$ Buying a Car General - Eight thousand dollars for a 2005 Subaru Baja?

[Uber driver reviewer]

Well you can see I have a penchant for old ass shit lmao.

Hah yeah. My main vehicle is a Tesla, but I also have relatively recent Toyota V8 SUV with hydrolic steering rack, mechanical fan, a navigation system by Commodore 64, and gets 16mpg. The thing is ancient in terms of features despite not being that old.

My thought is that the EV basically eliminates a lot of the “modern” horseshit such as the auto stop/start and overstressed small turbo motors hooked up to 20 speed transmissions. But on the other end of the spectrum, the Toyota was extremely dated even when it was new. But it never had received all of the modern malignancy either. So it’s like a benchmark that was frozen in time and kept selling slowly for over a decade while the rest of the industry went gay. I’m never selling that Toyota, but I’ll likely trade in the EV for a new one every 4 years or so. At the same time, there are few modern cars that I would consider owning other than that.

Would a Mazda B Series truck be a wise truck purchase, or should I still consider attempting to get a Ranger from the 90s/2000s?

Unless you are in the Deep South or PNW any ranger Or B series is going to be beat to shit and rotting. Consider a maintained Honda Ridgeline if you need the bed.

They have a fuckton of problems over here but maybe it's different. I'm talking about the engine Chevy put in the Sonic and Trax. Me and everyone else I know has had massive issues with them. Bad cooling system, evap leaks, burning oil, losing power, bad PCV, water pumps always go out, maintainence is a pain (took me 4 fucking days to change out the water pump), and half the shit is made of plastic.

Fuck all of this GM shit. Find a Honda with the K series motor (4 cyl in 2.0L to 2.4l range)

 

[Darkholme's Dungeon]

Would a Mazda B Series truck be a wise truck purchase, or should I still consider attempting to get a Ranger from the 90s/2000s?

Unless you are in the Deep South or PNW any ranger Or B series is going to be beat to shit and rotting. Consider a maintained Honda Ridgeline if you need the bed.

Nigga I'm in the deep south and mine was rotting. Try Arizona/NM/W Texas lmao. B serries is a ranger with some minor differences.

Certain parts are getting hard to find, like electronics and 4x4 parts (esp if you need electronic vacumn lock hub parts), and the plastic shit is starting to fail on these (my brake handle literally snapped off sometime ago).

The only engine more indestructable (imo) is one of the japanese diesels or a ford 358/Big Block Chevy with gear drive. I had a friend who overheated his Isuzu because of a lack of oil, sling a valve into the piston and cause a nickel sized hole and he still drove the damn thing home for a rebuild after patching the oil leak and adding oil.

Spoiler: clutch rant

IF you do buy... Have fun changing the fucking cocentric clutch. Only thing worse is trying to change the clutch on a 4x4 diesel in that era. It is easier to lift the cab than to remove the tranny on the diesels.
You have to unbolt/remove the tcase (a bitch to do itself), unbolt the tranny, rotate it 90 degrees one way, slide it over a non-removable crossmember, pull via chains the engine block forward, then slide it BACK over the crossmember and pull it out. You'll be doing it blind for about half the fucking bellhousing/tcase bolts. Took me about 6 hours just to get it off.

Meanwhile to lift the cab...
Remove all six cab mounting bolts
Remove all wires/hoses
Disconnect the steering collumn
Lift the cab up securely
Remove the slip yolk and replace the clutch in place.
Takes about 2-3 hours.

My thought is that the EV basically eliminates a lot of the “modern” horseshit such as the auto stop/start and overstressed small turbo motors hooked up to 20 speed transmissions. But on the other end of the spectrum, the Toyota was extremely dated even when it was new. But it never had received all of the modern malignancy either. So it’s like a benchmark that was frozen in time and kept selling slowly for over a decade while the rest of the industry went gay. I’m never selling that Toyota, but I’ll likely trade in the EV for a new one every 4 years or so. At the same time, there are few modern cars that I would consider owning other than that.

