Car Talk 6: Best of times and Worst of Times

[CaleDeRoo]

I gave you Presidents Circle on Hertz, but all you have to do is

https://status.emeraldclub.com/

Fill this out, and screen shot your Hertz status, and upload it to this email. They should upgrade you too executive, which you'll free rental credits much quicker, and if you don't like what you see in the isle, a pleasant request for something else often will land you some other options.

Now I feel dumb

But I completed this

Sweet keep me updated

[goIftdibrad]

https://www.thedrive.com/news/mike-spin ... -wheelspin

Hey, Spinelli is back!

[Huckleberry]

When I heard about their lifetime warranty on oil, I asked how that could possibly be a thing. I honestly never looked into it until now. It looks like you buy the second oil change kit, and then return the old oil and filter for a refund. It kind of seems like a real pain to transfer the used oil into the old containers and box everything up for shipment. I usually take the stuff to Pep Boys in a 5 gallon water jug and dump it in their tank.

I still want to get a waste oil heater at some point, though.

Right, they just make the return process a PITA or uneconomical. I can't imagine shipping used oil and a filter is cheap. I hate dealing with used oil. I too just dump it in whatever large throw away container I have around and take it to Autozone and dump it in their tank.

Waste oil heater would be

I'm getting to the point where I have started looking into setting up a service with Lorco to have them drop off two drums (one for coolant and one for everything else) and have them swap them out when they get full. I just have a lot of people stopping by to change their oil and with five cars in my own driveway, the used oil adds up.

Which again makes a waste oil heater sound even more appealing.

[Huckleberry]

I always felt their lifetime warranty was more of a gimmick than anything.

As for shipping, sign up on pirateship.com. It's free and the discounts are solid.

I've been using dropshiplabels.com for years. Matt has always treated me right and saved me legit 4 figures.

I'll have to check them out. I've just been introduced to pirateship.com and have been happy with them, so far. The discounts seem to be about 50%+, which definitely helps when I'm giving shipping quotes for stuff I'm trying to sell.

[MexicanYarisTK]

Im starting to consider it with however, given the way the market is and the dealers being wayyy too greedy for cars like that like the focus rs and hype r, seems like it'll be very unlikely, but I can try/push my luck

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2023-to ... on-option/

[CaleDeRoo]

I've been using dropshiplabels.com for years. Matt has always treated me right and saved me legit 4 figures.

I'll have to check them out. I've just been introduced to pirateship.com and have been happy with them, so far. The discounts seem to be about 50%+, which definitely helps when I'm giving shipping quotes for stuff I'm trying to sell.

Likewise I'll have to check out pirateship

[CaleDeRoo]

Im starting to consider it with however, given the way the market is and the dealers being wayyy too greedy for cars like that like the focus rs and hype r, seems like it'll be very unlikely, but I can try/push my luck

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2023-to ... on-option/

The savagegeese guys got early access to the new Z and they said on a q&a Livestream that it's something to get excited for. Hopefully that car will have the same experience but be $10k less

[D Griff]

Im starting to consider it with however, given the way the market is and the dealers being wayyy too greedy for cars like that like the focus rs and hype r, seems like it'll be very unlikely, but I can try/push my luck

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2023-to ... on-option/

I love how the 'special limited colors' are white and grey

these things will be $60K +++, it's all that exciting at that point. They are quite cool looking/fast cars, but I think in that range I'd go in a different direction. BMW is kind of meh, IMO.

[MexicanYarisTK]

Im starting to consider it with however, given the way the market is and the dealers being wayyy too greedy for cars like that like the focus rs and hype r, seems like it'll be very unlikely, but I can try/push my luck

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2023-to ... on-option/

I love how the 'special limited colors' are white and grey

these things will be $60K +++, it's all that exciting at that point. They are quite cool looking/fast cars, but I think in that range I'd go in a different direction. BMW is kind of meh, IMO.

yess, $60k for the msrp alone, and dealers will be extremely greedy when you end up paying $75k with their mark-up bullshit. Yahh fuck that, id get something better at that point.

[D Griff]

Rented a Jetta this week because the selection was slim. I actually found it to be rather dece, it returned 38 MPG in mixed driving!

Being it was turBRO, it was a lot quicker around town than the Kia and Cammie of other recent trips. Seats were pretty nice with fake leather and it was well equipped with heated seats, leather wheel, huge sun roof, CarPlay, etc. All in all I think I'd actually grab it over the Cammie and K5.

I did get it on some twisties in hill country outside Austin and the handling sort of falls apart quickly. It felt sportier around town due to torque/size but I think the Cammie is actually a better chassis. I also opened the back door once and my god did that feel/sound like shit. Door slamming quality is a stupid thing auto journalists talk about that I couldn't care less about, but man, it certainly was noticeable. If that saves weight/money for efficiency though, cool.

I also missed the paddles of the Cammie, something about controlling shifts from the auto shift lever just doesn't click with me.

[wap]

Rented a Jetta this week because the selection was slim. I actually found it to be rather dece, it returned 38 MPG in mixed driving!

Being it was turBRO, it was a lot quicker around town than the Kia and Cammie of other recent trips. Seats were pretty nice with fake leather and it was well equipped with heated seats, leather wheel, huge sun roof, CarPlay, etc. All in all I think I'd actually grab it over the Cammie and K5.

