Howell
Storage? I am Storage!
At 17/25 mpg, that's a painful commute long term. Right up there with being hit by an African Antelope IMO. 
I do want to buy a used car
- Thread starter Will Rickards
- Start date
ddrueding
Fixture
A gallon each way per day would hurt, but I would arrive at work every day with a smile on my face
Yeah but I do care about shaving time off when I'm buying a high-performance sports car. This is a car I would absolutely take to a track This isn't a commuter car, that's what you would get a Golf or Civic for.
Stereodude
Not really a
You must be in a very different place than me financially if you can buy a $70k car that's only used as a track toy. I'm buying a single car that I use to drive to and from work, and aren't likely to track. I want the more involved driving experience. That's why I'm not looking for a cheap boring commuter car appliance.
I have no idea, but I can't afford a $70K car (at least not without making all other aspects of my life uncomfortable financially). I wasn't suggesting that I could. Part of being able to afford a car like that means that I would have enough cash to afford another car for commuting to work. I don't consider a person as being able to afford a GTR unless they can do so without having to struggle in any other financial way. Simply meeting the car payment isn't ideal or practical for a car like this; it's insane. I never said I wouldn't commute in a GTR, but since it's such a performing car, I was suggesting that it having the dual clutch configuration was ideal. I would absolutely take this car to the track...and also drive it to work. I didn't say I would only use it at the track. The times in which I drive it to work would be limited though, so ideally I would want another car.
We've already had the discussion about a 4-door sedan that also performs (the S4) and we both agree that the manual transmission is more fun to drive. I consider the GTR several steps above the S4 in regards to performance, but not luxury. That's why I don't consider it as an all-around commuter car (even if it's capable of being one). One either buys the GTR as a status symbol (lame) or buys it to drive it like it was meant to be...on a track. If you're buying it to get from point A to point B...you bought it as a status symbol, because it's not doing anything else for you.
ddrueding
Fixture
I would love to track a car, but I don't have the time for it (even though I live 15 minutes from Laguna Seca). I just want a car that is fun to drive all the time. The GT-R may not be comfortable enough to be that car. Driving a car that performs well puts a smile on my face. That is what I want a performance car for. There are about 6 places on my daily commute where I could use more than the ~200HP (0-60 in 6.6s) that I have. Honestly I should stop with the new 4.0TT V8 that Audi will be sticking in the S7, that costs more than a used GT-R anyway. How did they get that name away from Saleen?
Wow...that was a ramble. Sorry.
Wow...that was a ramble. Sorry.
Stereodude
Not really a
Speaking of the S4, have you seen the new facelifted 2013 S4? It looks way too understated and too much like the new facelifted 2013 A4 for my tastes.
The 2011/2012 S4 already look very similar to the A4. That was one of the complaints I had read and I also agree with once I saw them in person. Was it you who mentioned the 2013 model S4 will no longer have a manual transmission and only the DSG? This picture shows a manual gear lever. That's good news if true.
Stereodude
Not really a
Yes, I mentioned that before. Specifically that word on the street was a loss of the 6MT in the 2013 refresh.
I'd suggest a 2nd, closer look, at that picture. :rofl:
ddrueding
Fixture
I was always under the impression that the performance Audi vehicles were supposed to be sleepers. If you want bling, go BMW (a million badges, exposed carbon fiber roof, etc)
ddrueding
Fixture
Indeed. Same shifter as my (DSG) car.
Oops. Yeah I looked at it quickly and missed the letters on the side. That's unfortunate.
Stereodude
Not really a
They've always been subtlety different, but these two seem so close you'd never be able to tell them apart on the road except for the quad exhaust on the S4.
ddrueding
Fixture
...and when the driver decides to put their foot down. If I could, I'd get one with no badges at all.
mubs
Storage? I am Storage!
That shifter with red and black looks pretty blingy to me. Yech!
Stereodude
Not really a
Dental floss and Goo Gone can accomplish that fairly easily.
CougTek
Hairy Aussie
I lost a wheel in a curve Friday afternoon. I managed to keep the car on the road and took the curve all the way despite the fact that it was the front wheel on the opposite side of the car and that the top of the car was drifting on the road. I never found the wheel (it happened on the overpass from a highway to another - too much traffic). I stopped at the end of the curve and didn't cause any disruption of the traffic.
It cost me 140$ in towing and 71$ in repairs (changed all five rods plus the nuts). Wheel bearing is ok. The rods simply cut, all five of them. I think it' because I screwed the nuts too hard the first few times I changed the wheels (now I moderate). Anyway, it was midly worrying to see my front wheel pass in front of me in that curve.
It cost me 140$ in towing and 71$ in repairs (changed all five rods plus the nuts). Wheel bearing is ok. The rods simply cut, all five of them. I think it' because I screwed the nuts too hard the first few times I changed the wheels (now I moderate). Anyway, it was midly worrying to see my front wheel pass in front of me in that curve.
ddrueding
Fixture
Wow. I had a front disk brake lock on on the freeway, but losing a wheel sounds very dramatic.
CougTek
Hairy Aussie
I didn't know that. I used to screw them as much as I could in the first few years I got that car. I got it in 2004. The strongest I've ever been was between 2004 and late 2006. I made deadlift between 500lbs and 550lbs. Since the movement is similar to what I do with the screw arm when I change my wheels, maybe that's when I fragilized the rods.
Howell
Storage? I am Storage!
The corrosive environment didn't help either.
