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TOPIC: The Family Wheels

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Daddy Clay

Re:The Family Wheels 1 Year, 4 Months ago
It's nice to have the MPV back in good working order. So we're committed to hang on to it for at least another year. Which has me thinking: we've had it for 7 years, and it's got all the nicks and dings to prove it. Would anybody consider taking their older car to a shop to get all that taken out, maybe get it repainted? I wonder what that would cost? Will it help resale?

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austin_asu

Re:The Family Wheels
1 Year, 2 Months ago

We have a Dodge Ram pickup and a Pontiac G6 GT. The pickup is my toy. It has never once been in the shop for anything mechanical (It has for body work thanks to a massive 10point buck sliding down the entire right side of the truck @ 65mph). The truck does not have the LATCH system which irks me constantly, as it is very frustrating trying to get the carseat base tight enough in the back seat using the seatbelt strap. However, it is nice to be able to throw the the stroller in the bed, haul 5 people, plus the baby, and not have to bend over to put Noah in the vehicle. The downside is the fuel efficiency of course. I have installed a Superchips programmer with a fuel economy tune; it nets me about 18mpg on the highway and about 14 in the city.

Then there's the G6. I love to drive this little car. It weighs very little and has 235hp on tap with defeatable traction control and a sport-tronic (see: auto & manual) transmission. The panoramic moon roof slides back far enough to work as a sunroof even from the back seat. The leather is awesome, as is the monsoon sound system and the heated seats. It does have the LATCH system, which is nice. The problem is, I just don't feel as safe hauling Noah around in it; it is not big and strong like my pickup. It seems it is not worth taking a risk to get 30mpg when I can keep my son safer toting him around in the pickup...just my $.02

Last Edit: 2010/11/24 15:00 By austin_asu.

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outsidemike

Re:The Family Wheels
1 Year, 1 Month ago

My grocery getters a 2007 Chevy Colorado crewcab Z71 4x4. it has a 3 inch suspension lift, 4 inch body lift, and 35" tires that dont rub. The differentials are geared down, and both are fully locking.

i plan to mount a turbocharger, and Custom build an exhaust system for it.... but my wife has other plans. I have to install a side step, so that my pregnant wife will be able to climb in and out of it without falling down.

I'm also told that my giant sub woofer will have to be dismantled and removed, so that a baby seat will fit on the back seat.

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T.Low

Re:The Family Wheels
1 Year ago

Nice thread, dads.

My wife drives a Nissan Murano. It's a great combination of utility and performance. An '4 with 50k miles, boought used in '06 with only 15k on it, a real cream puff. It's short footprint has a suprising amount of interior room and tons of leg room in the back seat. Plenty of room for the Bob stroller, and nice performance for a crossover. Bose, leather, everything but Nav. And the small footprint leaves plenty of space in garage for a foosball table behind it.

I drive a slightly modded Astro van, built for camping, overlanding, mountain bike/kayak/enduro motorcycle shuttling. Converted 4x4 from AWD by swapping to a 2spd hi-lo transfer case from an s-10 blazer, a 4" lift, 31" All Terrain tires, rear locker, 4:10's front and rear, pop top with sleeper bunk, (prewired for solar power but it's still on my "to do" list) and various interior mods. It looks about like a stock 3/4 ton 4x4 Astro would look if GM were to ever had made one. When overlanding, my wife and new born daughter will sleep downstairs and I get the pop top bunk all to myself.

Drives excellent on the forest service roads thruogh the mountains or crusing at 80mph on the freeway. Gets anywhere from 15.5 -20mpg depending on the trip. It's proven to be a great family vehicle so far.

Good thread.

Last Edit: 2011/03/04 17:22 By T.Low.

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T.Low

Re:The Family Wheels 1 Year ago
Outsidemike, why a Turbo? I'd think you'd be looking for more low end torque, not high end speed. What's your thinking? And with a 7" total lift plus the extra height added by the 35's, you're going to need to install more than just a one step step! 4:56 gears?

Last Edit: 2011/01/13 10:21 By T.Low.

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Daddy Clay

Re:The Family Wheels
1 Year ago

Look at you Outdoorsy Dads with your lift kits!

I've done my time (about 7 years with a Dodge Ram Charger back in the day). There's only about 9 months left on the Mazda 6 lease, and I can't wait. Not that I regret the car, it's been a comfy commuter and good pre-k hauler, but I need my zoom-zoom back -- the anti-MPV (not that I don't love my minivan).

I'm thinking 4-dr GTI, maybe a Mazdaspeed 3. Used 3 series Beemer. Chevy Cruze has a shot (esp. if they sponsor us...hem, hem). EVO and WRX too hot for me. Mini just a step too small. Civic Si a little too long in the tooth at this point of the product cycle, though there might be a deal. Anything I left off my list? I want to row my own 6-speed, thank you very much.

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DanM

Re:The Family Wheels
1 Year ago

Daddy Clay

Don't write off Mini just yet. The Countryman will be a 4 door 4-5 passenger car that is about the same size as a Mazda 3. If you worry about you being too big. My dad is 6'2" and 250lbs and drives a Mini Clubman. He loves it and would have never considered it until I dragged his butt to the dealership. He scared the crap out of the sales guy when he drove it like he meant it... during a snow storm!