Underpowred engines and turbos are a tale as old as time. I have the 2.6 and 2.2 L diesel turbos and by the time you get to effective turbo (stock) range, you're at the RPM range of throwing a rod or a piston through the block. The GBC-14 is pretty good for aftermarket though.

The other day I saw a fucking clapped out Mighty Max diesel being sold for 12k! That's worth more than the MSRP it had in the 1980s!!!

 

[Uber driver reviewer]

My main issue with EVs is the battery being major safety hazard on highway speed road crashes (rural driver here). That and the digital fucking dashboards hurts my eyes because I have astigmatisim.

I just swapped my ranger engines and retired my 4.0 because I got my hands on a rusted out diesel ranger. . I ain't giving it up unless it gets pried from my cold, dead, hands or the motor gets a piston through the block. These things are nigh indestructable and the body will break apart before the motor will. I've had the imput gear shaft crack on mine (input seal blew out) and still managed to drive it back home before rebuilding it.

The other day I saw a fucking clapped out Mighty Max diesel being sold for 12k! That's worth more than the MSRP it had in the 1980s!!!

You may want to consider imported JDM vehicles then. I parked next to a Mitsubishi Pajero tonight with the 20 valve turbo diesel. Very small, but very cool car, I’ve seen a ton of Kei car type trucklets around like the Honda Acty, and the owners just have them for very specific purposes . They are death traps as a daily driver. But they can do truck things very well for very little money and are peak Japan industrial output. Lots of rich guys around here with imported landcrusiers or Prados. But there is a whole world of utilitarian JDM vehicles to bastardize here now. I’m a fucking nerd for this stuff. But the people that buy these things are all over the map.

No rust on any of these unless it came out of hokkaido

Also, gas tanks go up in flames spectacularly too. I can’t help on astigmatism or eye autism, but I bought an EV to hope to prove it wrong. I ended up really liking the thing. But I get it, I spent my formative years under cars. I’m just saying that there is a certain zenlike appeal in the way that EV’s (the good ones at least) solve for a number of complexities of car ownership in the same way that owning a peak era maintained Japanese vehicle absolutely eliminates a lot of the visceral appeal of owning something like a high end German vehicle or gigantic American vehicle by just being so downright solid and reliable that you really don’t give a fuck that an M240i on good tires can absolutely rip most vehicles for twice the price, or that a 4 year old 440ci with a few thousand in engine mods is basically untouchable. You just stop caring because you’ll still be rolling comfortably while the other car is being melted down to be recycled into chinkshit. That’s another $30k-$50kto stuff into VTSAX….. in the same way, an EV will ruin cars for you. when you have a daily driver Commuter car that will smoke the cars that you thought were absurdly fast when you were a teenager, you’ll pretty much look at gas cars as inefficient noise.

 

[Darkholme's Dungeon]

You may want to consider imported JDM vehicles then. I parked next to a Mitsubishi Pajero tonight with the 20 valve turbo diesel. Very small, but very cool car, I’ve seen a ton of Kei car type trucklets around like the Honda Acty, and the owners just have them for very specific purposes . They are death traps as a daily driver. But they can do truck things very well for very little money and are peak Japan industrial output. Lots of rich guys around here with imported landcrusiers or Prados. But there is a whole world of utilitarian JDM vehicles to bastardize here now. I’m a fucking nerd for this stuff. But the people that buy these things are all over the map.

I can't afford that. I prefer old diesels since I can get used motor oils in industrial quantities. There's a local CDM diesel pickup going for 5k USD near me in China rn (new one is about 15k USD). 3.0 diesel, 6 speed, 4x4. Issue is I'd have to wait 25 years to import into the US and in China they forcibly junk you at 15 years.

No rust on any of these unless it came out of hokkaido

I disagree, Isuzu is really bad at rust prevention. Best is Mazda, followed by Toyota, Mitszu imho.

 

[Kromeleon]

No rust on any of these unless it came out of hokkaido

Can you expound on this? I am driving an old 2003 Accord that has virtually no rust issues, but my brother is going to junk his 2010 F150 because it's falling apart.

What's the difference in the steel?

