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[Nature Boy 2.0 8,316]

7 minutes ago, laylalex said:

This seems as good a place as any to post this. We are going to be in the market for a new car next year -- I haven't had one since I moved to the Bay Area last year. But even though his commute will be walkable/bikeable, I know that a move to the LA area means we need to bite the bullet and get a car. The building we're moving to has charging bays for electric/hybrid vehicles, so I'm thinking that I could consider something outside of a gas-powered car. The last time I got to choose my own vehicle was back in 2010, when I took the money my then-fiance had wired me for a sensible SUV and spent it on a used Porsche instead (it truly was an amazing deal but yeah, even I realize how dumb this was -- in my defense I was only 24 and the dealer saw an easy mark in me...). After that, nope, never got to choose my own car.

 

So, what works for someone who is 1) open to hybrid/electric, 2) unlikely to have to drive long distances but enjoys weekend drives along the coast, 3) can only drive automatic and 4) will be using it for mostly city driving? Alex will be driving it too, and he would prefer something a little sporty, but nothing that he wouldn't feel safe about me driving. (I have never had a speeding ticket or any other moving violation, but he's just worried.) Also, while I'm on the shorter end of the height spectrum, he is 6'2", which is a height where things (according to him) start to get a little problematic in some vehicles in terms of headroom. Up until recently, I only had a series of Mercedes (my car up until the Porsche was a mid-90s Sentra, so please don't think that I'm snooty about cars). I am really open to hearing ideas if anyone wants to share. 

You got ex and Alex in the same post for 100.

 

You may not have picked up on it, but I am in the Auto business. I will be glad to give you free advice

 

starting with

Avoid mercedes like the plague.  They dont hold their value and are astronomical to service and work on. Same with BMW. Also avoid Chrysler products like the plague. The wrangler holds its value but still poor reliability ratings

 

The worst car sold in america is the Fiat 500c

 

Subaru is a good car for liberals. It has the liberal/hippie Image . Holds its value like crazy and has great reliability ratings  as does Lexus, Toyota and Honda. I also have owned a few fords.

 

I would stay away from a pure electric vehicle.  The Prius Prime is a plug in hybrid that has an engine. We have sold a few. I think it goes about 25 miles on battery only. Charges with 100 or 220 Toyota pretty much owns the hybrid market. Most cabs in major cities are toyota hybrids 

 

Toyota also has a hydrogen fuel cell car on the west coast called a Mirai.  I dont know diddly squat about it. I love the new Hybrid corolla. About 50mpg and price point around 25K. Its only made in the LE trim however.

[Boiler 43,539]

Subaru has excellent creds for Boulder but LA?

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,316]

9 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Subaru has excellent creds for Boulder but LA?

I admit I dont really know my liberal taxonomy 

[laylalex 7,249]

20 minutes ago, Boiler said:

https://images.app.goo.gl/yLgybi1fXYrJ8UyQA

I need a Haha/Thanks/Confused/Like combo upvote for that one.  Pretty sure Al would balk at that price tag. Also, I'm nowhere near being the moneybags my ex is and I do try to make some economies where I can. This is not to say that I don't think that looks amazing. I loved my Porsche when I had it.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

12 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Subaru has excellent creds for Boulder but LA?

Rocks in AK, too.  Alas, I’m afraid it is too much car for a lass.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

1 minute ago, laylalex said:

I need a Haha/Thanks/Confused/Like combo upvote for that one.  Pretty sure Al would balk at that price tag. Also, I'm nowhere near being the moneybags my ex is and I do try to make some economies where I can. This is not to say that I don't think that looks amazing. I loved my Porsche when I had it.

Honda Accord V6 hybrid.

[Boiler 43,539]

3 minutes ago, laylalex said:

I need a Haha/Thanks/Confused/Like combo upvote for that one.  Pretty sure Al would balk at that price tag. Also, I'm nowhere near being the moneybags my ex is and I do try to make some economies where I can. This is not to say that I don't think that looks amazing. I loved my Porsche when I had it.

Which Porsche?

[laylalex 7,249]

20 minutes ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

You got ex and Alex in the same post for 100.

 

You may not have picked up on it, but I am in the Auto business. I will be glad to give you free advice

 

starting with

Avoid mercedes like the plague.  They dont hold their value and are astronomical to service and work on. Same with BMW. Also avoid Chrysler products like the plague. The wrangler holds its value but still poor reliability ratings

 

The worst car sold in america is the Fiat 500c

 

Subaru is a good car for liberals. It has the liberal/hippie Image . Holds its value like crazy and has great reliability ratings  as does Lexus, Toyota and Honda. I also have owned a few fords.

 

I would stay away from a pure electric vehicle.  The Prius Prime is a plug in hybrid that has an engine. We have sold a few. I think it goes about 25 miles on battery only. Charges with 100 or 220 Toyota pretty much owns the hybrid market. Most cabs in major cities are toyota hybrids 

 

Toyota also has a hydrogen fuel cell car on the west coast called a Mirai.  I dont know diddly squat about it. I love the new Hybrid corolla. About 50mpg and price point around 25K. Its only made in the LE trim however.

