For some of us, we can't afford BMW's or Mercedes or any relatively expensive car. The repair costs to such vehicles alone, even when purchased used, are too much for some of us to keep. And while these vehicles might be considered an "affordable" car in the European market, they are outlandishly priced here, in the US.

The BMW M5 with all the options I want starts out at a lovely $80,000.

I replaced the front brakes and the rotors on my Chevy two weeks ago. It cost me less than $140 and I did the work myself, saving a ton on labor. If I had a BMW or a Mercedes, I would have had to kick out much more money for the parts, still doing the repairs myself.

Sometimes there is a reason why American made cars are a better option. When it's a choice between a hefty car repair bill or paying rent, it's not a difficult choice to make. My car is almost 5 years old. I take care of it, maintain it well and do the repairs myself (as I have on all my other cars). The only reason my Ford is still sitting after a year is because a friend who I allowed to drive it for a year, drove it into the ground, causing $3500 worth of mechanical damage. I don't have the necessary funds to replace everything needed so there it sits.

I have to admit, I do have a bit of a soft spot for a BMW (known colloquially as Black Man's Wheels). Incidentally, the term 'BMW' can also be applied to the white ladyfriend of a gentleman of colour, for similar etymological reasons - the 'wheels' element being adjusted appropriately, of course.

(March 25, 2015 at 11:51 am)pocaracas Wrote: I've always had the impression that american cars were these big gas guzzling tubs... Very wide, very long... not at all equipped for the european city environment - crowded, few parking spots, the ones that exist are about 5m long, so your car better be smaller than that.... plus, taxes. In some places, your taxed according to how much pollution you generate, in grams of CO2/km. The more fuel, the more CO2...

Did I read right when I saw some car that did 8 miles to the gallon?... that's like... (google).. 29.4L per 100km. DAMN! Anything that goes above 8L/100km (below ~30mpg) is wasteful!

Some time ago, I was perusing a magazine and an ad for a Hybrid Lexus took over two pages... it was a thing of beauty.... then I looked at the fine print... remember, this is a hybrid car, one that's supposed to waste little fuel... 10L / 100km (23.5mpg). LOL!
The Prius does around 5L/100km (47mpg).

Is Lexus still the high end Mitsubishi?

My little commuter car (VW UP), 1 litre 3 pot engine does average of just under 60 MPG for me at the moment in combined environments. Still costs £20 in tax (the UK has what you say, tax linked to C02 emissions, and my up! is just over the 100g threshold).

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(March 25, 2015 at 12:00 pm)Stimbo Wrote: I have to admit, I do have a bit of a soft spot for a BMW (known colloquially as Black Man's Wheels). Incidentally, the term 'BMW' can also be applied to the white ladyfriend of a gentleman of colour, for similar etymological reasons - the 'wheels' element being adjusted appropriately, of course.

Only problem with Beamers is depreciation hits them like a lead balloon, especially the bigger more expensive ones.

(March 24, 2015 at 2:27 pm)SteelCurtain Wrote: [...] I got out of Richard at the liquor store to get some High Grav for the weekend [...]

Jesus, Steely, we gotta teach you some taste.

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(March 24, 2015 at 9:42 pm)AFTT47 Wrote: The 72 Caddy was fun because it was so quick for a battle cruiser. Plus it was painted camouflage, had no power steering and had a Why Be Normal? bumper sticker.

I still have a fantasy about buying an old Toyota 4x4, painting it camouflage, and getting vanity plates reading "EM50 UAV".

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(March 25, 2015 at 9:31 am)Napoléon Wrote:

(March 24, 2015 at 11:50 pm)Drich Wrote: Those aren't real cars.

Ferrari. BMW. Mercedes. Rolls-Royce. Aston Martin. Alfa Romeo. Audi.

Every single one of those shits all over any American car company.

... until you foot the repair bill. Then you're BOHICA.

Around here, BMWs are expensive, too.... heck, all cars are expensive, compared to our neighbors in Spain.
Maybe it has something to do with taxes.... there's a standard car tax applied to all new cars... which can reach some 3 to 5k€ (I think it depends on engine volume).... and THEN, you get 23% of VAT on top of that!
Same shit happens with gas: there's some 0.50€ of fuel tax added to every Litre and THEN 23% VAT on top!

