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Re: OT: Car Buying
#90225 04/13/05 07:43 PM
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axiomite
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We've got our heads in the sand regarding the issue, but Roger's 97 Altima is also getting a little long in the tooth. Our issue isn't what to get when it dies, rather how are we going to afford two car payments? The Altima is paid for.


Re: OT: Car Buying
#90226 04/13/05 07:53 PM
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shareholder in the making
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There's always the California Lottery.

Re: OT: Car Buying
#90227 04/13/05 08:03 PM
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connoisseur
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Congrats peter. Didn't know another was coming. We're in the same boat, that's why I'm looking for a new vehicle. (Actually, I'm on labor watch, she's due on 4/27 but there's a good chance my boy, woohoo!, is gonna be early.) 2 kids, 2 adults and a crazy lab need a big car.

The big hybrid is the GMC Yukon hybrid, but don't think that's till next year, last I heard. They've got the engine on the current Sierra truck.

I have nothing against American cars, my last 2 cars were a 1990 Eagle Talon AWD (I LOVED THAT CAR) and my 1996 explorer w/ the mustang 5.0L V8. I drove both cars to death, still have the explorer too.

BTW, I never thought this thread would get this long...

Last edited by oldskoolboarder; 04/13/05 08:05 PM.
Re: OT: Car Buying
#90228 04/13/05 08:14 PM
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local
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local
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I know what you mean about the need for cargo space, power etc. when the whole fam damly goes on vacation and gas mileage taking a backseat (bad pun) to these. For that, we also own an extended cab 3/4 ton puck-up with canopy. It has the space to haul all the stuff (stroller, bikes, luggage....) and the canoe and tent trailer. But fuel is a killer. To help defray that cost I looked and found a used truck that runs on both propane and gas. Propane in Alberta is about half to 2/3 the cost of gas and gets about 85% of the mileage of gas. Deisel would be an even more economical way to go interms of mileage versus fuel costs but the engine is so darn expensive an option to buy and used deseil trucks just hold thier value too much to make it econimical unless you drive mega miles ayear to recoup the expense.

But with our last child growing in size (2 yrs old now), it looks like an extended cab is soon not going to be big enough to hold everyone and I'll be in your position, dreading the hunt and payments for replacement vehicle. I'm thinking a crewcab truck is the way to go. The big SUV's like a suburban are just too pricey and I don't like sharing my interior space with the dead deer, moose and waterfowl I usually haul home each fall.

Re: OT: Car Buying
#90229 04/13/05 08:24 PM
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axiomite
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In reply to:

I'm thinking a crewcab truck is the way to go.




Paul, I've owned pickup trucks every since I can remember and my last two have been crew cab diesels. I've owned both Dodge/Cummins and Ford/Powerstrokes, had luck with both manufacturers. I don't think I'd ever own anything other than a crew cab and it seems like quite a number of my associates and friends are going from the 3/4 ton trucks to the 1/2 ton crew cabs.
I'm cuurently trying to figure out placement in the back seat of my truck for a pair of Axioms...

Whew, diesel down my way is $2.35 and above though.


Rick
Our Room

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Re: OT: Car Buying
#90230 04/13/05 08:38 PM
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C
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Spiff ... Most people, when they see the 500 in person, DO think it looks like an Audi. And even though, in your words, I am driving an old man's car at 44 years old, I will take comfort knowing that, for fun, I can grab our 2004 SL-500 or the 2005 Corvette ...

Re: OT: Car Buying
#90231 04/13/05 08:40 PM
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I don't have kids yet, and maybe that's why I don't get it, but do people haul that much more stuff around with the family then when we were all kids? My parents had a regular 5 seat, 4 door, sedan type of car when we were growing up as the big car for my mom, and my dad had a two seater most of the time, and we never had issues hauling stuff around. I guess because of that, I don't see it changing and don't plan on getting a minivan or SUV. For me, my car with lots of storage space was the Acura Integra GS-R I had before my current car, because it was a hatchback. Amazing how much more can fit that way when you put the back seats down.

Are people loading up the whole family and overpacking for a night or two away on a regular basis? If it's a couple times a year, I don't want to have to drive a minivan/SUV around all the time just for that. I'd rather pack a little less and have a car I like, instead of something that holds a lot and doesn't get good gas mileage.

Like I said, I don't have any kids yet though, so maybe I'm just missing something.

Re: OT: Car Buying
#90232 04/13/05 08:41 PM
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local
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Thanks for the recommendation on crewcabs. I think it is the only practical solution for me and our families lifestyle.

Yup $2.35/USgal for diesel sucks compared to a few months ago(it's about the same here when converted from litres) but gas is a lot worse at $3.33/gal. ($0.88/litre). Then again propane is a lot better at $1.89/gal ($0.50/litre).

Re: OT: Car Buying
#90233 04/13/05 08:53 PM
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Zarak, did you have a dog when you were a kid, and did s/he come along on the family trips? If we didn't have a dog, we'd be able to stuff more things in the back of our Subaru. Right now, we try to reserve 1/3 of the space back there for her, and try to cram things so they don't fall on top of her.

Re: OT: Car Buying
#90234 04/13/05 09:02 PM
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I'm curious what thoughts you all have on hybrid battery life. While hybrids seem attractiveright now how much of agood idea will they seem when the battery pack dies and your shelling out 5 grand to replace it? I saw last week that Toshiba anounced a new battery technology that is supposed to go into hybrids perhaps next year: fast recharge time less than 1% loss over 1000 recharges. How many times a day are the batteries being drained and recharged?

Right now I'm waiting to hear what happens to the value of hybrids once the story gets out about about the costs of battery replacement and the the effect it has on resale value.


Mark
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