Dan

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Daddy Clay

Re:The Family Wheels 1 Year ago
I was really anticipating the arrival of the Clubman, but was bummed to read a real pan of the car in the New York Times. They said new model drained all the fun out of the 2-door. I guess I probably put too much stock in reviews. But aren't minis pricey compared to other subcompacts? I'll have to add it to my comparo.

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DanM

Re:The Family Wheels 1 Year ago
Minis can get pricier, but that is because Mini does not treat compact cars as cheap rides like other manufacturers. Have you seen a Chevy Aveo? Dan

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concretin_nik

Re:The Family Wheels
1 Year ago

Yea, we have an Aveo... it's about 15K away from a Mini... in every way. If we had the means, TheWife would have a Mini in the driveway, no doubt. "The means" also includes extra maintenance money for brakes and an extra set of tires every year so I could drive it in SCCA races every weekend.

Check your reviews, but go take test drives of those you're considering. Seriously. You're allowed to test drive as many cars as ya like! No obligation.

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saskateam

Re:The Family Wheels
12 Months ago

We have a 08 jeep patriot, love this vehicle, but finally broke down and bought a mini-van. Found an 04 Ford Freestar. Seems to be good and it is nice to be able to put the kids in the back, haul the recycling in, get groceries, and still have the double stroller in the vehicle. Before it was an either or thing. Now the Jeep sits parked and ready to do short trips and leave the heavy hauling long trips to the van. Another plus grandma and grandpa can ride in the back and entertain the kids when it works out.

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roger_pdx

Re:The Family Wheels
11 Months, 4 Weeks ago

In our household we have a pair of subcompacts, the 'newest' of which is 11 years old, the oldest of which is nearly 20.

We are big into living below our means. I bought the newer of our two cars brand new in 2000, and paid cash for it. I've taken care of it and I can see easily getting another 10 years/100k miles. The big drawback is that it is a subcompact and we might well outgrow it, especially if we have another kid.

When my wife's car dies (like I said, it is almost 20 years old) I am hoping we can figure out a way to be a one car family. I'm a work-at-home software engineer, so I don't have a commute to worry about. Then again, sometimes on the weekends it is nice to have two cars. Portland has a moderately nice mass transit system, but unless you live right on the MAX line (MAX is our commuter train), you can't make effective use of it, and riding the bus would feel like a downgrade for me.

I am jealous of you guys who have new cars. I do get tired of my old ride, particularly of just how small it is. This week we just bought some lumber for a gardening project and it is a hassle to transport stuff like that in a subcompact - rear seats folded down, front passenger seat folded forward, trunk lid open but bungied down, etc. On the other hand, I haven't had a car payment since the late 90s and that has been such a financial relief. Whatever else I have done right or wrong with my money, I feel like I've made the right decisions re: transportation.

Cheers

Roger

Last Edit: 2011/02/16 17:19 By roger_pdx.

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Daddy Clay

Re:The Family Wheels
11 Months, 3 Weeks ago

@roger_pdx

I think "living below our means" is a genius statement. A philosophy I admire. And cars are an expense where lots of Americans make mistakes that leave them overextended.

Me, for example.

Our family, by virtue of my wife's work, has lived without any housing expenses for the last 15 years. We've been pretty responsible, overall, but in lots of areas (wine, travel, wine travel), we've used this boon to live like a family with much higher income.

Which is one reason that I got lured by the crisis in the auto industry into swapping out an almost paid for Mazda 3 for a leased Mazda 6. It was a net 30% decrease in monthly payment, and I cashed out a couple grand in equity, but here I am 2.5 years later with the end of the lease looming, no downpayment cash at the ready, you know the rest.

I'm proud of our low-mileage, paid-for 03 MPV. Wish I'd stuck with the 3. Whatever comes next will be a 10-year car for us. So I need to pick carefully, with an eye to getting back to the "living below our means" ideal.

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roger_pdx

Re:The Family Wheels
11 Months, 3 Weeks ago

No mortgage? No property taxes? You sir are my hero!

It's my understanding that the cost of used cars is up these days. Fewer people are buying new cars, because in general people are trying to cut their expenses. Between that, and the impact of programs like Cash for Clunkers, the supply of used cars is somewhat reduced. So you might have to pay a little more than you would wish. But it is still cheaper than buying new. Just do your homework regarding long-term durability, reliability, etc.

Cheers

Roger
(when I was a kid we called our car the "Puddle Jumper" and I thought that was the actual model name of the car)

Last Edit: 2011/02/21 21:16 By roger_pdx.

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roger_pdx

Re:The Family Wheels 11 Months, 3 Weeks ago
Regarding used vehicle prices - here's an article that I found pretty insightful. This columnist buys and sells cars at auction for a living and publishes a layman-friendly column about the economics of ... well, buying, selling, and maintaining cars. It's about a 10 minute read. tinyurl.com/64d4bwu