I want to buy a new car

[Handruin]

Looks like the C7 Vette has a couple problems to work out.

http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2014/9/...C7-Corvette-Stingray-Recall-Imminent-7722572/

Since mentioning the C7 Vette this video is fun showing an S4 (APR stage II) vs the C7 at the drag strip. The C7 just about caught up at the end which I guess is good. Shows how potent the 3.0L can be off the line with its supercharger vs the mammoth 6.2L even though the Vette weighs some 700LB less. :-D

 

[ddrueding]

AWD FTW. Have you done any of the APR goodies yet? I'm still shocked at how easy and how fast it was. We'll see what the K04 can do.

 

[time]

AWD FTW. Have you done any of the APR goodies yet? I'm still shocked at how easy and how fast it was. We'll see what the K04 can do.

He still has a warranty to worry about ...

 

[Handruin]

AWD FTW. Have you done any of the APR goodies yet? I'm still shocked at how easy and how fast it was. We'll see what the K04 can do.

He still has a warranty to worry about ...

I haven't added any tunes to mine yet but I was very close to doing it in this past Spring. I'll likely skip APR because I don't care for some of the people who work there and go with GIAC for a stage II tune. They also announced being purchased by another company so who knows what changes are in store for them. GIAC's tune is very similar to APR's stage II tune in regards to price/performance. It's an ECU + smaller diameter pulley. I found a shop near me who is qualified to do the work so I have most of the details sorted out. The downside is having to pay around $100 each way to have the ECU flashed back to stock for when I need to take the car into the dealer for service/work. I realize you have to pay to play.

I did hesitate a bit because of the warranty. I've also seen recent forum discussion on issues with some GIAC/APR tunes on the S4. I don't think my M/Y is affected by it but it doesn't hurt to wait. I also have a different commute now and I wanted to see if traffic was going to be too much for daily-driving on a manual before investing some time and money in tuning the car.

 

[Stereodude]

I'm still stock as well and still under warranty. I may get a little more adventurous later. I'd like to see some at home flashing options show up. There is reportedly at least one company working on that. I hope they eat the lunch of the other tuners who are relying on their old dated business model.

 

[ddrueding]

On newer cars where port flashing from factory is an option I can see the DIY thing working, but mine required significantly more than that.

1. Disconnect Battery
2. Remove some under-hood trim pieces to expose the CPU
3. Use a dremel to remove security screws (Yes, sparks under the hood)
4. Use a combination of pry bars and razor blades to open the metal housing
5. During the flash, ground a specific pin on the board to enable writes
6. Re-seal the CPU housing using a specific material that doesn't degrade the circuitry
7. Replace the security screws with new
8. Put everything back together

Once flashed, any reprogramming can be done via the ODBII port.

Frankly, I don't see any company willing to allow their customers to do that themselves and then back the product at all.

 

[Stereodude]

It seems most of the tuners can flash the B8.5 S4 Handy and I have without removing the ECU. Even the initial flash is done through the OBDII port.

 

[ddrueding]

Yup. That is also the case with the MkVII GTI (possibly a next car).

 

[Stereodude]

Have you gotten all your APR goodies? Word on the street is they're in somewhat questionable financial situation. link

 

[ddrueding]

Thanks for the heads-up Stereodude. I haven't yet paid for the K04, it is supposed to arrive this week. My installer has been strangely silent the last few days....time to stop by and say hi I think...

 

[ddrueding]

Just confirmed that the K04 has already shipped and should arrive Thurs. Hopefully at that point the APR intranet is still running well enough to authorize the flash (yes, every flash is sent directly from their intranet via VPN to the dealer every time).

 

[ddrueding]

Just got a more extensive e-mail from my tuning guy, Mike Sweeney @ Pacific Throttle House. Before doing this he was a racing driver for APR, and has some neat videos on YouTube. His take is that this is just part of a buyout that's been going on for years, and the Internet (and VWVortex in particular) just like to freak out about stuff. Interesting that he called out VWVortex, as I hadn't mentioned them in my message.

