Ask Lemmy

2020 Hyundai Elantra SEL 50k miles. After the Impala’s electrics started going out at 200k I wanted a vehicle that I knew the maintenance history of. I got a good deal on a demonstrator model with 3k miles on it, right before the market went to hell – I figured it would and I needed transportation because I went back to work.

I just needed a go box, but wanted car play. I knew the Elantra was one of the best selling cars, so in the long run parts would be available. I took a gamble on the CVT transmission because it’s Hyundai’s first go at it with this model, but all my other options were CVT.

It’s still a young vehicle, but it’s standard change oil and make sure it has fuel. That’s what I wanted.

My other half is more progressive. A belt-driven long range e-bike charged by solar.

Subaru forester and I'm not a lesbian. It's just a solid if boring car.

2015 Ford Focus ST

Traded in my 11 WRX for it after Subaru tried to dick me around on a warranty claim. It's got 128k on it now and it's been rock fuckin solid dependable outside of the gas tank sucking itself inside out lol. Ford handled that.

When I was stationed in Germany with the US military in 2010, I wrecked my car in a blizzard. It was totaled; I couldn't drive it anymore and I needed to get to work every day, so I dropped cash on a used 2006 Mazda 3. It was a 5-speed manual and was in immaculate condition. The former owner had detailed journal entries and receipts for every bit of maintenance they'd ever done. They were only selling it because they had more cars than they needed at the time and they needed some quick cash.

Fast forward to 2020... I was stationed in Nebraska and my Mazda 3 was finally showing its age. I had driven it across most of Europe and half of the US, and its mileage was approaching 200K. I was in the market for a new car.

I found myself "deployed" to South Carolina for 4 months during the pandemic, and while I was there, my wife called me up and asked if I wanted her to buy a new car for me. Apparently, some married friends of hers bought a brand-new 6-speed 2017 Mazda 3 Touring Edition as their daily driver to college classes. But their entry to college was delayed a few years, then the pandemic hit and all classes moved online. So it was just cluttering up their garage. They had 5 cars and hardly drove any of them, so they decided to sell 4 of them during the pandemic.

The 2017 Mazda 3 had only 7,000 miles on it. And they sold it to me for $17K cash. It was a helluva deal! I sold my 2006 Mazda 3 to a coworker and my wife bought the 2017 version for me. And I've been driving it since. It's way nicer than my older version, and the previous owners had even paid for some upgrades to the base car.

I'm retired now, since 2022, and I don't need to drive as much as I used to, but I always take my 2017 Mazda 3 when I leave the house. I enjoy cruising around in that car. It's not a super fancy luxury car, but it's the nicest car I've ever owned. I'm hoping I can get a solid decade or more out of this car before I need another one.

The one I own, people get upset when I take theirs.

motorbikle.

2019 Subaru Crosstrek.

When I was buying a new car I wanted three things:

1. Manual transmission
2. Hatchback
3. All-wherl drive

Turns out there were only three cars that checked those boxes in the US for manufacturing year 2019: a Ford Focus RS (too expensive), a Mini Cooper Countryman (too Mini Cooper), and a Subaru Crosstrek. So I got the Crosstrek.

I've got a road bike for short distances and take the train for longer distances. For all other trips, I rent a car. On a normal year, this works out to zero times.

A Ford F-150. Where I live it just makes sense for every family to have one truck, so I have the truck while my wife has the more sensible / fuel efficient Honda.

I drive a 2013 honda civic (200k km). Because No monthly payments, thing works great and is super cheap to fix (most of which I can do myself).

Cars these days just aren't worth it, you get an EV or Hybrid and at the first repair it's 15k and you might as well throw it out.

An obnoxiously bright Scion tC. I bought it while in college but can’t really afford to replace it now that it’s paid off. I’m going to 40 and still driving that thing, I swear. I’m just not willing to work 30 jobs to make rent, bills, and a car payment work.

I recently switched from a Suzuki Spacia to a Nissan Sakura.

In Japan, the roads are narrow, so a Kei car is very convenient.

Nisan Altima. Because I gave up driving for a decade, but then the pan happened and I was horribly isolated. I could only go to places I could reach on foot because I didn’t want to risk anything unnecessarily. After the vax arrived, I knew it was time to empower myself by having my own car again. I barely drive it, but I don’t have to fret about getting my cats to the vet or transporting large items anymore. And if another pan breaks loose, I’ll be ready.

I have three vehicles right now.

