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Pulling a Toshi and buying cars

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,241
20,022
Sleazattle
With only two kids that'd work for him, too! Veritable thrones.

He just has to move to China. He could afford a real deck there, I bet.

Know what other vehicles would also work well for a family of four? Pretty much every car sold in the U.S. Yes there are a few exceptions like a Cayman or a Miata, but you kind of have to go out of your way to find one
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
Know what other vehicles would also work well for a family of four? Pretty much every car sold in the U.S. Yes there are a few exceptions like a Cayman or a Miata, but you kind of have to go out of your way to find one
Once the kids are booster size or older, yes. But rear-facing car seats for infants and young kids consume leg room like mad, and many strollers are bulky things.
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,521
7,071
Colorado
Know what other vehicles would also work well for a family of four? Pretty much every car sold in the U.S. Yes there are a few exceptions like a Cayman or a Miata, but you kind of have to go out of your way to find one
I would agree, however @Toshi is right. Our Forester would work fine for the four of us, the dog, a stroller, bikes, and all the crap we could imagine. Throw the box on top and we have virtually unlimited space. With Wifey's mother moving to CO she wants a car that all of us can get into at once, so the Forester isn't wide enough for an adult with the two seats in the back. A larger SUV like his Land Cruiser would work, but be a bit tight still (though it has a third row).
 

Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
23,928
14,450
where the trails are
what about abandoning performance cars until the family is grown? Go cheap, bank the extra cash, and restart bad judgement car purchases in about 18 years or so.
 

Brian HCM#1

MMMMMMMMM BEER!!!!!!!!!!
Sep 7, 2001
32,119
378
Bay Area, California
Look into a used Mercedes GL450. Great SUV, AWD 3rd row seat, solid ride, can probably pick up a lease return for under $50K, and its not a minivan! We had one when the kids were younger as we seemed to be the ones always hauling the neighborhood around. Now that we have one out of the house at Colorado State we downsized to a GLC300, way too small for me. When I buy a car, I always consider resale/trade-in value.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
Two of my colleagues have GLs. One likes it. One ditched it: air suspension unreliable, poor build quality (trim falling off).
 

Brian HCM#1

MMMMMMMMM BEER!!!!!!!!!!
Sep 7, 2001
32,119
378
Bay Area, California
Two of my colleagues have GLs. One likes it. One ditched it: air suspension unreliable, poor build quality (trim falling off).
Ours for the most part was great, but yes had problems with the air suspension. Both front shocks (at different times) then the compressor went out. Good thing was I usually buy an extended warranty, it ended up paying for itself. The exterior trim on the older ones, were really bad, I haven't heard of too many issues with the newer models.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
Ours for the most part was great, but yes had problems with the air suspension. Both front shocks (at different times) then the compressor went out. Good thing was I usually buy an extended warranty, it ended up paying for itself. The exterior trim on the older ones, were really bad, I haven't heard of too many issues with the newer models.
That's a ringing endorsement. Great SUV indeed.

:D
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
Counterpoint: Renting a fast car for the day is stupid unless it's a track day.
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,521
7,071
Colorado
I'd agree. I looked briefly for rentals at a track, but didn't find one... I thought there was one down in Colorado Springs...

I still contend that renting one to drive in the mountains for a day would STILL be less dumb than owning one. :homer:
Only option now is High Plains out in Pueblo.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
Unless you travel a lot and you get an upgrade "just because".
Well, yeah, a nicer rental car is one thing. I'm referring to the local outfits where one gets 15 minutes in a GT3, a GT-R, and a 488 and drives up and down a trafficked canyon road with a BMW X5 pace car.

That's stupid.
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
Well, yeah, a nicer rental car is one thing. I'm referring to the local outfits where one gets 15 minutes in a GT3, a GT-R, and a 488 and drives up and down a trafficked canyon road with a BMW X5 pace car.

That's stupid.
Thats like those kiddie rides at malls, were toddlers ride on plush animals on tiny wheels.
The point are the pictures, not the drive.

Having said that, i'll be in daytona in september. Have rented a drive-petty nascar for an extended track session on the oval. They say they can let you average 140plus mph at the oval if you are not a retard.

Will report on the level of nanny-ness.
 
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kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
Wife has a 2017 Highlander, would definitely buy again. Everything about it is good for what we need. My brother just bought an Ascent. They are very similar in size and layout. Hard to even tell apart next to each other.
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
Every person I personally know that has owned a Kia has had problems. My partner at work had his entire motor replaced in his Santa Fe after it grenaded with like 35k miles on it. Not to mention they try to use the warranty as comfort but then are just huge dicks when you actually have warranty problems...

There's no way in hell I'd buy a Kia anything.