good morning all. Don's market is one I just went through and studied before I got my Q5.
so when you have time:...
I had Subaru's nicest model station wagon/compact suv and it was surprisingly quiet with Michelin tires. Had enormous grip. Was super reliable.
World's nicest and most honest dealership. I called it the LL Bean of dealerships. Very little haggling, not that much margin on car. Maybe two grand off, like Audi. But finally Subaru had upgraded their interiors with a really nice soft brown leather/pleather interior. All touch points soft and luxurious. Touring model. I called it my Poor Man's Audi. And a numb driving experience that many folks are 100 percent happy with.
The ride of the larger Subarus is excellent, great nvh control, much more sophisticated quiet experience. But you are driving a slightly rubbery feeling car, IMHO like a Toyota, made specifically that way to smooth out the ride. And a CVT. Getting in the same size Audi is like getting in a sports car. Steers easier and fast, more fun to drive. Engine goes vroom, vroom, vroom up the gears, like I'm used to. Quietly. All VW products in this shared chassis range are excellent drivers.
It's the history and dealer morality I worry about, and have been cautious about since the beginning. I worry that I'm buying from the grandchildren of folks who sent my relatives into the gas chambers. Granted most of you thankfully don't have issues like that. But Never Forget is never forget. even if I'm a car guy who appreciates their products.
I chose forgiveness for grandchildren. But VW clearly showed me they have very poor corporate ethics, hiders and deniers.
German cars have an arrogance to them, a you will do it our way approach.
Like having three column stalks to deal with due to strange cruise control.
I think Japanese designed cars are far more operator friendly. How may we help you chiming when you open the door...
Mazda's are fun to drive, in addition to being really good looking, sleek not spacey, all car mags say that's the one to drive if you enjoy driving.
Particularly the CX-5. Mazda still offers stick shifts, that tells you something about their attitude and they expect
people who actually enjoy driving to buy their cars. It's always been their niche, their balance and their engineering ability.
While Subaru has always had the grip. Though for many cars just getting higher quality winter tires would make a huge difference on non awd safety.
Up wide awake at 3am thanks to meds, can you tell?
warned about that. Like I've had lots of coffee which I haven't.
Though the mug is now empty.And likely it's "all in my head", in all ways, but I think the prednisone is helping my ear.
Cautiously optimistic.
I've been wondering if this med will also help my puffy hands, swollen from too much gardening. But I genuinely
feel better, after planting five trees yesterday by hand, I'm ready to go. In some ways I'm suspicious that
if it works this well,
it must be seriously bad for me long term. Probably is. I'm just an old moderately performing horse getting fixed up and
trying to stay away from the big grinder. I don't think winding up in a can of Alpo is particularly good karma. Unless one is really into
recycling.
The new Chevy Blazer btw is supposed to be fun ride too. Optioned correctly, one to drive also. And very good looking to many including me.
GM interiors have always been their downside, Asians and Germans have always excelled there. Koreans
now offer some of best values. I'd pick by which dealership seems honest. Sadly my local Toyota place are crooks, pack 1600 bucks worth of mandatory crap on the car, liked etched windows. What a scam. And I think too many Toyota places went to the same Toyota U of excessive charges. Rolling in bucks from making good cars, seems they fell in love with capitalism and coach their dealers to sock it to you.
I liked that about as much as having the VW Service Mgr knowingly lie to my face multiple times.
So find a dealer with an honest reputation that's fairly close by and give that car bonus points for convenience.
I'm guessing best value is a tie between Honda and Mazda, with Subaru a clear winner for anyone in the path of snow.
You just feel safer in a Subaru in bad weather, just like you do an Audi. They have similar but different full time awd which is
enormously reassuring in low grip situations. Like pulling out on a wet street where you have to fit into moving traffic and that inside
front tire starts to spin...just doesn't happen in an awd car. For leech like handling you cannot beat a Subaru or an Audi, and most Subarus can
go offroad sensibly with ease. If your only use is to haul stuff to and from Home Depot and you stay on most surburban/good quality streets, you may not need all that grip. Once you have it though, the days of spinning wheels are over.
Otherwise, if you go front wheel drive, see if they offer a limited slip other than something that just brakes the spinning wheel.
A fun day planting cucumbers and maybe some squash ahead. Nice warm weather.
sorry for the length of this.
