The Garage

[blue911]

Run-flats come with their own set of problems. TPMS+a spare+Allstate motor club is pretty safe.

Then stop nagging about the costs. 

[tomterp]

How so?  I happen to find it quite handy myself.

Me too.  Carry one in each of my cars.



 

[The Chief]

lol @ tom... I'vegot a gauge too but I usually don't bother checking until the sensor goes off

[tomterp]

You guys are making me queasy here.


I suppose you can also join AAA in case you get a flat, you can have them change it out for your spare.*    


*may also need air.   

[Nathan]

So far when mine has gone off, a quick trip to the nearest air pump has taken care of it until the tires get low again.  Guess having a lower trim worked in my favor

That's how mine works too.  Goes off every year when it gets cold again, top off tge pressure, and it goes off.
I've never had to have mine reset at a dealer.  Maybe it's only certain manufacturers, like the ones that tell you which tire is low.  Mine just tells you one or more is low, but not which ones.

BTW, I'm pretty sure that all new models after 2008 have to have TPMS by law.

[PANatsFan]

You guys are making me queasy here.


I suppose you can also join AAA in case you get a flat, you can have them change it out for your spare.*   


*may also need air.   

The Allstate is for jump starts, getting stranded far from civilization, etc. I can change a tire. However, like I said, sometimes you have a flat when driving on a poorly-paved road, but it's hard to tell because of the already noisy ride. The fact that I am caring for my tires and keeping them in warranty by rotating them already points to the fact that I am alert as to their state of repair.

[The Chief]

My tires are specced for 34lbs and the sensor goes off around 28-29 so imo not that big a deal

[tomterp]

All of this (and this morning's glaze on the roads) reminds me, I'm still running my summer tires.

Time to switch to:





And the tool I use to change the tires/wheels out twice a year?

[The Chief]

My car has what I like to call no-weather tires

[Nathan]

Someone else's arm?

[PANatsFan]

Someone else's arm?

Minty's elbow.

[tomterp]

Someone else's arm?

I didn't have a picture of mine handy, so found the most comparable.  


 

[PANatsFan]

Saw one the other, this is a very sexy car.

[PANatsFan]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_500_(2007)#United_States

New ultracompact heading to the US.

[Nathan]

Including the Abarth model, supposedly.

[PANatsFan]

Including the Abarth model, supposedly.

Wow, that's a hot little car.

[blue911]

If you drive a Prius, how do you commit suicide?

[CALSGR8]

That looks like a Ford Fiesta!

I got to get a car.  CV boots are cracked and axels will only last a few months more.  $700 to fix!

Thinking of Civic Hybrid or Fiesta or a Honda Fit.  Honda Insight didn't get AS good reviews.

[Nathan]

I like the Fiesta.  Ford is finally bringing the highly praised European models to the US.

[PANatsFan]

My friend just a bought the lime green colored fiesta from the commercials. That's a sexy car. They liked it better than the Mazda 2. The Fit is a nice car even though I'm not crazy about Honda, and that new Fiat is just really intriguing. I imagine the Fiat will be cheaper because its a 2 door. I'd try the Mazda 2 and the Nissan Versa as well.

www.edmunds.com will give you free all the pricing info from Consumer Reports that you have to pay 25 dollars on top of your membership before. Both sites have incredibly good reviews. Get the internet price from a lot of dealers, new cars are not selling as well as used cars, so they really want to sell. What decided me on the Mazda 5 was a 95/100 rating from Consumer Reports, a price that was the same as a 5 year old used CR-V for a brand new car, the driving experience, and the sliding doors.

Good luck, I LOVE having a brand new car. Everything works!

[HalfSmokes]

The Abarth 500 is supposed to compete with the mini, so that may end up being more expensice

[Nathan]

My friend just a bought the lime green colored fiesta from the commercials. That's a sexy car. They liked it better than the Mazda 2. The Fit is a nice car even though I'm not crazy about Honda, and that new Fiat is just really intriguing. I imagine the Fiat will be cheaper because its a 2 door. I'd try the Mazda 2 and the Nissan Versa as well.

www.edmunds.com will give you free all the pricing info from Consumer Reports that you have to pay 25 dollars on top of your membership before. Both sites have incredibly good reviews. Get the internet price from a lot of dealers, new cars are not selling as well as used cars, so they really want to sell. What decided me on the Mazda 5 was a 95/100 rating from Consumer Reports, a price that was the same as a 5 year old used CR-V for a brand new car, the driving experience, and the sliding doors.

Good luck, I LOVE having a brand new car. Everything works!

Frankly, the Nissan Versa is a turd.  Rubbish.


The 500 starts at $15500 for the base model, $17,500 for the Sport, and $19,500 for the Lounge.  I imagine that the Abarth model, when and if it comes, will probably be at least in the mid $20k range.



I liked when Jeremy Clarkson reviewed it on Top Gear.  He said it was saying "I'm a Lamborghini, really!  I am!  I promise!"

[CALSGR8]

My car is a 97 Civic and it's done quite well for me these years.  It's got over 157K on it right now.  Also, the repair guys at the dealership know me and have treated me well, which is why I like Hondas

Ford is really upping the ante in quality.  Consumer Reports has good things to say about the Fiesta, the new Focus, and of course the Fusion Hybrid.  Fuel economy is really impt!  Travelling I66 every single day, I need it!

The thing about cars is its just like buying any other technological advance.  You finally get a new one and 2 months later an even better one comes out!!!   

[CALSGR8]

Frankly, the Nissan Versa is a turd.  Rubbish.


The 500 starts at $15500 for the base model, $17,500 for the Sport, and $19,500 for the Lounge.  I imagine that the Abarth model, when and if it comes, will probably be at least in the mid $20k range.


I liked when Jeremy Clarkson reviewed it on Top Gear.  He said it was saying "I'm a Lamborghini, really!  I am!  I promise!"

That looks as big as a SMARTTWO car!  Too tiny in a crash!

[Nathan]

It scored a 35 on the Euro NCAP safety tests, which I believe are a lot more intensive than the US tests.  The Smart Fortwo scored 28.  For comparison, the 2006 Civic scored 30, so the Fiat actually scored better than the Civic.  Fiesta scored a 34.