So do you like your ride?

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///M-Spec
We just got the wife a 2005 Nissan Murano SL w/Touring Package. I have to admit I really like the stupid thing. It has most of the traditional SUV virtues without having many of the traditional drawbacks. Drives and handles like a good sedan. Doesn't wobble when pushed hard and is surprisingly stable at the limit. Truly excellent brakes for a two-ton vehicle on crappy all-season touring tires. Lots of room all over and looks really sharp to boot.
M

Yuck. The Murano is just an absolute turn off for me. Not to mention, the visibility blows. They need to change those rear pillars somehow, seriously.
 
Well my truck isn't really practical, has a a rough ride, can't go off road, can't go fast, has a uncomfortable rear seat, and it's hard on gas. I like it though, it looks good and I can pimp in it :lol:. Plus I can come up with sarcastic answers when people ask why I lowered it.
 
M5Power
I don't get why I have to say "US market" when my location already shows that I live in the US just for the purposes of other members who live outside the US. I've had this argument numerous times. Ever = US market, and market = consumer market. Cars that cost a lot and aren't sold here don't count.
The most graceful backpedaling, ever! :lol:
 
Omnis
Yuck. The Murano is just an absolute turn off for me. Not to mention, the visibility blows. They need to change those rear pillars somehow, seriously.

Well, I like it quite a bit and seeing how I'm the one who writes the check every month, I'd say mine is the only opinion that counts. Besides, I ain't takin any flak from someone driving an Explorer. :D

And visiblity is just fine in the Murano, provided you understand how to adjust the side mirrors so there's no blind spots. (which is something everyone should know, regardless of vehicle)


M
 
a6m5
The most graceful backpedaling, ever!

That may have been slight backpedaling, but I have this discussion constantly, and usually it's with some complete idiot who walks into a discussion with two US members discussing the US market who starts talking about how some Australian car is way faster. I hate comments about car styling, but I hate that crap even more.
 
'97 Talon TSi AWD
'03 Wrangler Rubicon
'03 Yukon Denali
'04 Cooper S
'92 Miata Hell Edition
'05 Ducati Monster S4R

I have a couple daily drivers to choose from. No, I don't drive the Talon everyday. I used to, but that got costly with all the parts and gas. Its been fixed fully, so its basically indestructable now, but with gas as expensive as it is, the 9-10mpg it gets is just a bit harsh.

On most days, I drive my Rubi. Its a Black/Black '03 Jeep Rubicon. Its got some mild mods to it, but mostly just a fun toy. And, gets suprising mileage, as long as I stay off the freeway. Wranglers just don't get good high-speed mileage since they have the aerodynamics of a brick. Its a fun piece. Plenty of room for my clubs in back, and is obviously fine in the winters here in the midwest.

I also have pick of any of Nicole's cars, my fiance. Her normal daily driver is her Black '03 Denali. Its just your basic big ass Denali. No spinners, no PS2 or XBOX, and no 34k watt systems. Has some nice BBS RW 20's on it, which for a truck that size, are just about right. Not too big to be gaudy, but looks good. Actually, it looks stock now. For '05, you can get a 20" package on the Suburban, Yukon, and Escalade, and the wheels we have look very similar to them.

She also has a Blue/White/White Cooper S and a crappy, crappy, crappy old Miata. The Cooper is her fun car, she drives it a couple times a week. Its usually what we take when we go out to eat or whatnot. Its a great car. Small, but fun and goofy. I don't know what it is, but when I get behind the wheel of that thing, I have an absolute blast. I made fun of them for sooo long before she got it. But, honestly, its one of the best cars I've ever driven.

The Miata, on the other hand, is just waiting to die. It was her first car, EVER, and she refuses to get rid of it until it dies. I threaten to just take it out some time and blow it up on purpose. But, she's threatened to get a Sebring to replace it if I did that, so that won't happen. We've been thinking about either an S2000 or a 350Z Roadster to replace it. Not sure yet. And, with the Miata seemingly indestructable, we might never have to choose.