 

[Stereodude]

FWIW, it sounds like you may have gotten a partial regurgitation of some APR distributed talking points.

 

[ddrueding]

I suspect there is little enough fact out there that any point of view could be declared PR or usual internet freak-out. Car forums in particular seem to have a lot of people with opinions rather than data.

I'm not saying they're wrong, or that my guy has been given inside info, but only that legit facts seem to be in particularly short supply. If I manage to get the part installed and the flash completed Friday I won't be worrying about it too much.

 

[Stereodude]

I agree there's a lack of information. Since you're not counting on APR for a future warranty there's not a lot of risk from your side.

 

[Clocker]

Z06 Performance numbers are out.

0-60mph 2.95s

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1094718_2015-chevy-corvette-z06-performance-stats-released

 

[ddrueding]

[video=youtube_share;bfLqa4vlmFI]http://youtu.be/bfLqa4vlmFI[/video]

I'd still have a 918 if price is no object, but the P85D just answered all my complaints about the Model S and gave it a 3.2s 0-62 at the same time.

[video=youtube_share;FZ6lZJWL_Xk]http://youtu.be/FZ6lZJWL_Xk[/video]

 

[ddrueding]

Nice watching all the AMG GTs running around the last couple weeks.
[video=youtube_share;th9YqxWnCXE]http://youtu.be/th9YqxWnCXE[/video]

 

[ddrueding]

Tesla P85D beating a Lamborghini Aventador to 80MPH. Awesome.

[video=youtube_share;0e-jquwHKtI]http://youtu.be/0e-jquwHKtI[/video]

 

[Handruin]

It's a heck of a beast.

 

[LunarMist]

Damn, the newer cars are funky looking and the windows are so small you can't see anything. The sides seem to be curved in more. It's all very claustrophobic.
And they have an iPad in the center for controlling everything. I don't know what to do.

 

[ddrueding]

The friends of mine who are least tech-savvy seem to have better luck with the BMW system over that of Audi or MB. The British and Italian cars are all a complete mess, and the Japanese are a bit funky. Not really into American cars, but the Ford system had a good rep last I checked.

The waistline of modern vehicles is much higher than it used to be, and the doors are thicker (both for crash safety I think), but you quickly stop noticing as it doesn't affect visibility much (your head should be well above the window line). Just avoid the Camaro and Evoque, those feel like bunkers from the inside.

 

[LunarMist]

The friends of mine who are least tech-savvy seem to have better luck with the BMW system over that of Audi or MB. The British and Italian cars are all a complete mess, and the Japanese are a bit funky. Not really into American cars, but the Ford system had a good rep last I checked.

The waistline of modern vehicles is much higher than it used to be, and the doors are thicker (both for crash safety I think), but you quickly stop noticing as it doesn't affect visibility much (your head should be well above the window line). Just avoid the Camaro and Evoque, those feel like bunkers from the inside.

European cars are pretty much out due to the narrow width and mostly being R|W|D or else too costly.
I liked it better in the old days when there were good-sized cars before all the SUVs replaced them.

 

[ddrueding]

If I had to buy a car tomorrow it would be a Golf R. The GTI is practical, affordable, FWD, and has great visibility. Not sure what you mean by "narrow width" and "good-sized". Do you mean a full-size car? Cadillac XTS or Audi A8? In my experience those come in two varieties; slow/crap and bonkers expensive. Probably the best compromise would be the Hyundai Genesis Sedan; if I wanted a big car and didn't have E63 Wagon money that would be my pick.

If you're looking for an inexpensive, low-feature full-sized car buy a used cop car on auction. No warranty, but repairs will be super cheap and you could afford plenty with all the money you saved.

 

[LunarMist]

If I had to buy a car tomorrow it would be a Golf R. The GTI is practical, affordable, FWD, and has great visibility. Not sure what you mean by "narrow width" and "good-sized". Do you mean a full-size car? Cadillac XTS or Audi A8? In my experience those come in two varieties; slow/crap and bonkers expensive. Probably the best compromise would be the Hyundai Genesis Sedan; if I wanted a big car and didn't have E63 Wagon money that would be my pick.