 

[Sirius]

Gave up on buying a car about six months ago after my father told me the Civic we were looking at had several leaks and the headliner was falling apart. Ended up taking my mom's VW Beetle with 60k on the odometer as a hand-me-down. I'm forever grateful for that, I may look like a faggot on the road but at least that Beetle isn't held together by duct tape and chewing gum.

I think things have improved a bit in the US for a year or so, but not much.

 

[Audit]

Insofar as sedans go, recently I've driven various hybrid and non-hybrid Hondas and Toyotas as new model rentals. Gotta say, the non-hybrid civic drove like shit with the classic delayed acceleration on the highway from some bullshit fuel saving options. A hybrid camry drives just fine without tinkering. Acceleration is still good despite the undersized engine. With present offerings, if I were buying a new sedan today, I'd only bother with hybrids unless I were looking at high end offerings with actual engines. Gas mileage is typically 45 mpg+ under real conditions but there's a huge loss when you're going 80+ mph regularly. It's something like 48mpg at 70 mph to 40 at 80 mph. I think it's because the battery and electric drive train become complete deadweight at that velocity. Drivers in middle of nowhere states will get better mileage on non-hybrid options, hilariously.

Aside, tried to drive a jetta. Couldn't stand it. Just felt wrong in the pilot seat.

Don't ask me about fun sports cars or high end sedans. I'm not in the habit of driving or maintaining them. If a Lexus is just a souped up Camry, then it would be my go-to.

 

[Thiletonomics]

If a Lexus is just a souped up Camry, then it would be my go-to.

The ES is pretty much a luxury Camry with more sound deadening. Although the new upcoming ES will have the stupid ass fuck Chinese car minimalist interior:

 

[Uber driver reviewer]

Can you expound on this? I am driving an old 2003 Accord that has virtually no rust issues, but my brother is going to junk his 2010 F150 because it's falling apart.

What's the difference in the steel?

There are a lot of variables at play for either vehicle.

My point above was about rust from ice melt or just being parked in snow (which will rust steel from trapping condensation) in reference to 25+ year old “peak JDM era” used cars being imported from Japan To the USA , because that opens up a lot of oddball Japanese cars we never got here such as little diesel 4x4’s. Japan, having a vastly different climate and approach to winter snow removal, doesn’t have a lot of the corrosion issues that say an American truck driven in Minnesota for 4 winters would have.

The steel used in each vehicle, the construction methods, factory corrosion protection, any port or dealer prep of the body, factory paint quality, condition of weather seals or drainage rubber parts, washing, ice melt composition, where the car was parked or stored all are variables. Your accord was built in Ohio. So it’s not like we are comparing apples to kiwis. But from the factors above, we are. And I’m also guessing that if you live in a salt state, your accord would reveal rust if you got it on the lift. Suspension and exhaust fasteners especially.

The ES is pretty much a luxury Camry with more sound deadening. Although the new upcoming ES will have the stupid ass fuck Chinese car minimalist interior:

View attachment 7743529

ES has been on the Avalon platform for the last 15 years. But even when it was on the Camry platform, it was always MUCH nicer.

The current ES is an absolutely spectacular luxury bargain. The ultra lux package gets you reclining climate seats in the rear with sun shades in the doors and rear glass plus air shocks. You can pick those puppies up with the fairly brawny 2GR V6 in front wheel drive or the gas sipper hybrid with all wheel drive for around $50k new. You can’t mix these up with German luxury cars at all. But for people looking for reliable A to B cars that are well built and extremely comfy, these are the place to be for under $50k. Due to demand, these are also very good deals on the used market since everyone gravitates to either crossovers, hillbilly trucks, or kraut status symbols. It’s like the lone FWD luxury sedan left, a market that was once a major segment 20 years ago with Buick, Chrysler, Acura, Cadillac , Lincoln, and Infiniti with players in the segment.