The bike is a new addition we got earlier this year. We got that a few months ago. She rides it more than I do. But, we've had good times with it. And, the nice thing about it is, its a single seater. So, its mainly our "get-away-from-each-other" ride. Take it out, clear your head. Great ride too, by the way. I've always been a Monster fan, and this one is the best I've ever riden. Lots of power, looks aces, and sounds soooo mean its sweet. That doesn't get riden too much, but its nice to have.

So, theres our arsenal. Its nothing fancy really, but we have some nice cars as a whole. Well, minus the @%?!%# Miata ARGH!!!! JUST DIE ALREADY!!!! :grumpy: :grumpy: :banghead: :banghead:

Hilg
 
///M-Spec
Still have the 2004 BMW 330i ZHP (Performance Package/M-Sport II). Still enjoying it. I've been thinking of changing the rear end from the CAFE inspired 3.07 to a more aggressive 3.46 from a Z4. I have a CAI that should fit, but haven't gotten off my lazy butt to do the swap, it being about 6000 degrees outside.

Car still handles awesome. I'm starting to miss having an LSD, though, as my M3s had a very good unit. For a German car, the A/C blows nice and cold. I love the Alcantara interior. Still looks sharp and way cooler than leather or vinyl.

Very happy with Bimmer No. 5.

We just got the wife a 2005 Nissan Murano SL w/Touring Package. I have to admit I really like the stupid thing. It has most of the traditional SUV virtues without having many of the traditional drawbacks. Drives and handles like a good sedan. Doesn't wobble when pushed hard and is surprisingly stable at the limit. Truly excellent brakes for a two-ton vehicle on crappy all-season touring tires. Lots of room all over and looks really sharp to boot.

Our car has the trick keyless entry and seat memory option. Super cool. Now the wife doesn't complain about me changing her seat and mirror settings when I drive her car.

The A/C doesn't blow very cold air, though. Plus there's a silly little airscoop under the CVT transmission that draws extra air across the cooling fins.

Problem is that if you're not careful, you'll smack it against stuff in the road you think you'll clear. 60 bucks later, you'll remember the Murano only has about 8.5 inches of ground clearence.

Just finished the brake-in period and discovered Car and Driver's 7.5 second 0-60 run was not overly optimistic at all. This thing scoots. I think we'll keep it.


M
Awesome!
I was actually made a good deal on a red 2004 BMW 330CI Convertible with a Performance Package in a color called Imola Red.
Thanks to Pete, it's still open for a while.
 
M5Power
555 at the crank, according to Kleemann's Website; they do the conversion for a lot of people I guess. I don't remember the trap speed offhand - the timeslip is back home in Michigan and I'm in Colorado - but I'll post it within the next couple days. Next week I think I'm going to run the car up here at 8000ft (hopefully with less gas :D).

What do you drive?

If your previous pass was in Michigan, you are going to be a bit slower running there in Colorado. I would venture to guess you were somewhere around the 125mph range with that kind of power. 👍 Must have some serious top end. :) Then again, our cars weren't meant for battling drag strips.

I drive a little RX-7. :dopey:
 
M5Power
I have a 2004 Mercedes CLK55 AMG with an aftermarket supercharger from Kleemann Tuning.

I LOVE reading that.. That here in little un-car-friendly DK, we can have a company that manages to do well putting a little more power in some of the best cars in the world - Even in the states.. And incidentally, their shop is just 20kms north of where I sit right now !....


With regards to our own car.. Well... It's a stupid little Saxo 1.4i - It keeps us dry while getting from A to B while listening to music.. I don't HATE it but I certainly don't love it either..
 
M5Power
That may have been slight backpedaling, but I have this discussion constantly, and usually it's with some complete idiot who walks into a discussion with two US members discussing the US market who starts talking about how some Australian car is way faster. I hate comments about car styling, but I hate that crap even more.


I wouldnt be suprised if im one of these "complete idiots" you refer too, although I never said Australian cars were faster.