Then you get the yearly tax related to the emissions. My SEAT Ibiza, 1.2, 3 cyls, from 2009 also goes slightly above the 100g CO2 mark, so I have to cough up 130€ every year.
New, with all taxes in, the car cost 15k€... without taxes, it would have been around 10k€, I checked! Maintenance costs about 200~300€ a year... something tells me that'll hike in a year or so.

My dad's Diesel VW Golf, is right now in the shop, waiting for me to pick it up... at 7 years old, needed 4 new tyres (got a not too bad deal at 100€ each) and it was dripping oil from the turbo... disassemble, check the problem, clean put the new parts in, reassemble.... and the final tally goes up to 1k€... That's expensive for a car that behaves like new.... behaved like new when I left it in the shop... -.-'

(March 25, 2015 at 11:51 am)pocaracas Wrote: I've always had the impression that american cars were these big gas guzzling tubs... Very wide, very long... not at all equipped for the european city environment -

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crowded, few parking spots, the ones that exist are about 5m long, so your car better be smaller than that.... plus, taxes. In some places, your taxed according to how much pollution you generate, in grams of CO2/km. The more fuel, the more CO2...

Did I read right when I saw some car that did 8 miles to the gallon?... that's like... (google).. 29.4L per 100km. DAMN! Anything that goes above 8L/100km (below ~30mpg) is wasteful!

Some time ago, I was perusing a magazine and an ad for a Hybrid Lexus took over two pages... it was a thing of beauty.... then I looked at the fine print... remember, this is a hybrid car, one that's supposed to waste little fuel... 10L / 100km (23.5mpg). LOL!
The Prius does around 5L/100km (47mpg).

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Is Lexus still the high end Mitsubishi?

I used to give credence to the European contention that US cars are crap/fat until I visited Britain. By and large, their roads are what we would call alleys.

Things like smart cars exist here, but they constitute an extreme statement that 1) I am ecologically thoughtful (though I still have a carbon footprint the size of a large Chinese village) 2) I don't care about personal comfort or safety.
US cars fit niches in the US where a thousand km will take you to your in-laws for dinner. Within a few percent, England, Scotland, Wales & Ireland have the same area as Wisconsin & Minnesota. Our designs have suffered for a number of reasons involving economics, unions, CEO salaries and the drain of engineering talent into defense industries, healthcare and IT. It is not entirely because we are creationist knuckledraggers.

Lexus was an outgrowth of Toyota with a name change to separate itself from what was considered an economy brand and into a luxury (read 'high profit margin') market.

(March 25, 2015 at 11:20 am)Chas Wrote: Friends don't let friends drive Chevies.

I am looking at a volt. You gotta a problem with that?

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(March 25, 2015 at 11:51 am)pocaracas Wrote: Is Lexus still the high end Mitsubishi?

High end Toyota.

(March 25, 2015 at 11:51 am)pocaracas Wrote: I've always had the impression that american cars were these big gas guzzling tubs... Very wide, very long... not at all equipped for the european city environment

Did I read right when I saw some car that did 8 miles to the gallon?... that's like... (google).. 29.4L per 100km. DAMN! Anything that goes above 8L/100km (below ~30mpg) is wasteful!

Well, I did have this gem for about five months last year before the engine blew. It got about 10MPG and I was putting $100 a week in the tank. Killed me. Glad it's dead.

(March 25, 2015 at 12:38 pm)Judi Lynn Wrote: Well, I did have this gem for about five months last year before the engine blew. It got about 10MPG and I was putting $100 a week in the tank. Killed me. Glad it's dead.

Is that what sank the titanic?

(March 25, 2015 at 12:43 pm)Chuck Wrote:

(March 25, 2015 at 12:38 pm)Judi Lynn Wrote: Well, I did have this gem for about five months last year before the engine blew. It got about 10MPG and I was putting $100 a week in the tank. Killed me. Glad it's dead.

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Is that what sank the titanic?

No... My mothers 1978 Ford Grand Torino Station Wagon did that. But mine could easily come in a close second. The only reason why my mother's takes first place is because cars made in the 70's were a lot heavier, made with steel instead of this fiberglass bullshit and could take a pounding. Hit something going more than 5mph in a "newer" car and you could possibly end up totaling your car.