Outside of that, the old Lexus GS is a great used bargain too. Buy a one-owner car before ghetto people buy them all up. It’s a Rear drive Japan built sedan built in Japan with AWD options. Most of them came with the 2GR V6 (but anything from the V8 to the 2.0L turbo have been recently available). Much sportier and solidly built than the ES, but won’t be as luxurious. The newest GS is 5 years old now. But even a five year old one will drive like new. They were meant to compete in the bmw 5 series / mb E class segment but just couldn’t compete for the fickle buyers in that shrinking market (again, growing preference for SUV’s).

Also, the GS is Japan built (generally better build quality, QC, specs of small parts, and attention to detail), where the ES has been built in the USA for recent history.

 

[Torque Wheeler]

Gave up on buying a car about six months ago after my father told me the Civic we were looking at had several leaks and the headliner was falling apart. Ended up taking my mom's VW Beetle with 60k on the odometer as a hand-me-down. I'm forever grateful for that, I may look like a faggot on the road but at least that Beetle isn't held together by duct tape and chewing gum.

I think things have improved a bit in the US for a year or so, but not much.

Eh, at least when you're inside the car you can't see what you look like while you're driving it. The optimist in me says that something has to give with the car market eventually. Then I started to remember this awful pilot project that volvo was running a few years ago in Austin TX, I think. No one owns their car, but they time share it. Things could be getting later than they already are. Meanwhile, I'm going into the future kicking a screaming with my manual transmissions. No computer gets to tell me when the optimal time to shift is. I fucking hate feeling auto transmissions try to pick a gear for me going up a long hill with a trailer. When I leave it in 5th we're taking the hill in 5th even if it means we're spitting fire. I want the freedom to live with my mistakes

 

[Uber driver reviewer]

Eh, at least when you're inside the car you can't see what you look like while you're driving it. The optimist in me says that something has to give with the car market eventually. Then I started to remember this awful pilot project that volvo was running a few years ago in Austin TX, I think. No one owns their car, but they time share it. Things could be getting later than they already are. Meanwhile, I'm going into the future kicking a screaming with my manual transmissions. No computer gets to tell me when the optimal time to shift is. I fucking hate feeling auto transmissions try to pick a gear for me going up a long hill with a trailer. When I leave it in 5th we're taking the hill in 5th even if it means we're spitting fire. I want the freedom to live with my mistakes

Eh I almost died (along with my young kid) by stalling a manual at the worst possible time ever. I’m still open to it being a no shit divine intervention miracle that I wasn’t broadsided by a loaded dump truck, and the truck somehow slipped around my car and the guardrail like nothing happened.

I still have nightmares and anxiety about that event. But I’m done with manuals for daily drivers. And pre-collision tech has saved my bacon a few times.

I get where you are coming from, but a lot of the new tech is good. No reason to take a Luddite attitude . There are some happy mediums out there.

Coworker just bought a new Mustang EV. Paying 700 a month with 250 for insurance. At least he doesn't have any interest and it's for 60 months but still lmao.

He’s probably getting the $7500 tax credit for it and isn’t paying anything or much for “fuel”. He should had bought a model Y though.

Not even a v8, good lord.

The 5.6 Liter V8 in the Q70L is pretty rare but it’s an absolute beast on the highway. 420hp. The q70 is a good solid car but usually owned by black ghetto people that don’t maintain them now. If you can find one that was owned and maintained by a decent white man, it’s worth a decent premium over others. The G35/37/50 and Q60 is also a decent car for the price. Those Infiniti’s are true japanese designed and built cars that were not fucked over where Renault bought Nissan and fucked them up to being the Japanese Saturn/Pontiac.

I’d take an Infiniti QX80 over a Toyota landcruiser and pocket the $20-30k premium.

 

[Torque Wheeler]

Eh I almost died (along with my young kid) by stalling a manual at the worst possible time ever. I’m still open to it being a no shit divine intervention miracle that I wasn’t broadsided by a loaded dump truck, and the truck somehow slipped around my car and the guardrail like nothing happened.

I still have nightmares and anxiety about that event. But I’m done with manuals for daily drivers. And pre-collision tech has saved my bacon a few times.

