Sadly, we don't get most of the diesels here in the States.?ÿ
That's a shame and ironic as the BMW X5 is made in USA, for USA and European LHD markets, as well as making RHD for UK and other RHD countries. Presumably they do make the LHD diesels for Europe.
I have three cars for my use, a towing vehicle, a daily and a hyper sports car. Not really much of a truck guy, so, when I needed a towing vehicle for the car and travel trailer I choose a VW Touareg V10 diesel because it really doesn't drive like a truck and it has massive torque. 20mpg around town and 30 mpg on the highway with 14mpg towing (weight 6000lb.) I tend to fit in German vehicles better anyway as I am a big guy. My daily is a Audi S4 Cab with the 4.2 V8 and it is a thirsty one, around town 14 mpg and 20 mpg highway, but, fun to drive (4011 lb.) Then I have a Ariel Atom for when you just want to be different or drive something that has ridiculous potential or always has more potential than I can use (1450lb.) It is 4 mpg track and 27 mpg highway / around town, but, my foot gets heavy at times. The Audi will soon be replaced as it is getting old and the wife just got a new one, so, I have to walk out and see her new car every day.
Safety and MPG are kind of mutually exclusive, I remember cars that were less than 2000lb not being that hard to find (70's), now that number is around 3300lb. My S4 is a small car, but, 4011lb??? All wheel drive is part of that, but, it is porky regardless.
Comfort ..., actually the Atom is the most comfortable, but, you get wind and bugs in your face, so, let's just say it isn't the wife's favorite.?ÿ She hates the five point harness as well, LOL.?ÿ A mechanic friend of mine call it "an assault on your senses" and I think he hit it. I have towed across the country with the Treg and it is very comfortable as is the Audi, but, I never drive it far.
I am a faithful watcher of Top Gear and I would love to drive the Atom and that V10 Toureg sounds like a cool beast.
Cars are way better than ever in many ways, but they sure aren't as cool.
Cars are way better than ever in many ways, but they sure aren't as cool.
It all started years ago when they moved the dimmer switch off the rubber mat floorboard...It's been a descending spiral ever since.?ÿ I still can't get use to putting my foot on the brake to take the truck out of park...and the truck is 10 years old.
I remember those dimmers well. The 70's were the end of cool cars. There was a string of awful years of terrible cars, year after year of them.
Cars are way better than ever in many ways, but they sure aren't as cool.
It all started years ago when they moved the dimmer switch off the rubber mat floorboard...It's been a descending spiral ever since.?ÿ I still can't get use to putting my foot on the brake to take the truck out of park...and the truck is 10 years old.
PARK? What's that?
Left foot pushes clutch, right arm moves floor shift to neutral...
?
Left foot pushes clutch, right arm moves floor shift to neutral...
?
My brother in law snapped a Hurst shifter going into third like that in his L88.
I favor a manual transmission, also. But, alas, not many new cars come with it any more. You pretty much have to special order it if you can get it at all.?ÿ
I saw a strange one this morning.?ÿ A Mercedes AMG SUV that had been lifted and had 20+ inch wheels and low profile tires.?ÿ Everybody to his own but I just don't understand the logic.
Andy
My dad was a odd bird when it came to his cars. He was a big gear head and had muscle cars as a young man. I think the green GTO was his, but it was traded in for a turquoise 1969/1970 442 with a white top. That was my mom's car. She later switched to a '75 cutlass supreme 455 (yellow, white interior). It's still around but now she drives a Monte Carlo SS (black cherry?) and has had a succession of 3 of them. Meanwhile, dad never had a muscle car past the '60s. He had a Ranchero, a VW rabbit diesel (yellow!), a VW Golf, a sporty truck with a shifter that was so stiff my mother wouldn't drive it (short bed, wheel wells that stuck out, pin stripes--can't remember the model), and ended with a S10.
I drove a '75 Impala (that weird faded green) in college. Sold some stock to get my first car, 1986 Honda Prelude Si in 1989. Totaled it in 1994 and bought a 1988 Prelude Si. Drove that until it wasn't fun any more and bought a 2004 Sunset Pearl Element. Gave that to HWMBO?ÿ in 2008 who's still driving it. He wouldn't have chosen that color.?ÿ ??ÿBought my current car, 2008 Blackberry Pearl Fit Sport.
Dad was a bit unhappy with my decision to buy foreign, but came to like my Hondas. I'd carefully studied Consumer Reports, looking at repair records and prices. He couldn't say I was buying them strictly on looks.
I'm starting to feel the itch for a new car but no current models have really caught my eye. Our next vehicle purchase should probably be a people mover or bigger suv but neither of us wants one. I can't justify a new car because my car only has around 50k and the Element's at 120k or so. We're both sorry that the Element isn't made any more. We'd happily buy another one.
When SWMBO's CRV wears out she'll buy a new one.
If my 4Runner wears out (it only has 222K miles) I'll buy a lease or rental one.
Still love my 4-Runner...It won't be the last one I own. 19 mpg combined.
I'm starting to feel the itch for a new car but no current models have really caught my eye.
IMHO almost all of them look exactly the same anymore, unless you get one of the few that are a bit more out-of-the-box, like the Challenger, Mustang, Flex, etc. Plus I admire the modernized retro look.
There are a few others that stand out, at least in terms of looks, but the vast majority are all basically the same and boring.
When the Nissan Cube first came out, I liked it. A lot. Mainly because it was different (still is, actually) and I like that they marketed it as a "mobile device". I also like the Ford Flex -- it's different than most and it's actually very practical. Alas, they'll stop making those in 2020.
I'm quite pleased with myself when I'm driving to the office among a bunch of normal, white/silver/gray cars, and here's me in this stunning green Mustang. 😉
I cannot help but notice that nobody mentioned that they get X miles per Y watts.?ÿ Glad to hear there is a place where MPG is understood.?ÿ Not that I have anything against electric cars, I am just not convinced of the environmental friendliness with the amount of batteries in them.?ÿ Hydrogen cars have some very big supply and delivery issues to overcome, but, I am excited to see what comes from them
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and yes I have driven three on the tree with a foot switch to double the candle power to four.?ÿ