If you're looking for an inexpensive, low-feature full-sized car buy a used cop car on auction. No warranty, but repairs will be super cheap and you could afford plenty with all the money you saved.

I can't find what I want, but that is nearly always the case. Eventually a compromise can be achieved.
I'm also limited on funds to no more than three vacations worth and would have to pay cash.
Is there any useful info on brand/model reliability available to the public? I tend to think everything on the open internet is BS.

 

[ddrueding]

I think the reliability front is mostly good news, similar to hard drives. Sure, some are more reliable than others, but all are more reliable than they used to me and nearly all are reliable enough for general use.

Hyundai has a great warranty and an excellent reputation. Not sure the exact scale of your vacations, but see if a Genesis could fit in there.

 

[LunarMist]

I think the reliability front is mostly good news, similar to hard drives. Sure, some are more reliable than others, but all are more reliable than they used to me and nearly all are reliable enough for general use.

Hyundai has a great warranty and an excellent reputation. Not sure the exact scale of your vacations, but see if a Genesis could fit in there.

Thanks. It's not clear to me when all the 2016 model cars will be available. Some are 2016 models already and others still 2015 with 2016 dates unknown. Do the manufacturers wait until the last minute based on inventory or what? IIRC correctly some years ago the dates were published well in advance and most of the brands were about the same.

 

[LunarMist]

Cars are so ridiculous. Half of the options seem to be mandatory or not available in my zone.
Some websites don't even work right for configuration. How can I trust their cars?
When did it all get so complicated? :cursin: This is making me mental already.

 

[ddrueding]

Another shout-out for Hyundai. They are famous for having one or two packages for a car and no optional anything. The result seems to be that you get the all bells-and-whistles version for much cheaper.

 

[Mercutio]

Hey this is a thread I've never posted in.

A hilarious thing happened to me today. My car's key recognition system failed. Meaning that, even though I have the correct ignition key and there was nothing else mechanically or electronically wrong, my key would no longer start the car. This required $400 in parts, three hours of labor AND a new key and new fob for a grand total of $983. Oh, and the work had to be done by a dealer, so I had to have my car towed twice. Yay.

Maybe jtr has the right idea about this whole bicycle thing.

 

[jtr1962]

Maybe jtr has the right idea about this whole bicycle thing.

Yep. Bike and/or public transit is the way to go. Your $983 could have bought a very nice bike, or over 200 round trips on the NYC subway. For what it's worth, particularly in a place like NYC with congestion, both of those options are typically faster than driving.

 

[LunarMist]

Yep. Bike and/or public transit is the way to go. Your $983 could have bought a very nice bike, or over 200 round trips on the NYC subway. For what it's worth, particularly in a place like NYC with congestion, both of those options are typically faster than driving.

I don't live in NYC and I can't ride a bike. I'm not interested in riding the buses with the unwashed masses.
My quality of life is continuing to deteriorate, but I want to die in a halfway decent vehicle.

 

[jtr1962]

Not sure what you mean by that unwashed masses comment. People from all walks of life ride public transit here simply because it's faster than most other options. Incidentally on average a car costs a person $300K over their lifetime. Had you lived your life without one, you could have been retired. That alone is a great reason to not own one.

Cars are a money pit. And when everyone drives, they lose the only real advantage they might have (i.e. speed) over other forms of transport. Mass motoring was just about the stupidest thing this country ever did. 35K dead annually, a few million injured, another few hundred thousand cancer deaths from vehicle air pollution. I'm not totally against cars, but they don't belong in large cities, nor should we dumb down licensing so much that probably 75% of people driving are dangerous incompetent.

What's really frightening is we never bother to retest drivers. My mother still has a valid driver's license. If she were to even attempt to drive now she would either get lost or run into something or someone. Thankfully my brother has her car so she can't physically drive but nevertheless the thought she can with NY State's blessing is truly scary.