After being in the US a few times and dealing with Americans I have come to learn that the majority of Americans I talk too know or care very little of what happens outside of the US, I have come to learn and accept this, or maybe its just the people I mainly run across while over there. (This isnt really the case with this forum, most the time its much easier to talk to Americans here)

One lady actually asked my dad once "How long did it take to drive here from Australia"

This was alittle strange to me as over here most are quite aware of what happens around the world.
 
VIPERGTSR01
I wouldnt be suprised if im one of these "complete idiots" you refer too, although I never said Australian cars were faster.

After being in the US a few times and dealing with Americans I have come to learn that the majority of Americans I talk too know or care very little of what happens outside of the US, I have come to learn and accept this, or maybe its just the people I mainly run across while over there. (This isnt really the case with this forum, most the time its much easier to talk to Americans here)

One lady actually asked my dad once "How long did it take to drive here from Australia"

This was alittle strange to me as over here most are quite aware of what happens around the world.

Hence the common expression,
"Know three languages and you're trilingual, know two and you are bilingual, know one langauge and you're American."

Two common things I hear in the states are, "Is Iceland really green and Greenland ice?" and "Did you ride camels in Saudi Arabia?" I need to get out of this country.
 
VIPERGTSR01
One lady actually asked my dad once "How long did it take to drive here from Australia"

This was alittle strange to me as over here most are quite aware of what happens around the world.
It's usually not that bad(unless you're in W. Virginia :p). I do notice from Sports and other entertainment though, that Americans have little interest in stuff from other countries.
 
I mostly drive a '93 Toyota Corolla. It's the base model.

It's got 100hp, 3 gears, no power anything (well, steering and brakes), 136,000 miles, no tilt wheel, and the speakers are just about blown. But the a/c works, the motor's almost indestructible, the cupholders actually usefull and intutive compared to just about any Lexus or Toyota product (they got it just right in the Harrier/RX330), and the dead pedal is in the perfect spot for bracing thyself for silly-looking cornering attacks.

It gets me back and forth to work for the 2 miles away that I live. Heck, people actually compliment how clean and shiny it is. I can drive it for 6-8 hours at a time, and not feel fatigued, which is quite impressive for a stripped-down economy car. I don't have time to complain about it, because before I know it, I'm usually tooling around in someone else's Lexus, or I'm home already. I've gone through a set of OEM-spec tires in 18,000 miles on this car, which has got to be a world record for front-drive, non-modded Corolla owners. Super-cheap to maintain, otherwise.

For all other stuff, I drive my wife's '00 Honda CR-V. It's okay, but it's not sporty at all. Nice for highway driving, but not for twisty roads unless you watch your speed. It's nice when you need to be up high (dirt and gravel roads, unimproved surfaces, bumpy old downtown areas), and it's got tons of room. Great fuel economy for an SUV; I just call it "the wagon", though.

The a/c never gets cold enough unless you've been driving for an hour, and it's comfortable for long distances...if you're not the driver. The driver has to take a city bus-like position to get anywhere near comfortable, but at least you're not worn out doing so. Still, that steering wheel needs to dip another 10-20 degrees to the south for my tastes.

I also have access to 8 Lexus loaner cars, one '05 IS300, two '05 ES330s, three RX330s, a GS300, and an RX400h. No, I can't loan them out to myself for any evening (until I buy a Lexus, or feel like losing my job) but I can get make a quickie pick-up/delivery in them if I haven't given them out yet. Or if I forget something at home like a phone or my uniforms.
 
Personally, I don't have the slightest idea of whether the dude who created this thread wanted GT4 cars or real cars so i'll do both. For GT4 I like the black 787B, R92CP, and R89C. And for real life I liike the 2003 G35. :indiff: You know, I havent driven the 05' yet so I didn't put it down.
 
I currently own a Second Generation Nissan 300ZX 1989, and i love it, and i used to own a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, lost it in a crash. I am curently saving up for a NSX, or a Supra, i was gonna try and find a Skyline, cause i heard some were that there are some private dealers that have and sell them a Nissan Skyline RS4 will do :dopey:
 
Master_Yoda
I currently own a Second Generation Nissan 300ZX 1989, and i love it, and i used to own a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, lost it in a crash. I am curently saving up for a NSX, or a Supra, i was gonna try and find a Skyline, cause i heard some were that there are some private dealers that have and sell them a Nissan Skyline RS4 will do :dopey:
How much are you willing to pay for a NSX? The insurance isn't cheap though.
 
