Cars

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Happy
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Re: Cars

Post by Happy » Fri Nov 03, 2017 1:09 pm

kenya wrote:
Fri Nov 03, 2017 10:09 am
Yes it was the subaru my husband said was expensive on repairs.
Ah WWW my husband tried to show me how to change my oil and tires. I just refused, in my mind I do all the house chores plus most of the outside looking after gardens , lawns and he never does anything with the chickens or horses. The vehicles are his to look after I just refuse to do it. Yes I could do some basic things but I refuse thats his job.
I agree!!! I always say when he starts cleaning the toilet I'll get my hands greasy. I'm very far removed from believing in "traditional roles" for men and women but there's only so much I'm willing to be responsible for!
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baronrenfrew
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Re: Cars

Post by baronrenfrew » Fri Nov 03, 2017 8:46 pm

Aye, and now we are in my strong suit. The reality of cars: 1. its all in the tires. As a rally racing fan: if you pick the wrong tires you lose. An all-wheel-drive vehicle with all-season tires will not match a two wheel drive vehicle with snow tires (in snow).

2. People (especially it seems women) prefer SUV's, the high seating position, gives folks a good feeling (not unlike riding a horse) with good vision all around. The reality is that emergency maneuvers cause an SUV to flip and roll rather than a car which would spin. This means that injuries to the spine are the result. Here Subaru has an advantage as their engine design creates a lower centre of gravity.

3. All new vehicles have stability control and other "electronic aids", and this adds to safety but also makes cars more complex and they require more maintenance.
Last edited by baronrenfrew on Fri Nov 03, 2017 10:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Diligently follow the path of two swords as one. Percieve that which the eye cannot see. Seek the truth in all things. Do not engage in useless activity.

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baronrenfrew
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Re: Cars

Post by baronrenfrew » Fri Nov 03, 2017 9:12 pm

4. Mazda, Subaru, and Hyundai are all good vehicles (mechanically) but they are more likely to rust than Honda, Toyota or others (especially after 5 years old) so spend a few bucks on oil spray or Rustcheck or Krown rust control (actually all cars should be sprayed every two years). I am a big fan of used Hyundai cars (I've owned three) and I'll argue they are as good as anything Japanese and are much less expensive on the used market. I also have a vw Golf and I love the car for comfort and power but its a money pit for maintenance.

5. Awd cars will consume tires faster than 2wd cars (not to mention burn more fuel) so prepare to spend on that over time.
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Diligently follow the path of two swords as one. Percieve that which the eye cannot see. Seek the truth in all things. Do not engage in useless activity.

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baronrenfrew
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Re: Cars

Post by baronrenfrew » Fri Nov 03, 2017 9:28 pm

6. Honda and Toyota are so expensive on the used market, you might as well buy them new. Unless you are happy with an older Rav4 or CR-V, one with lower mileage that has good maintenance records.

7. With all the floods happening recently; there will be lots of flood damaged cars being sold off as road worthy...and they are not.
https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/how- ... d-car.html

8. Check if your prospective purchase has a timing belt. If it does make sure it was changed (at 100-150,000 km's) or be prepared to change it or cry if it fails.
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Diligently follow the path of two swords as one. Percieve that which the eye cannot see. Seek the truth in all things. Do not engage in useless activity.

The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsmen

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baronrenfrew
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Re: Cars

Post by baronrenfrew » Fri Nov 03, 2017 9:56 pm

9. Japanese cars (Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki, Nissan) sold in Japan are dissambled (by law) at 50,000 km's and therefore there are parts importers in Toronto and Montreal that have used engines and transmissions available and these are great for replacing this big components if they fail.

10. Pay a mechanic $100 for a professional opinion on any used cars. Its money very well spent.

11. Avoid turbo engines: or get them checked out by mechanics that really do know turbos.

12. A "safety check" does not mean there is other delayed maintenance items that should be done: especially tranny fluid. A tranny replacement is $1000 -$2000 where a fluid change is $100. The fluid fails...the tranny fails. Bottom line...if unsure...change all the fluids.