Do your rotors feel warped? Over tightening the lugs can also cause rotor warpage. I think my car requires 80 ftlb to tighten properly which for you would be a finger flex. I use a torque wrench rather than muscle it to death.
My subaru is something like 71ft/lbs for the lug nuts and those are pretty standard nuts on a lug centric wheel. I think my land rover was actually lower at 55ft/lbs, but those were a different/special type of nut that is pretty large with integrated flat washer and hub centric wheels.
Then when you get to wheel bearing bolts things get even more confusing. If you have a sealed bearing with integrated sleeve, usually found attached to a CV joint some of those suckers are up in the hundreds of foot pounds. But if you have an older 4x4 with bearings you can actually pack yourself those are only a couple of foot pounds (slightly above hand tight) and have giant nuts.
Spot torquing (continuing until you see spots) will get you into a lot of trouble.
Then when you get to wheel bearing bolts things get even more confusing. If you have a sealed bearing with integrated sleeve, usually found attached to a CV joint some of those suckers are up in the hundreds of foot pounds. But if you have an older 4x4 with bearings you can actually pack yourself those are only a couple of foot pounds (slightly above hand tight) and have giant nuts.
Spot torquing (continuing until you see spots) will get you into a lot of trouble.
I only find that is a problem when you want to get things apart. I have had wheels corroded on the hub to the point where I had to take the thing down to a tire shop and have some kids whack the wheel off with a rubber coated sledge hammer (won't hurt the rim).
I am convinced that up here no bolt goes back on unless it gets a coating of anti seize or locktite, whatever is appropriate for the case. That keeps salt and grit out of the threads so that it will come apart next time. This is especially important for the small bolts and screws, which are made out of low grade steel that both rusts and is fairly soft so can't take the torque necessary to unstick it should it corrode.
Some of the better mechanics are damn near artists in applying the right amount of heat or cold or heat then cold to a stuck bolt to unstick it without breaking it.
CougTek
Hairy Aussie
I'll change my rotors Sunday. Both sides (front).
The 55ftlb nuts Max wrote about...do you even need a wrench to tight nuts at 55ftlb? Now I use a kind of ratchet wrench that clicks when I'm over 90ftlb and that's not much more than what I do just screwing the nuts with my fingers.
ddrueding
Fixture
The Audi is supposed to be 90ftlb BTW.
ddrueding
Fixture
DrunkenBastard
Storage is cool
Getting a wee bit of clutch slippage (manual transmission) now as the Elantra gets close to the 80,000 mile mark.
Now for a change this is the one under the 10 year/100,000 mile bumper to bumper extended warranty, we'll see if they fight the fix.
Now for a change this is the one under the 10 year/100,000 mile bumper to bumper extended warranty, we'll see if they fight the fix.
I didn't think you'd want to go with a manual transmission? Looks very nice though. Also looks like they have the continental Extreme Contact DWS on it. What's your hesitation on it?
I didn't think a clutch was covered under the normal warranty on a car? I thought it was considered a normal wearing item. Sorry to hear you're getting slippage. From what I hear about my car, there will be no warning. The clutch is self-adjusting in my car, so once it's gone, the clutch pedal gets very firm and then the car no longer will move. My TL just had it's 5th birthday yesterday and I'm at roughly 78K miles. I am noticing an alarming usage of oil, though with none to speak of being leaked out onto my driveway.
CougTek
Hairy Aussie
I've never had to replace the clutch of my near 8-years-old car and I drive like a madman (wonder why). I drove 223000Km with it so far.
You must beat your car beyond reason to have to replace it at only 80K miles.
You must beat your car beyond reason to have to replace it at only 80K miles.
It may be possible DrunkenBastard commutes frequently in a city-like environment causing more significant wear on the clutch.
ddrueding
Fixture
The manual.
The last service for my car was @ 25k, and included a firmware update for the transmission that made it bite much harder. Still smooth if you are gentle with the throttle, but wide open it will chirp all four tires going into second.
Stereodude
Not really a
:erm: I'm not real sure about that interior. The price also subjectively seem a tad steep for a 2009 w/ 16k miles.
Stereodude
Not really a
What sort of break-in procedure did you follow on it?
FWIW, my car's clutch outlasted the car at 9.75 years and just less than 150k miles. It would hold no problems in 6th gear with the pedal floored on the freeway.
Nothing special. I drove it like normal with occasional bursts of speed. Changed the oil at the recommended time. I never really held any kind of special break-in regime with cars other than to not push it extremely hard for the first 3-5K miles.
ddrueding
Fixture
Yeah, they call that interior some form of brown. My wife calls is massacre red. 16k strikes me as very low for an '09 (my '09 has 65k) and the '09 A5 has the exact same look as the '11, so the value is pretty strong.
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ATS sounding good.
http://www.freep.com/article/201201...luxury?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|FRONTPAGE
http://www.chicagotribune.com/class...2011-detroit-auto-sh-20120108,0,2560706.story
http://www.cadillac.com/ats-compact-car.html
CTS-V is well out of my range but this is a maybe.
http://www.freep.com/article/201201...luxury?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|FRONTPAGE
http://www.chicagotribune.com/class...2011-detroit-auto-sh-20120108,0,2560706.story
http://www.cadillac.com/ats-compact-car.html
CTS-V is well out of my range but this is a maybe.
Stereodude
Not really a
I think you got the wrong thread. The ATS is a new car and therefore should go in the I don't want to buy a used car thread.