Awesome -- thank you! The Mercedeses (?plural) were all my ex's idea -- he saw them as status vehicles, and he was very hung up on that stuff. I'm not, and I'm sorry to use his name too, Nature Boy, but neither is Alex. His family didn't have a ton of liquid assets to support new vehicles after his dad died, so they made so with some tragic British cars that were held together with hope and bungee cords and Bondo. I had the same car from when I was a teenager until I was 24 and took care of it because it was bought with my money. 

 

No interest in Fiats at all. I tried a 500x when I was visiting friends in Denver a few years ago -- UGH. Terrible visibility and the power sucked. I think a Subaru is definitely something I would look at. We may a child in the next three or four years, so if we do, something practical like a Subaru fits the bill. I have seen a couple of Mirais on the road out here but I don't think it's my kind of thing. Not interested in Prius -- I don't like how they look at all, and they seem a bit cheap inside. What do you know about Lincolns? Some of the smaller/midsize SUVs they have look interesting. NOT the Navigator -- way too big.

9 minutes ago, ALFKAD said:

Rocks in AK, too.  Alas, I’m afraid it is too much car for a lass.

Subaru back where I went to college was the ULTIMATE lesbianmobile.  

7 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Which Porsche?

Boxster. Similar to this one: https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/WP0CB29856U731309 I was told: "You have a hard enough time riding your bicycle in a straight line and you can't parallel park your Nissan in under 20 maneuvers, so what were you thinking?"

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,316]

19 minutes ago, laylalex said:

Awesome -- thank you! The Mercedeses (?plural) were all my ex's idea -- he saw them as status vehicles, and he was very hung up on that stuff. I'm not, and I'm sorry to use his name too, Nature Boy, but neither is Alex. His family didn't have a ton of liquid assets to support new vehicles after his dad died, so they made so with some tragic British cars that were held together with hope and bungee cords and Bondo. I had the same car from when I was a teenager until I was 24 and took care of it because it was bought with my money. 

 

No interest in Fiats at all. I tried a 500x when I was visiting friends in Denver a few years ago -- UGH. Terrible visibility and the power sucked. I think a Subaru is definitely something I would look at. We may a child in the next three or four years, so if we do, something practical like a Subaru fits the bill. I have seen a couple of Mirais on the road out here but I don't think it's my kind of thing. Not interested in Prius -- I don't like how they look at all, and they seem a bit cheap inside. What do you know about Lincolns? Some of the smaller/midsize SUVs they have look interesting. NOT the Navigator -- way too big.

Subaru back where I went to college was the ULTIMATE lesbianmobile.  

Boxster. Similar to this one: https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/WP0CB29856U731309 I was told: "You have a hard enough time riding your bicycle in a straight line and you can't parallel park your Nissan in under 20 maneuvers, so what were you thinking?"

Not big on Lincoln at all .not well respected in the car biz.

[laylalex 7,249]

1 minute ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

Not big on Lincoln at all .not well respected in the car biz.

Good to know -- thank you. We have a couple of months to think about all of this, and I'd rather buy when I get down there instead of getting one up here and driving it down. 

[NikLR 13,220]

Power sucks on most things this high up tbh so dont compare up here to down there. 

Anything electric or hybrid will be automatic only. 

An electric only doesnt even have gears. 

Teslas have that lower end sedan. Nissan has the leaf (if you like small snd pure electric.) You cant really go wrong with a Honda, or Lexus (which is really just an expensive toyota), or Audi. I dont hate on the BMW either, but buy those used as they don't hold value as well. A Golf may be a good option too and they come with flappy paddles.  

 

I always think its interesting what people need in a car and then what they end up puchasing.  We have had an array of vehicles trying to find what suited us best.  Pretty sure I'll always have a hatchback now that I've rediscovered them. 

 

 

[NikLR 13,220]

1 hour ago, laylalex said:

Good to know -- thank you. We have a couple of months to think about all of this, and I'd rather buy when I get down there instead of getting one up here and driving it down. 

Check the pricing and taxes before you make that decision.  My realtor flew to chicago to save 3k on his car. Drove it back.  The cost of registration was worth it. 

[laylalex 7,249]

10 minutes ago, NikLR said:

Check the pricing and taxes before you make that decision.  My realtor flew to chicago to save 3k on his car. Drove it back.  The cost of registration was worth it. 

Great idea. We're moving from one expensive part of California (Bay Area) to another (LA area), but there could be a big difference. One thing I don't want to deal with is buying out of state, because... California. *sigh* It requires a trip to the DMV for inspection, and that sounds like 80 different kinds of not fun.

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,316]

14 minutes ago, NikLR said:

Check the pricing and taxes before you make that decision.  My realtor flew to chicago to save 3k on his car. Drove it back.  The cost of registration was worth it. 

You have to register your car to your home of record. federal law. If you flew here and lived in Texas that is where you would pay taxes. Unless you are military 

[Boiler 43,539]

You liked the Boxter, there are just 2 of you, why not go for something similar?

 

How come you never learned to drive properly? You spent a long time in the UK.