13. Private mechanics typically charge half the price of the dealer for maintenance items...but not always...if you really want to save money...buy parts from rockauto.com. A $1000 exhaust from aftermarket or a vw dealer cost me $250 Cdn delivered to my door. Let your dealer know they have to compete...and they will.

14. Windshield: Standard or Apple auto glass do the job. Your dealer hires them and adds $100 on the price.

I am looking at a used SUV, i need the ground clearance for my driveway (and all the other benefits of AWD). I'll probably get a used Subaru Forester or Honda CRV. I'll get an 8 or 10 year old that passes my "fine toothed comb" test.

I have no opinion on domestic brands other than to say they are a lot better than they used to be. (Except the Dodge Journey...brake repairs will eat your wallet)
Last edited by baronrenfrew on Fri Nov 03, 2017 10:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Diligently follow the path of two swords as one. Percieve that which the eye cannot see. Seek the truth in all things. Do not engage in useless activity.

The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsmen

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baronrenfrew
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Re: Cars

Post by baronrenfrew » Fri Nov 03, 2017 10:08 pm

15. Subaru engines are in a "boxer" layout (the pistons go left and right instead of up and down) and 2.5L engines were known for head gasket leaks so check for that

My motto: you can't win with cars...you only lose...you either lose big or lose small...so do your homework.
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Diligently follow the path of two swords as one. Percieve that which the eye cannot see. Seek the truth in all things. Do not engage in useless activity.

The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsmen

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kenya
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Re: Cars

Post by kenya » Sat Nov 04, 2017 6:54 am

Wow Baron thanks for all the info!
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Ontario Chick
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Re: Cars

Post by Ontario Chick » Sat Nov 04, 2017 9:15 am

baronrenfrew wrote:
Fri Nov 03, 2017 8:46 pm

2. People (especially it seems women) prefer SUV's, the high seating position, gives folks a good feeling (not unlike riding a horse) with good vision all around. The reality is that emergency maneuvers cause an SUV to flip and roll rather than a car which would spin. This means that injuries to the spine are the result. Here Subaru has an advantage as their engine design creates a lower centre of gravity.
Some very good points on all fronts Baron, this one gave me a pause, after driving an SUV for last 20 years, I now find driving a car makes me feel as if I am driving blind, all I can see is everybody's bumper, the comparison to riding never crossed my mind. :)
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baronrenfrew
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Re: Cars

Post by baronrenfrew » Sat Nov 04, 2017 9:59 am

16: do an "Italian tune up" on your car once in a while. Ferrari owners don't drive their cars much and after a winter of storage they drive like crap. So Italian mechanics figured out that the remedy is to put the pedal to the floor and drive it hard for an hour. This would burn the carbon from the engine and it would run better. A lifetime ago I had a Lada Samara and I delivered Pizza around Kingston. Every two weeks I drove to Montreal or Ottawa (at 120km, nearly full throttle on that little motor), and it would always run better after. The same is true on my dad's Subaru (he'd leave on a trip and I'd drive his car a few times: full throttle from each stop) and it had better acceleration and more power afterwards.

This is also a common problem with VW's that are driven softly. Owners go to the dealer complaining of loss of engine power and they happily charge $3000 for a new turbo when all it needs is to be driven hard to burn the carbon out.
Last edited by baronrenfrew on Sat Nov 04, 2017 11:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Diligently follow the path of two swords as one. Percieve that which the eye cannot see. Seek the truth in all things. Do not engage in useless activity.

The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsmen

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kenya
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Re: Cars

Post by kenya » Sat Nov 04, 2017 11:53 am

One thing I like about the subaru is good visibility, thats why I like it. I want a vehicle with good visibility. I had the old 2003 subaru , loved the visibility in it, they were not SUVs at that time. But they say the newer subarus have maintainence problems. My vechicle I loved the best was a mazada van, could flip a switch and it became 4 wheel drive. I loved the extra height, great visibility and lots of room for the dogs. I wish they still made them.
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