Well, I love our car. It's a 1999 Ford Focus 1.8i Zetec 5-dr hatch. We've had it for a little over 18 months now. We bought it as a one-real-owner(*) from new car - 4 years old, 35,000 on the clock. Bang on book price, perfect condition, perfect service history. The smoker owner even ran it for a month without smoking in it before selling it to us.

I've driven heaps of Focuses, and they've all been great. Our one is so too. After 5,000 miles, the front tyres (rubbish) were shagged, and the rears (original) were perishing, so I replaced them all with Pirelli P6000s. They transformed the car into something that really handles as well as is unusually quick. The engine pulls all the way to 6200, and the Pirellis allow full throttle in 1st - in the dry. I know Ford bang on about the "control blade" rear suspension, but the car's handling is a revelation. You can cover ground seriously quickly.

Oh, and we get 34mpg, with me at the wheel, flat out with the aircon on.

And in case you think this is the best car I've ever owned, you probably want to do a search for posts by me and with the word "cement" in them. Then come back here. Yes, the Euro-Focus is that good.

(*) We're actually the third owners. The car was pre-registered to fiddle Ford's sales figures.
 
My daily driver is a '95 Neon, 4 door with an absolute slushbox of an automatic. It's got more paint chips in the blue paint than I can count to, and orange-peel on all 4 doors. No AC, but it has a half-decent sound system and banged-up aftermarket wheels from the previous owner.
Needless to say, I hate it. But I occasionally get to drive my dad's girlfriends' Miata, which (almost) makes up for it.


Edit - Oh, and it leaks oil and transmission fluid like a sieve. I only came to posession of this car a couple months ago, given to me. I can't wait until I can save up for a real car.
 
GilesGuthrie
And in case you think this is the best car I've ever owned, you probably want to do a search for posts by me and with the word "cement" in them. Then come back here. Yes, the Euro-Focus is that good.


Is this the thread you are refering to?
 
r0gu3
If your previous pass was in Michigan, you are going to be a bit slower running there in Colorado. I would venture to guess you were somewhere around the 125mph range with that kind of power. 👍 Must have some serious top end. :) Then again, our cars weren't meant for battling drag strips.

Indeed - actually I believe the top speed is limited to about 180mph; I've never been faster than 130mph, and that was long before the supercharger. With the supercharger, I haven't gone faster than whatever the trap speed for that run was.

I drive a little RX-7. :dopey:

How old is it? I'm vaguely considering a 1993-1995. I bet you've got quite a bit in it to be making runs like that.

Flerbizky
I LOVE reading that.. That here in little un-car-friendly DK, we can have a company that manages to do well putting a little more power in some of the best cars in the world - Even in the states.. And incidentally, their shop is just 20kms north of where I sit right now !....

Indeed - although I actually chose Kleemann out of necessity more than anything else; no one else supercharges naturally-aspirated AMG engines. Hennessey, a tuner in Houston, will put more power on supercharged AMG engines, but they won't mess with the ones without superchargers. That said, I'm supremely happy with my Danish supercharger. :)

VIPERGTSR01
I wouldnt be suprised if im one of these "complete idiots" you refer too, although I never said Australian cars were faster.

Actually, until I read the rest of that post, you were one of the people on this forum I wished had AIM. Then you commented about how narrow-minded Americans are, which is par for the course for non-North Americans. I admit I made a mistake in judgement with my previous post, but I've proven more culturally aware than the majority of non-Americans on this forum and then I get the 'uninformed' label for simply being American. Total BS.
 
M5Power
Indeed - actually I believe the top speed is limited to about 180mph; I've never been faster than 130mph, and that was long before the supercharger. With the supercharger, I haven't gone faster than whatever the trap speed for that run was.

All that power on tap and you have open up its legs yet. Have you thought of trying out a roadcourse? Your car would shine in that situation.

