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WWCRD? DD - 140 mi commute


adamgh81
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Have you driven one, Grant? I am really surprised if you did and liked it.

 

Car and Driver gave it 2 stars out of 5. From their review:

 

"You’ll be forced to get used to low-speed travel while driving the CT200h, because acceleration is downright lethargic. Getting to highway speeds is a struggle, as the CT takes more than 10 seconds to get up to 60 mph—that’s slower than nearly all of today’s economy cars, and even more sluggish than the latest Prius, the Two Eco, which performed the same task in 9.4 seconds. Because the CT is stuck with an older version of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive, it isn’t able to combine its gas and electric power sources as seamlessly as newer hybrids, and the four-cylinder drones noisily under hard acceleration. The decently tuned chassis is also let down by the vague feel of the brake pedal, and the mostly composed handling comes at the expense of ride quality, which verges on harsh when traversing rougher roads."

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Have you driven one, Grant? I am really surprised if you did and liked it.

 

Car and Driver gave it 2 stars out of 5. From their review:

 

"You’ll be forced to get used to low-speed travel while driving the CT200h, because acceleration is downright lethargic. Getting to highway speeds is a struggle, as the CT takes more than 10 seconds to get up to 60 mph—that’s slower than nearly all of today’s economy cars, and even more sluggish than the latest Prius, the Two Eco, which performed the same task in 9.4 seconds. Because the CT is stuck with an older version of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive, it isn’t able to combine its gas and electric power sources as seamlessly as newer hybrids, and the four-cylinder drones noisily under hard acceleration. The decently tuned chassis is also let down by the vague feel of the brake pedal, and the mostly composed handling comes at the expense of ride quality, which verges on harsh when traversing rougher roads."

 

I've driven quite a few at work. 10 seconds seems a little high.

 

I will agree whole-heartedly on the brake pedal. It's basically just an on and off switch with no modulation

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Thanks for all the input, I'm going to swing by Lindsay, Ricart and maybe a few others tomorrow to drive a few mentioned above.

 

I'm not in a huge hurry to nail a new DD down, getting new tires on the SS soon so I won't hydroplane on 70 during a little rain. Could drive it until the first sign of salt, then she goes to bed.

 

Keep the comments coming, I'm interested in everyone's opinions so I know what & why to steer clear of some cars.

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You mentioned the mighty 3800 so I feel obligated to mention a Buick Park Avenue. You could find a '97-'05 L67 supercharged (Ultra) low mileage and mint condition for a few grand from some retired/deceased blue haired geezer.

 

I fucking love my Park Avenue. I swear it's the best daily driver out there (for the money). When this thing dies I'll just replace it with a lower mileage one.

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Thanks for all the input, I'm going to swing by Lindsay, Ricart and maybe a few others tomorrow to drive a few mentioned above.

 

Lindsay has huge inventory no doubt, so test drive there I guess but don't buy from them. Roush or Marysville fer sure. Don't need to share the whole story here but would not do business with Lindsay.

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Lindsay has huge inventory no doubt, so test drive there I guess but don't buy from them. Roush or Marysville fer sure. Don't need to share the whole story here but would not do business with Lindsay.

 

Honda makes the cars, LINDSAY makes the difference

 

Those commercials just give me a weird feeling about that place. The guy strikes me as a pretentious shyster douchebag

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I agree. Get the $65k 2 door when you specifically mentioned a budget of $25k and the need for a four door due to having a child. Plus the 37 mile all electric range is great when you only have to go 140.

 

But this is a GREAT suggesting. Fits the bill PERFECTLY.

 

I don't think Cadillac sold a single one at $65k, last year dealers that had them as leftovers (which was most) were blowing them out new at $38k

 

It's not hard to find a good used one with around 50k miles for around $25k, there are at least 4 on cars.com meeting that criteria.

 

Dad had a volt, actually 2 of them. Putting a kid in the backseat of one was a pain because of the way the roof sloped rearward. With the big door on the two door where the pillar is at the roofs maximum height, it's not bad loading a kid into the rear seats. In fact it's easier than some other 4-door cars like the VW cc.

Edited by Geeto67
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I've had my eyes out for a 3800, everything that looks decent was 2 door (Monte Carlo and Riviera). I'd sport a Park Avenue Ultra for a year or two if I could find one.

 

Yes, Tesla is on the high end of me list. Only one under $40k was rebuilt

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I just picked up a 2014 mazda 6 fully loaded with 54k miles for 15k.

 

Last fill up was saying 540 miles to E.... costing only 30$ to fill.

 

Cars fun to drive, from all the reviews I've seen last forever and have very little issues. Granted on the freeway it's not the fastest accelerating thing out there but it does good enough for me while getting amazing mileage.

 

Picked it up in indiana on the way back was getting 42mpg on the freeway cruise set at 76.

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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Used Tesla Model S and drive the hell out of it. 8 years, unlimited miles warranty on drivetrain. Zero maintenance other than wiper blades and tires.

 

What would a realistic price be for something like this? My drive is a little less than 120 per day, and this intrigues me.

