Cars

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Killerbunny
Poultry Guru - total zen level
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Location: Brockville
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Re: Cars

Post by Killerbunny » Wed Nov 08, 2017 4:34 pm

This one was given to us when the brakes failed and the guy didn't want to deal with it, full tank of gas too. 8 years later it doesn't owe us anything but sadly will likely only make the winter.
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windwalkingwolf
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Re: Cars

Post by windwalkingwolf » Wed Nov 08, 2017 9:35 pm

I recently traded my 2003 VW Busted-a$$ Beetle for an excellent condition 2005 Ford Freestyle. The Ford is CALLED a "crossover", Not quite a car, not quite an SUV. It LOOKS like a station wagon, but is called a "van" on the U.V.I.P.
The Freestyle looks like if a Taurus wagon and a Ford Explorer had a baby LOL! Captains' seats so you sit very high. Pillars small and windows big, so minimal blind spots.
Volvo platform, rides and drives like a much more expensive vehicle. LOW blue book value because it looks like a station wagon, and they have a sort of soccer-mom-grocery-getter stigma attached to them and have become unpopular in recent years. Everybody who needs some cargo room, or gives a crap about their 'image' (which, let's face it, is 95%),wants an SUV or a truck, not a van or *gasp* a station wagon. It's become some sort of status symbol to drive big, heavy vehicles with unnecessarily large wheels, while simultaneously complaining about the cost of fuel. This unfortunate trend means hatchback, sedan and van resale value nosedives, but that is a huge bonus in tax savingsat the MTO when changing ownership of a used vehicle. But I digress.
The Freestyle is a bloody station wagon, and I'm proud to call it such. At the same time, it bears NO resemblance to the MONSTER Pontiac Laurentian Safari wagon that my mother drove. I'm grateful for that, I DO have some little sense of pride.
But.
Over 80 cubic feet of cargo space with rear seats (TWO rows) folded flat. Unbolt the rear seats and take them out, and the thing's a bloody TARDIS.
The fwd (vs awd) version I have is better on gas than a Jeep of similar sizeand weight, and parts are cheaper than any import, though labour fees at a Ford dealership aren't cheaper, so there's a trade-off there were I to need a dealership.
But this car, like ANY vehicle, has it's issues. First, because of its height, it does have a high center of gravity and you can feel body roll in tight fast corners. Second, it's got 17" wheels and ONLY 17" wheels unless you swap the axles...and since they're Volvo, that means $$ or your own machine shop. Wheels (and the commensurately expensive tires) that large are COMPLETELY unnecessary unless your drive to work is off-road.
Third, the transverse engine is tucked up under the cowl just tight enough that changing the sparkplugs on the back side takes much longer than it should. Again, a consideration if you use a mechanic instead of doing it yourself.. because, when figuring your estimate or your final bill, they ALL look in a book to see how many hours a job will take, and then you are charged those hours even if it only takes them half as long. Sometimes they'll throw in a light bulb or fuse or other minor fix on the deal, but you're still getting shafted lol
(OC, the wheel rolling away from you wouldn't have happened if your DH had had a $40 impact gun :) )
Car maintenance and repair isn't scary or difficult. A $20 Haynes manual is worth its weight in gold and then some. I live with three men, I clean the toilet, and seriously the toilet is dirtier and scarier than changing brake shoes.
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