When Choosing a Car......

[Luminates]

When choosing to buy a new/used car, what do you focus more on? Of course I have my own opinions, but I was curious as to what Intp's look for (if anyone looks for specifics in car buying). I don't think I have to go into details on this, it's pretty straight forward really.

So then......

 

[Mello]

It has to be sexy. In other words an Audi R8

 

[s0nystyle]

engine, torque curve mostly. I like having a lot of torque @ low revs because i live in a hilly area

 

[JUN]

A big, comfortable, spacious car in which I can eventually sleep and travel for long distances. If possible it should be really economical and it should pollute as little as possible. A spacious Hybrid would be best but... Yeah.

 

[Claverhouse]

I really doubt if type determines style.


However, when I have had a car, which is rarely, it has been a 4x4. And automatic.

I detest the shape of most cars, and consider that if I'm gonna get crashed I'd rather be in the bigger vehicle.


I would make an exception for a dear little kettenkraftrad.



YouTube- Sd. Kfz. 2 Kettenkraftrad HK 101





Claverhouse

 

[Subotai]

Something comfortable ( Bentley, Rolls Royce, Maybach ).

 

[Crazythinker1]

A 4x4 pickup with a good, solid, easy to maintain engine works for me.

 

[flow]

Hahaha you guys all like big cars? Weird. I go for something that's fuel efficient and fun to drive. And it MUST be a 5 speed. Basically, I like Honda's.

 

[Lostwitheal]

Driving pleasure, cornering ability, accelleration. This is the choice I've been happy with for the past few years, and continue to enjoy :



Not my actual car, but more-or-less identical.

 

[Inappropriate Behavior]

I like anything that works. Got a pick-up with a bad transmission right now. I'm sure I won't be liking it soon.

I'll list what I've had in my life.

68' Delmont 88
'81 Mazda RX-7
'84 Reliant K car
'82 Volvo station wagon
'89 Chevy Berreta
'94 Cutlas Ciera
'94 Ford Ranger
'96 Mercury Sable
'89 Crown Victoria
'99 Pontiac Grand Am
'05 Dodge Ram

I never had one that was new.

 

[EditorOne]

Having had a lifetime of cars requiring chronic attention to keep them either moving or stopping dependably, my focus now is "Any car I don't have to think about at all for any reason."

'49 Ford pickup (keeping in mind I started driving in 1967) Fix or repair daily
'53 Chevy five-window pickup valves, brakes, pistons, cylinder
'54 Chevy coupe replaced entire 6-cylinder engine
'56 Chevy station wagon rebuilt motor, weekly adjustments to wheel toe and alignment
'64 Volkswagon bug Actually didn't need to do much to this one. :-) A red-light-running Cadillac killed it, but not me.
'64 Ford Fairlane couldn't work on engine because there was no room for a wrench in there
'67 Chevy Malibu inherited from parents; rebuilt engine, rewired ignition to work off a push-button light switch
'69 Mustang transmission blew, but that was after monkeys ate the vinyl top anyway
'74 Ford pickup Fix or repair daily

Somewhere in there is an American motors car from the 1970s that was a total dog, then some underpowered Japanese cars that ran and ran and ran until they almost literally fell apart. Good times, good times.

Now I unashamedly drive an extremely durable and utilitarian 2002 Dodge Caravan (the Soccer Mom edition) and our "good" car is a Kia Sportage 4-wheel drive that is the only reason we don't starve to death when it snows.

I don't want to impress anyone with an expensive prestige vehicle, I just want to get from point A to point B without aggravation or any need to plan things like stops for oil or whatever... and having pulled people out of high-performance wrecks I'm really not much interested in "high performance' vehicles, either. Maybe if they design the roads for 110 mph I'll change my mind, but right now it's a mismatch. As another sign of approaching maturity, when traveling down old woods logging roads I now get out and see how deep the water is when coming up on suspiciously big puddles.

If you want another INTP-as-practical-thinker angle: Eventually you reach a point where it is cheaper to just buy a new car with monthly payments than it is to keep an old car going with repairs. This is an easily worked out equation you can set up just by keeping track of repair costs and comparing it to what it would cost monthly for a new one. Both numbers may be appalling and put you in depression, but if money must be spent, it's usually better to then have "good" wheels that don't add break-downs and repair complications to the butcher's bill.

 

[s0nystyle]

^ this

all too true, this is the formula my dad went with when buying my 1st car... granted a bit of fail negotiating on my part i ended up just taking his while he got a new car :/

 

[RubberDucky451]

Here's the progression.

Was looking at cars I liked, realized I liked older cars. Started looking at cars from the 1940's, recognized the Jaguar XK 120, googled it. Realized my grandpa had once owned one.