My daily driver is a 2020 Chevy Malibu. It is spacious, fast, and comfortable, and it gets pretty good gas mileage. About 30 miles per gallon on the highway and about 22 in the city.

I have a pickup truck, which is a 2004 f150. It's a good vehicle for hauling furniture or helping friends move or for the occasional camping trip. It's four-wheel drive. It has rear seats, and honestly other than the fact that it's a relatively slow vehicle and that it gets horrible fuel mileage at like 17 mpg combined, I enjoy having it.

Finally, I have a project / fun car, which is a yellow 1986 Jeep CJ7. Has the inline slant 6 4.2 258 motor, hardtop, and is constantly in need of repair, lol.

My hope is to have it finished up by summer and take it on a camping trip and go do a little off-roading, but for the most part it just sits in my driveway and looks beautiful.

My annual insurance runs about $2,800 for all three vehicles. If I got rid of two of them I could probably cut that down to 1200 or so.

2009 Audi A3 sportback, it was my first “nice” car.

I keep it around despite the small fortune I’ve spent in maintenance because it’s fun as hell to drive.

Our family car is a Nissan Murano. One of the few 5 seaters wide enough to fit 3 car seats. I also have a LWB Nissan titan that I love to death, but is always giving me shit, and I just don’t utilize enough to justify keeping. Once I fix what ever the hell is currently wrong with it it’s getting sold :(

I haven’t driven in over 20 years—my current personal transportation is a pair of freeskates.

Focus ST, great blend of quick, fun, utility, and reasonably efficient.

I don't. I tried for the license but it's too hard and the instructor is an asshole. I hate the lack of control and pressure. I will never drive and that limits my life. We have a car at home but nobody uses it due nobody having a driving license. The times I have to go on early shift my uncle, angry, drives me to my job. I wish I would get fired already so I don't have to deal with this pressure

My 2005 highlander has cost me nothing but tires, fuel and batteries. Oh, and a serpentine belt. Very reliable and gas efficient and doubles as a bit of a truck as needed. I doubt I'll do this well on my next vehicle.

1999 Ford F350 crew cab, long box diesel. I sometimes need to tow a heavy trailer and turns out most rental trucks don't allow towing, getting them scratched or any of the other reasons to own a truck. I have had it for about 15 years and put maybe 40k miles on it, so it isn't worth having any other car. Besides that 7.3 is the best engine Ford ever made.

2021 Chevy Bolt. Traded in a 1999 beater for it during the gas pipeline crisis. It's a wonderful, simple, cheap car. I haven't had any issues with it - it just gets the job done. I charge it for free at work every week or two, so I don't even have to pay for fuel. I figure I'm gonna drive it til the bottom rusts through or the batteries die.

2008 BMW 328i. I bought it used back in 2011 and it still cost almost as much as I made in a year at that time, but I really wanted it and otherwise I lived very modestly.

It's such a fun car. I have the manual transmission and the sport suspension, and I love driving it. With that said, it's not a practical car. Only I can drive it because no one else in my family knows how to drive a manual, and the sport suspension makes the car quite uncomfortable when going over any bumps. (I tell passengers "I paid extra for that" while driving through rough areas.) Oh, and forget about driving it in snow. I tried that and spun off the road several times before learning my lesson.

This car is almost 17 and while it was quite reliable for most of that time, now it's at the point where everything is breaking all at once. I refuse to replace it because I can't justify buying another rear-wheel-drive manual-transmission sporty car (one of the very few models still built like that) either to other people or to myself, but I still want to own that sort of car. I guess I'll keep spending more than it's worth on it... I just spent $340 that way today.

2015 Honda Civic SI - best sports car I could get for the price. Great value car; still running perfectly almost 10 yrs later (afai~~k~~ct). The interior was also much better compared to others.

Probably not getting a new car ever due to all the "smart" features cars come with that I really don't like.

A bike is my preferred method of transport. Just a simple 3x7 steel hardtail mountain bike. It keeps me in shape and can go just about anywhere.

When I have to drive, a manual Subaru tends to be my ride: Capable, reliable, and fun I guess. I also use an ebike if I have to haul a lot but don't want to drive.

If it's going to be in city only, the old Honda Fit is hard to beat functionally: Easy to park, very maneuverable, and lots of storage.

Toyota Hilux. A nice blend of not too uncomfortable but will carry me anywhere I choose to go. Seen a lot of places that thing.

Daily: 2018 2.5 Outback. It's nice, comfy, reliable, and overall an amazing daily driver.

Fun car: 1994 Mazda Miata. It's a Miata.