to fit an air mattress in the back, it's a bit tight but it works.

It's also the used car I could afford when my previous one got totaled on me.

My previous cars have been roughly the same sort of midsized SUVs- 2000 Isuzu Trooper (I really loved that car) and 2006 Chevy Trailblazer (it did everything I needed to but I was less of a fan, nothing in that car was quite where I thought it should be) so I've kind of dialed in that that's the right size vehicle for me.

Ideally I'd like to have a small EV for most of my daily commuting and errands, and then a (small) 4x4 pickup truck for when I need it. Something like the old ford rangers (the new ones are bigger than I need) with an extended cab (not a full crew cab, just some back jump seats) and a 6 or 7ft bed. The maverick shows some promise, I'm hoping they add a midgate when they refresh it in a couple years.

But I don't have the parking space or budget for 2 cars, so the midsize suv is kind of the compromise I'm stuck with.

My family has always had good luck with Toyotas, and I like my 4runner well enough, if I had the budget to be picky and needed a car, there's a good chance I'd be looking at 4runners, though unless my financial and parking situations get better my next car will probably be whatever 10+ year old midsized SUV comes my way when this one goes (still going strong though, slowly inching up on 200k miles and still no major issues)