That's my dream car. Today I would ideally buy a Honda civic

 

[Cavallier]

First off: MUST BE MANUAL!!!!! I hate automatics with the passion of a thousand fiery suns. I've had to drive through way to much shitty ass weather to want an automatic. I need more control than that!
I really don't like the look of all the hybrids out there. They all look like insects. Ugly. If I chose based on appearances only I'd go with this:

Mmmm...yes, come to me little one. I'm gonna ride you all night long...

*ahem*

I'm sorry. Where was I? Oh yes, this is more like what I actually drive:

I paid about $6,000 for her. Once, long ago, she was cute little thing but these days she's more than a little beat up. She's been a surprisingly tough little car that has carried me over 110,000 miles. I have only had to replace the break pads, alternator, and the transmission over the course of her 15 years. That's really pretty good for a sedan style car. We tend to keep our cars for as long as possible in my family. I know her like the back of my hand and I can put her just about anywhere I want. The seat fits me perfectly and I know simply by the sound of her engine when I need to shift and when she needs an oil change. She's a good weight which means that I've dug her and pushed her out of more snow banks than I can count...

Lol. I think I went all owner's pride on you there. I do love her dearly though. Her name is Suzy.

 

[shoeless]

...i just want something that basically works.

 

[WeAreTheStrange]

There is only one car I'd like to have when running away from a T-Rex...

 

[ijustprotectedmyidentity]

i like newer models not old models. newer models because they look sleek and sexy and interior is sick.

i think i prefer 2 door smaller cars than an E-class or a 5 series because lane changes and quick maneuvers and turns are easier nah mean ?

btw no trucks or suv's

 

[s0nystyle]

my graduation gift

but seriously whats wrong w/ a 4 door? i think they're more practical as people movers

 

[Anling]

One that works, I won't have to get repaired constantly, with good gas milage, and fewer anoying blind spots. Also, one that won't leave me stranded if the road's a little rough.

 

[Cavallier]

A moment of silence for the recently passed away Suzy. Best damned car I've ever owned.

...


Now I have one of these:

It's just not the same. It is an automatic which makes me want to weep a little. I does have heated seats though. I suppose I should name it someday.

 

[Minuend]

Apparences only

I currently drive a very terrible mercedes. But it runs cheap, so..

Now I want a Volvo 460 or Volvo 850

It is comfortable to drive, reasonaby priced, reasonably fast (compared to other low budget cars) and doesn't consume too much fuel

 

[Traianus]

I've had all sorts of random cars, but tend to focus on what is practical for the situation I'm in. When I worked inside, I drove fuel efficient sedans. When I made the transition from working as an engineer to working as a lineman I got this out of necessity:

Two years ago I went back to engineering and am now looking to downsize. I don't have any idea what I might get, but I'm leaning toward a newer F-150 because trucks are just too useful and fun :>

 

[Ezro]

Practicality and gas mileage can suck it...
I want a Twin Turbo Z!



Ohhhh Yeaaaahh!

 

[Lobstrich]

I don't have any specific patterns really. I like a whole lot of different cars. But I really dislike the squary(?) cars. Like alot of 80's cars were.

Which is why I absolutely love Porsche in general. But I also like a Serbian car called "Fića"

'old' cars are nice as well. But then they have to be 40's 50's old.

 

[dark]

Has to be just like my BMW 325i 1990 e30. Small sports sedan, with all the power and handleing I could ever want. Of course a M3 e30 would be even better. Also any German vehicle, just has to be German and I would be happy, hell a VW Jetta from the 80s would make me happy haha. But I love the Porsche, ummmmmmmm.

 

[MrBlah]

When choosing a car I generally choose not to have one. Either a bike for being sporty or a truck to be a workhorse. Not that I'd say no to an older M3 or Porsche 911 though.

 

[J-Spoon]

A bit of a nut. When I bought my car, I was down to suspension systems and fuel injection methods in my sprawling Excel sheet

Primary I suppose would be handling, torque curve, and transmission feel. Manuals are all I drive, I don't like the feeling of the car driving itself, while I just "point" it to places. Lightness is also a big factor - I like a lot of older cars with less safety equipment, electronics, etc. just because they're so LEAN... after an engine swap, you have a fantastically light car with modern power.

I like to tinker too, so if they actually made the engine bay somewhat easy to access, parts are available widely, that's a big plus. Not that I'm a big fan of super riced-out spoiler boxes, but I like to make things my own.

 

[jzono1]

Looks.

Form over function.

If the car doesn't awaken my primeval lust it is worthless.

So, I ended up with a black Opel Astra Coupe Bertone edition with red leather interior and factory-fitted sports suspension.

Not my pic obviously, but shows the shape better:

"Perfect" torque curve. Enough power for all practical purposes. Decent brakes. Superb handling in the worst winter conditions. With the xenon extra lights fitted it also lets me spot elks before shit happens.