I get where you are coming from, but a lot of the new tech is good. No reason to take a Luddite attitude . There are some happy mediums out there.

That's absolutely terrifying and I completely understand. I'll stay a luddite probably the rest of my life though. It's just so fun to bang through gears and make the car act exactly the way I want without any delays or safeties or concerns for the environment. I think I've stalled once in the past year and that's an hour after I lost a close friend and I probably shouldn't have been using anything with wheels

 

[AnOminous]

Honda Civic bros are best bros.

 

[grump]

Never at used car dealers, they're ripoffs. Saved searches on multiple online marketplaces at the same time. Only pre-2000 cars. 2000-2010 only specific brands and models. Never post-2010.

One good reason to get a newer car is they've made massive improvements in passenger safety within recent years in many vehicles. If you look at crash tests they've started emphasizing offset crashes after years of only paying attention to simple frontal crashes. After a period which showed how bad cars were at handling offset crashes many manufacturers have improved dramatically and many collisions which used to maim or kill can be walked away from. But this has happened relatively recently. Like 2010s and is still an ongoing process as crash testing continues to improve

Which ones have improved. Well you'll have to look it up.

 

[DrakosBiz]

He’s probably getting the $7500 tax credit for it and isn’t paying anything or much for “fuel”. He should had bought a model Y though.


The 5.6 Liter V8 in the Q70L is pretty rare but it’s an absolute beast on the highway. 420hp. The q70 is a good solid car but usually owned by black ghetto people that don’t maintain them now. If you can find one that was owned and maintained by a decent white man, it’s worth a decent premium over others. The G35/37/50 and Q60 is also a decent car for the price. Those Infiniti’s are true japanese designed and built cars that were not fucked over where Renault bought Nissan and fucked them up to being the Japanese Saturn/Pontiac.

I’d take an Infiniti QX80 over a Toyota landcruiser and pocket the $20-30k premium.

Most likely. Given I know a bit more about his finances I wouldn't have taken that high of a monthly payment on it and would have saved more money to put toward the down payment.

 

[Lady Bizness]

Why are new cars still so fucking ugly? In the 90s everything started looking like escape pods shot out of a space station's asshole, and not much has changed. I so want to buy a fun small car but it's either high maintenance impractical shit or embarrassing little faggot cars. What's hot right now?
I'm a middle aged lady who absolutely cannot handle anything truly spicy so I'm probably just going to end up with another Camry or whatever is the Lexus equivalent. Sigh. Why can't they make those cars look just a little cooler?

 

[Audit]

Why are new cars still so fucking ugly? In the 90s everything started looking like escape pods shot out of a space station's asshole, and not much has changed. I so want to buy a fun small car but it's either high maintenance impractical shit or embarrassing little faggot cars. What's hot right now?
I'm a middle aged lady who absolutely cannot handle anything truly spicy so I'm probably just going to end up with another Camry or whatever is the Lexus equivalent. Sigh. Why can't they make those cars look just a little cooler?

You want a fun car? Try a Miata. I know a bunch of car guys who like them. Tiny little sportscar with an affordable price tag.

 

[Althalus]

Would a Mazda B Series truck be a wise truck purchase, or should I still consider attempting to get a Ranger from the 90s/2000s?

The B series was a rebadged Ranger, they have slightly different styling but are the same truck and (AFAIK) mechanically identical. So I'm not sure the choice matters beyond brand preference.

In the 90s Ford needed a small car and Mazda needed a small truck, so Mazda gave Ford the design for the Escort, and Ford let Mazda put their own name on the Ranger.

 

[drammamean]

Would a Mazda B Series truck be a wise truck purchase, or should I still consider attempting to get a Ranger from the 90s/2000s?

For future reference, the Mazda B Series is a rebadged Ford Ranger. They're the same truck.

 

[The Hardest R]

Why are new cars still so fucking ugly?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_average_fuel_economy

As emission mpg standards increase, the designs are more focused on reducing drag.

You want a fun car? Try a Miata. I know a bunch of car guys who like them. Tiny little sportscar with an affordable price tag.

I agree. I like Mazdas in general.