 

[ddrueding]

The only time in my life when I got sick more often than now (sleep deprived with a 2 year-old) was when I was riding public transportation daily. Constantly being on the lookout for feces was another issue.

 

[jtr1962]

The only time in my life when I got sick more often than now (sleep deprived with a 2 year-old) was when I was riding public transportation daily. Constantly being on the lookout for feces was another issue.

Buses? In general buses suck compared to rail transit. I get physically sick riding any kind of ICE-powered vehicle, whether it's a bus or a car. Trains and bikes are fine, though. Never got sick on either.

It's a good idea to check for "foreign matter" before you sit down anywhere, even a car. I've seen fece/urine stains in some friend's cars while we're on that subject. And vomit. Apparently their kids had accidents and they were too lazy to bother cleaning it thoroughly. One person's car smelled so bad I got out after one block. I told them matter-of-factly subway cars with a few homeless people smelled better than their car.

 

[LunarMist]

Not sure what you mean by that unwashed masses comment.

People are used to crowding and public transit in NY, but here some of the people on buses are rather scary.
I avoid large cities if at all possible. I'm a suburbanite and yet would prefer a more rural lifestyle if possible.
If I had money I'd live in the deserts of Utah or Nevada with very low population density.
I'd rather drive 50 miles each way than be in the tin can of bacteria every day for that time.

 

[LunarMist]

Buses? In general buses suck compared to rail transit. I get physically sick riding any kind of ICE-powered vehicle, whether it's a bus or a car. Trains and bikes are fine, though. Never got sick on either.

It's a good idea to check for "foreign matter" before you sit down anywhere, even a car. I've seen fece/urine stains in some friend's cars while we're on that subject. And vomit. Apparently their kids had accidents and they were too lazy to bother cleaning it thoroughly. One person's car smelled so bad I got out after one block. I told them matter-of-factly subway cars with a few homeless people smelled better than their car.

Buses are my only option for local public transit.
I'm the only one in my car and make a point of not crapping or pissing my pants.

 

[jtr1962]

People are used to crowding and public transit in NY, but here some of the people on buses are rather scary.
I avoid large cities if at all possible. I'm a suburbanite and yet would prefer a more rural lifestyle if possible.
If I had money I'd live in the deserts of Utah or Nevada with very low population density.
I'd rather drive 50 miles each way than be in the tin can of bacteria every day for that time.

Have you considered the off-grid lifestyle? Nothing wrong with rural living if you rarely need to travel.

Buses are my only option for local public transit.
I'm the only one in my car and make a point of not crapping or pissing my pants.

I don't doubt that. A lot of people in this city are just slobs. I've seen personal cars here which are so gross they make the filthiest bus look antiseptic. You know a car is filthy when the door opens and roaches come out. Even the roaches don't want anything to do with it.

 

[LunarMist]

Have you considered the off-grid lifestyle? Nothing wrong with rural living if you rarely need to travel.


I don't doubt that. A lot of people in this city are just slobs. I've seen personal cars here which are so gross they make the filthiest bus look antiseptic. You know a car is filthy when the door opens and roaches come out. Even the roaches don't want anything to do with it.

You need cleaner friends. That's not a car problem per se.

If I were 30 years younger a different lifestyle and career would have been a much better choice. It's far too late now.

 

[jtr1962]

You need cleaner friends. That's not a car problem per se.

If I were 30 years younger a different lifestyle and career would have been a much better choice. It's far too late now.

It's a people problem. In Japan for example public transit is spotless (and I'll guess their private autos are also). Here in the US people think of their car as an extension of their living room. And in some cases their bathroom. :hurl:

It may be too late to change your lifestyle but then again I've seen people do it at all ages. I've had kind of a renaissance in my lifestyle in the last few years. Not a sea change, but I'm gradually fixing things in my life I've been unhappy with. Next up is getting rid of the excess weight.