 

[IfloatTHRUlife]

I prefer smaller cars. They are more efficeint in both performance and economic aspects. When i look at a car, i think to myself, i want something i can have fun in, be safe and have absolute control over the car, and not have to pay out of my ass. This leads me to small front wheel drive cars. I will never own an automatic, and if i do i will run it into the ground out of spite.

To recap-Small cars
1. power to weight ratio
2. fuel efficeincy (to an extent)
3. FWD = more control under aggresive driving
4. 5-speed for the pleasure of the drive
5. Small front wheel drive cars have a lot of cheap, fun motor swap options

My personal favorite is Honda, you cant beat the reliability and versatility. They are cheap, have more motor swap options than you can shake a stick at, offering every kind of power band you could wish for. Vtec is absolutely the most fun engine system, ever, anyone who appreciates performance, will love the feel and sound of vtec.

A friend of mine has a 98 civic coupe, with a D16, which is the base model, economy model engine, the least powerful motor they made that year with Vtec. He bought the car used with 60 thousand miles on it already, and it has lasted him another 160+ thousand miles. (hard to say exactly since his speedometer cable failed over a year ago, and the odometer went with it) Which isnt really amazing, any car can last more than 200 thousand miles if they are given the right treatment. That is what makes his car amazing though, aside from changing the oil regularly, he has neglected a lot of needed maintainance, the car has sat without being driven for probably 1/4 of the 7 years he has had the car, which is amazing that there was never any dry rotted belts, no moisture built up in the electronics, nothing. And on top of all that, he drives the shit out of that car, to put this into perspective, one of the first things we ever had to replace on the car was the cable between the gas pedal and motor, it had worn through the outer cable that guides it and holds tension on it, because of excessive wear.

A lot of ramble of course, but i love cars and have strong opinions and lots of stories, so i cant help myself.

Oh yeah, this is about what you need

This would come down to you obviously, and where you live. It is flat and dry where i live so the only thing that i have to take into consideration when looking at a car is.. how poor i am You on the other hand, might live around hills or mountains like mentioned above, and you will want a truck probably, a car could make it up the hills but god forbid you want to carry around a couple of freinds, or need to drive around with any kind of extra weight in the car, it could cause a lot of problems. Other things to consider, weather, what kind of work you do, and if you live in a city where there is a lot of close traffic, or in a place with a lot of crime, you most likely dont want an new car, whether you can afford it or not, its just not worth it.

Which leads me to another point! HA just when you thought i was done, i hate new cars, electrical equipment is nowhere near as reliable as good old mechanical workings. Electric windows, locks, steering, brakes, driving assists, engine control systems... none of them sound like it would be good if they failed would it? Another friend of mine owns an 07 civic Si, it has an electronic steering system, and he told me if it were to fail, the wheels would be stuck in whatever position they were in at the time of failure, which sounds just great.

 

[Reluctantly]

If I wanted efficiency, I would get a motorcycle. If needed a car and wanted to save as much money as possible, I would get a Honda. If money wasn't a big concern, I would get a BMW M Roadster. Those cars have small engines, but they are light-weight and the majority of the engine is placed in the center of the car to give it a more optimally placed center of gravity. They handle really well and the transmission is pretty decent. Although I still don't understand why car manufacturers haven't started producing continuously-variable-transmissions. The technology has been there for awhile and there's no good economic reason for not doing it. So I wonder why?

 

[jzono1]

There's lots of cars out there with CVT transmissions.

I personally hate the feel of a car with CVT. Too smooth. No excitement. Constant rpm under acceleration. It's just wrong.

 

[Reluctantly]

Oh, what kinds? I thought they were only in scooters and motorcycles.

I guess I like the idea of everything running smoothly. All in all I think it's supposed to increase efficiency by allowing the engine to run at its prime rpm most of the time. I was thinking after I posted that that other than keeping transmissions geared for allowing mechanics to have work to do, they might have them because of your reason...basically, lol.

 

[Dansk]

As the ultimate expression of form over function, this is my car.

It doesn't run. In fact, it hasn't run in about three decades, maybe four. It's a 1959 Moretti 750 Tour du Monde, which makes it 26 years older than me. What can I say? I like older women.

It's my first car, so far my only car, and it's sitting in storage until I either win the lottery or... win the lottery. I can't afford to restore it, so it's going to be doing a couple more decades of sitting until I can.

At least it looks pretty, now that it doesn't smell like a dead raccoon.

 

[Dansk]

Oh, what kinds? I thought they were only in scooters and motorcycles.

The only one I've personally experienced was in a Ford Five Hundred. I'll echo the above sentiments: it was creepy and boring with the engine staying at a constant RPM during acceleration.