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I was hanging out with a guy Saturday evening that just picked up a 2014 90D for $42k, with 70k miles. The thing truly looks and rolls like it's brand new. I'm a huge fan of Tesla.

 

That being said, I travel to NE and Eastern OH weekly for business meetings, and I do believe - especially for winter - that long-distance DD's in Ohio should be cheaper, reliable, comfortable, especially if any part of the commute is back-roads. Can't tell you how rough country routes beat the crap out of my cars, especially my lowered BMW.

 

If you want a cheap car that will always look sensibly higher-end (because no one really thinks you're the shit driving in a Focus TITANIUM), I've seen Cadillac STS V6's get below $10k with reasonable miles. The fuel economy is not going to be as good as something 4cyl.

V6 ->https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/705107790/overview/

V8 -> https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/709593380/overview/

 

...or, step up to the supercharged Northstar. :)

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/707913190/overview/

 

 

If it's mostly city/highway driving, then something newer that'll last 10+ years with basic maintenance will do well. We're car guys on this board - getting a massively-depreciated car with 100k-120k miles and then maintaining them past 200k should be a goal, and a point of pride.

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I've had my eyes out for a 3800, everything that looks decent was 2 door (Monte Carlo and Riviera). I'd sport a Park Avenue Ultra for a year or two if I could find one.

 

 

https://mansfield.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-buick-park-avenue-ultra/6281191860.html

 

https://dayton.craigslist.org/cto/d/2002-buick-park-ave-ultra/6272838301.html

 

Cars of today will be faster and get better fuel mileage, so obviously take that into consideration. There are a lot of great options others have listed in this thread. But for an older luxury car with a bulletproof engine that is very cheap/easy to maintain, the price is definitely right. You can't get a more comfortable car. And it beats having a car payment :cool:

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https://mansfield.craigslist.org/cto/d/1999-buick-park-avenue-ultra/6281191860.html

 

https://dayton.craigslist.org/cto/d/2002-buick-park-ave-ultra/6272838301.html

 

Cars of today will be faster and get better fuel mileage, so obviously take that into consideration. There are a lot of great options others have listed in this thread. But for an older luxury car with a bulletproof engine that is very cheap/easy to maintain, the price is definitely right. You can't get a more comfortable car. And it beats having a car payment :cool:

 

Wow...those Park Avenue's look amazing for less than $3k.

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So are you trying to keep some power under the hood or are you aiming for the highest MPGs you can get?

 

Honestly that's my biggest delima. I haven't owned a 4 cylinder in 15 years, which makes me think I'll hate it in the long run.

 

I'm not looking for the latest and greatest, but want to enjoy my time on the road...and be able to pass a semi on a two lane back road without shitting my pants in fear.

 

I know this is my own delima I'll have to think through, just looking for optinions. All comments greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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Honestly that's my biggest delima. I haven't owned a 4 cylinder in 15 years, which makes me think I'll hate it in the long run.

 

I'm not looking for the latest and greatest, but want to enjoy my time on the road...and be able to pass a semi on a two lane back road without shitting my pants in fear.

 

I know this is my own delima I'll have to think through, just looking for optinions. All comments greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

I would figure out what is most important and then drive a bunch of stuff. I wouldn't consider a hybrid because im pretty sure you will hate it immediately. There are some sedans that get 30+ without sacrificing power.

 

Also might want to look into turbo 4s, like a Fusion/Optima/Sonata/Malibu/whatever in addition to anything with a V6. I can get 32-33 MPG in my ST and I've got plenty of power on tap, for example. You can get the same engine in a Fusion.

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If I recall correctly, Hybrids actually don't save you much if your drive is mostly freeway miles. Hybrids really shine when you are driving in the city, in stop and go traffic. So, A hybrid wouldn't necessarily net you much over a car that was just fairly efficient. One of the newer diesel models might be the better choice.
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If I recall correctly, Hybrids actually don't save you much if your drive is mostly freeway miles. Hybrids really shine when you are driving in the city, in stop and go traffic. So, A hybrid wouldn't necessarily net you much over a car that was just fairly efficient. One of the newer diesel models might be the better choice.

 

eh...this is kind of true. The more freeway you drive, the more diminishing returns you get. A volt should still see close to 42mpg highway if your total commute is over 50% highway. dad used to drive his 100 miles out and 100 miles back to montauk on a weekend and he saw average 50mpg, but a lot of that was bolstered by his in town on battery only driving once out there and charged up.

 

The only cars I saw getting gas highway miles close to that were the VW diesels, and who knows what's going on with them now.

 

has anybody mentioned a vw GTI yet? rated 24 city/34 highway and they are about $25K new. wife's audi gets pretty close to 30mpg on highway only trips so you should see close to that out of a GTI. And it's fun. And it's Stick. And it's 4 door. And germans make cars that are nice to be inside of.

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Probably way below what you're looking to drive, but for basic transportation with killer MPG and rock solid reliability, it's tough to beat a Toyota Yaris. If you can find them for sale. The last generation came in a sedan and the 5 speeds routinely get 40 MPG or more on the highway. But of course, you're looking at a basic Toyota with not a lot of features. I've been working on locating one since I drive 50-60 miles to work / gym almost everyday.
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