I did get it on some twisties in hill country outside Austin and the handling sort of falls apart quickly. It felt sportier around town due to torque/size but I think the Cammie is actually a better chassis. I also opened the back door once and my god did that feel/sound like shit. Door slamming quality is a stupid thing auto journalists talk about that I couldn't care less about, but man, it certainly was noticeable. If that saves weight/money for efficiency though, cool.

I also missed the paddles of the Cammie, something about controlling shifts from the auto shift lever just doesn't click with me.

Did it have the digital dash? Isn't the cammie bigger? Or has the Jetta grown that much? I always thought of the cammie and Passat being in the same size class, even though the Murican Passat was bigger than the previous Euro gen. But really, AMIRITE

[Tar]

Battle of the vanilla shitboxes

Cammie has double wishbone to achieve optimal "grounded to the ground status"

[Tar]

Battle of the vanilla shitboxes

Cammie has double wishbone to achieve optimal "grounded to the ground status"

The Camry has come a long way since the beigekrieg of 2007.

Yeah it's really not too shabby. The i4 engine doesn't cut it for a car that big, but combined with a hybrid or V6 powertrain it's no doubt a step up from seppuku.

The next gen hybrid will be more EV on the highway. It's due for an update.

[Desertbreh]

Battle of the vanilla shitboxes

Cammie has double wishbone to achieve optimal "grounded to the ground status"

The Camry has come a long way since the beigekrieg of 2007.

[wap]

Battle of the vanilla shitboxes

Cammie has double wishbone to achieve optimal "grounded to the ground status"

The Camry has come a long way since the beigekrieg of 2007.

[max225]

Battle of the vanilla shitboxes

Cammie has double wishbone to achieve optimal "grounded to the ground status"

The Camry has come a long way since the beigekrieg of 2007.

Except this thing will still run when we’re all confined to hospice. It’s the best basic transport known to man.

[Tar]

The Camry has come a long way since the beigekrieg of 2007.

Except this thing will still run when we’re all confined to hospice. It’s the best basic transport known to man.

I've decided to roam the earth and die of environmental causes when I'm in that condition. Will probably fly south before starting my voyage, so it isn't the cold that kills me.

[Desertbreh]

Except this thing will still run when we’re all confined to hospice. It’s the best basic transport known to man.

I've decided to roam the earth and die of environmental causes when I'm in that condition. Will probably fly south before starting my voyage, so it isn't the cold that kills me.

To tie in from another thread you could accomplish this my eating at Arby's 24/7

[Tar]

I've decided to roam the earth and die of environmental causes when I'm in that condition. Will probably fly south before starting my voyage, so it isn't the cold that kills me.

To tie in from another thread you could accomplish this my eating at Arby's 24/7

I've seen the thread, it'll be inclusive to my voyage for sure.

[Tar]

Lexus is introducing a new EV SUV called the RZ. It looks like Lexus is copying Elon's Yoke steering wheel and introducing it in the RZ. Here's an article/pics of it:
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/lexu ... ring-yoke/

[max225]

Lexus is introducing a new EV SUV called the RZ. It looks like Lexus is copying Elon's Yoke steering wheel and introducing it in the RZ. Here's an article/pics of it:
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/lexu ... ring-yoke/

Also I’m still amazed that most can’t touch tesla still… and it seems impossible to buy an ev at the moment. There are 2-5 year waits on almost anything worth a damn

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Lexus is introducing a new EV SUV called the RZ. It looks like Lexus is copying Elon's Yoke steering wheel and introducing it in the RZ. Here's an article/pics of it:
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/lexu ... ring-yoke/

Also I’m still amazed that most can’t touch tesla still… and it seems impossible to buy an ev at the moment. There are 2-5 year waits on almost anything worth a damn

That's exactly the problem, there's very few things worth a damn yet. Most OEMs spent the 2010's brushing off Tesla assuming they'd die, and now they'll be playing catch up for eternity.

[max225]

Like why is there no decent EV rugged SUV?! I would
Love to get one … but the options are
10,000 lb $200k hummer that you can’t get for 2+ years
7000lb rivian that you can’t get for 2+ Years and from a company that may go belly up 1/2 into your ownershit

Everything else is a jelly belly cross over pod that makes me want to vomit

[Tar]

Lexus is introducing a new EV SUV called the RZ. It looks like Lexus is copying Elon's Yoke steering wheel and introducing it in the RZ. Here's an article/pics of it:
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/lexu ... ring-yoke/

Also I’m still amazed that most can’t touch tesla still… and it seems impossible to buy an ev at the moment. There are 2-5 year waits on almost anything worth a damn

I'm partially convinced that Tesla inherited battery tech knowledge from an unnamed source, but if Elon devised it himself then I'm forever in awe of that man's brain.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Like why is there no decent EV rugged SUV?! I would
Love to get one … but the options are
10,000 lb $200k hummer that you can’t get for 2+ years
7000lb rivian that you can’t get for 2+ Years and from a company that may go belly up 1/2 into your ownershit

Everything else is a jelly belly cross over pod that makes me want to vomit

Because range is terrible due to weight and aero, which balloons the battery size requirement and jacks up the price. Rugged SUVs are super hard to BEV without charging an astronomical amount, like the Hummer.

I'd argue that battery tech needs to evolve more before a good viable rugged BEV comes to market. I have zero interest in the Hummer because of the size, but the size is a requirement to fit enough batteries so the thing has any sort of range. This is how OEMs view it (I lived it), except somehow for Rivian which they'll make it.