M5Power
How old is it? I'm vaguely considering a 1993-1995. I bet you've got quite a bit in it to be making runs like that.

Mine is a '93. If you have the funds (which you do indeed), I'd recommend one. They are known to be a bit finicky at times but if well maintained the finickiness (sp?) can be dialed out. I only lost one engine in 3 years due to a wiring issue shorting out my cooling fans in stand still traffic. Do some extra research and make sure the car has never been wrecked before either. :( My carfax came back clean but my car had been hit on all four corners. Anyway, I'm sure you are well aware of what to look for, but if you have any questions feel free to message me on here or AIM. (Rx7club.com is a good resource too) As for expenses of getting my car to this state, I would say roughly $6000 but a couple of items I bought were overkill. I went with an ECU double of what a PowerFC costs and bought a greddy 3 row R-spec FMIC. Those two items come to $3100 and weren't needed. Just made me feel better. 👍
 
r0gu3
All that power on tap and you have open up its legs yet. Have you thought of trying out a roadcourse? Your car would shine in that situation.

Maybe - I'm afraid of going fast though. I like acceleration, but top speed scares the hell out of me. :D

Mine is a '93. If you have the funds (which you do indeed), I'd recommend one.

I found a local '93 for $19k, with just 26k on the clock. I'm a bit afraid to get cars with supremely low miles though because it usually means they've sat around for a long time and weren't used that much, which leads to as many problems as extreme high-mileage cars which were used too much. I'm not particularly encouraged by the fact that you've only lost one engine in three years. :D I'm still looking into it though - I'll send you a PM if I get more serious.
 
I like my Beetle, it's rough, the ride sucks, there's no luxuries, no radio, the interior is a bit "bare":

normal_100_5116.JPG


I can't hear myself think due to the exhaust or distinct lack of, but I wouldn't have anything else. I'm not one for comfortable, cozy and soft cars though :)
 
M5Power
Maybe - I'm afraid of going fast though. I like acceleration, but top speed scares the hell out of me. :D

I was going to recommend the Texas Mile, but I think that might be too much top speed for your liking.

QUOTE=M5Power]I found a local '93 for $19k, with just 26k on the clock. I'm a bit afraid to get cars with supremely low miles though because it usually means they've sat around for a long time and weren't used that much, which leads to as many problems as extreme high-mileage cars which were used too much. I'm not particularly encouraged by the fact that you've only lost one engine in three years. :D I'm still looking into it though - I'll send you a PM if I get more serious.[/QUOTE]

As long as it was driven every now and then it should be fine. If stored, then I would be worried. I have friends who have lost 3 engines in a years time, but common sense and maintaining them was pretty much ignored. An improper tune will kill your motor quickly as demonstrated by my friends and many others. You don't seem to share their mentality so I think you would be fine with a properly setup RX-7.
 
M5Power
Actually, until I read the rest of that post, you were one of the people on this forum I wished had AIM. Then you commented about how narrow-minded Americans are, which is par for the course for non-North Americans. I admit I made a mistake in judgement with my previous post, but I've proven more culturally aware than the majority of non-Americans on this forum and then I get the 'uninformed' label for simply being American. Total BS.


Well I wasnt trying to put Americans down, and like I said Americans on this forum differ alot to some I have met while on my travels. I do really enjoy being in the US but Ive been suprised at times how many know little about outside their country (mainly refering to automotive). My father does some business with a Chrysler dealer in LA and he's always asking what Chryslers we get now in Australia.

I suppose it all comes down to the population size, the US has a huge population with everything they ever want in that country. While Australia is small compared and we get alot more imported goods.

By the way I wasnt giving you or anyone on this forum a 'uninformed' label, I gave a harsh example of one instant and maybe took it too far, now I probably seem like a "American hater" or something which is far from the truth, I hope to revisit the US sometime soon.
 
I daily drive a 2001 Acura Integra Type-R. It's totally original, and it'll most likely stay that way. It's also totally yellow, and that's the only thing I don't really like.

I've got a 93 Civic hatch I use for weekend fun, but that's another story altogether.
 
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