 

[dark]

My car, been working on it a lot, 1st one like it was red, got wrecked, so I built this one It does have a shitty paint job, but it is fast. A 4-door, but hey it's a sports sedan. 1990 BMW 325i with a 2.7eta engine from an '87 325e, manual tranny, will be replacing the head soon, when ever I can get the money, will allow me to get about 3k more revs safely. When I do that swap I may change out the oil pan and pumps for the newer(ish) from the blown engine, which has a year old oil pan etc. all the bottom end of the blown engine is new, just some idiot didn't replace the timming belt so the head on the engine got all messed up.
Also has some minor wiring problems, but no problem, yet.

 

[ApostateAbe]

I prefer cars that are:

1) cheap
2) easy to maintain
3) good gas mileage

I recently bought a 2000 Honda Civic with 60K miles. It works beautifully, and I think I'll be sticking with Honda's for the rest of my life. I never want to go to a car mechanic, ever.

 

[Audentia]

Depends on my situation. Bought a civic stick for an awesome deal practically new and was moving to the land of traffic (near LA) so it worked out. I'm usually practical, has to be a quality engine, well-researched to not be crap, and fuel efficient. But I also love trucks and bought a toyota tacoma 4x4 because practical but fun. I miss my truck to this day. If I didn't have to bend over every time I went to the pump, I'd get another truck instead of my usual small sedans.

 

[s0nystyle]

V-6 I-6 or V8 for me, i tried out a I-4 civic and i personally cannot stand the lack of power in 4-cylinders

 

[gruesomebrat]

Hmm, this may be a little off of the OP's topic, but after noticing just how many of us are saying cheap, fuel-efficient, easy to maintain, I have a quick question.

How many of you who are looking for that sort of car would honestly consider a pedal-powered car. I ran across the Rhoades Car, not too long ago, which is a four-seat quadricycle, and as much as the Rhoades Car itself is not ideal (too heavy, too slow), if someone came out with a lightweight, 40km/hr cruising speed pedal-powered vehicle, I'd snap one up in a heartbeat.

Plenty of good reasons. Cost savings first. Pedal-power shouldn't cost much more than $5,000 new. NO gas to worry about. Car maintenance becomes a thing of your past, bike overhaul once a year might cost $100-200, but in a gas-powered car, you're paying that in fuel in a month. Licensing isn't required, nor is insurance (although I'd want to insure in case of theft, damage, etc.)

Next, fuel economy. No gas required. Need I say more?

Finally, ease of maintenance. Depending on mileage, a chain lube job 3-12 times a year, but that comes down to strip the chain off, clean it, lube it, and throw it back on. No longer than an hour, and you can do it at home. Annual or bi-annual overhaul to make sure you're running at peak efficiency. On a conventional bike, a shop might take a few days to do an overhaul, but they've got other things going on. You bring in a quad, they're likely to be all over you. One, maybe two days and the job will be done.

Seems like a quad would fulfill all your criteria for an ideal car. What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Thaklaar]

How many of you who are looking for that sort of car would honestly consider a pedal-powered car.

Seems like a quad would fulfill all your criteria for an ideal car. What are your thoughts on this?

Would it allow me to get to work in under an hour without being killed to death by some redneck in a jacked up F-250 who runs me over without even seeing me? I thought not. There are some places where that would be an option, but here I'll stick with my crappy little Corrola.

 

[gruesomebrat]

Would it allow me to get to work in under an hour without being killed to death by some redneck in a jacked up F-250 who runs me over without even seeing me? I thought not. There are some places where that would be an option, but here I'll stick with my crappy little Corrola.

Lol, Depends on how far work is from home, I suppose...

As far as getting killed to death by crazy drivers... I'm not sure, as I don't know what Houston's traffic situation is like, but if it's anything like Toronto, or what I've been led to believe New York is like, than I don't foresee any problems. After all, traffic's average speed then would only be about 5km/hr (3mph, I think?)

EDIT: Don't think that the quad would be much smaller than the Mini Cooper. Been doing some work on the idea this week, and dimensions com out to roughly 7'x4'3". Height, I'm not sure on yet.

 

[Thaklaar]

Hahaha...no. That's not to say we don't get traffic backups, but most of the time while the posted speed limit's 60 mph (96 km/h), the flow of traffic's at least 75 mph (120 km/h) with a few crazy bastards weaving in and out passing everyone like they're standing still. And everything's a long way from everything else. We've turned urban sprawl into an artform.

 

[gruesomebrat]

Do Texans use the Interstates as their primary transportation route??? I know here in Ontario, the only roads that have posted limits of 60mph are the 400-series highways, which are Ontario's equivalent of the Interstate freeways (albeit, they don't go out of province).

I must agree with your statement that:

There are some places where that would be an option

I think the big deciding factor for whether a quadricycle would be suitable for your purposes comes down to your location, and how far you live from the places you have to get to, like work, grocery stores, doctors, etc.

 

[socialexpat]

If it was already in an accident, rusty places, amount of km's and the brand ofcourse.