Out of the Blue

[Mar 14, 2008, 09:26 am ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

Whatever was making my internet connection so slow seems to have cleared up somewhere overnight, I'm not sure what happened, but at this point I don't particularly care, as long as it does not recur.

Full-Speed Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play:	Boxhead: The Zombie Wars. Thanks Jason. Kaleidoscope. Thanks Digg.
Story:	District attorney on trial for building monster gaming rig with state money.
Science!:	NOAA: Coolest Winter Since 2001 for U.S. Thanks nin. Elephant Killings Could End With Laparoscopic Surgery. When Bringing Back the Mangoes, Ants Specialize for the Job.
Media:	Boxer loses fight, dignity. Not just a member of the Fight Club for men, he's the president! Elephants Love Snow.
Follow-up:	Parents Of Marine Found Dead Seek PTSD Awareness. Thanks nin and Kotaku.
Teh Funny:	xkcd. Thanks omagan.

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31 Replies. 2 pages. Viewing page 1.
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31.

Re: Automobile recommendations

Mar 15, 2008, 09:53

Warhawk

I did a little surfing around last night on an Elantra forum, and most seemed to expect theirs to start having problems at the end of the warranty period if they were not having problems already. Does not inspire confidence.

I need to do some more looking around/research.




Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room? Trust me, leave that thing alone. - GLaDOS Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away? - Ripley

30.

Re: Automobile recommendations

Mar 15, 2008, 04:10

jimnms

I'd look into a that Jetta, but get the 2.0L TDI engine (140HP 236TQ) instead. The TDI wont be available until later this year though

Any idea on cost? Any idea when?

I think the iron is hot right now, if you know what I mean....

VW says summer, but some people have been told May or June by dealers. Anything you need to know about the VW TDI, just go to tdiclub.com. As for cost, the TDI added $1000 to the price of the Jetta when I bought mine in 2005, but I've more than recovered that cost in what I've saved on fuel.




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29.

Re: shitty ass company

Mar 15, 2008, 01:47

mag

Another link to question Global Warming...(with that one above): http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080314/COMMENTARY/702895001/home.html Well, y'know. The NCPA is a conservative think-tank with ties to Exxon (though I guess an average of $40k a year for the past decade isn't a huge amount of money). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_center_for_policy_analysis This doesn't mean that they're wrong, of course, but it makes me think that they have an agenda other than simply wanting science done right. No different from the thedailygreen.com link, from earlier.

28.

Re: Automobile recommendations

Mar 15, 2008, 01:05

Warhawk

Hyundai is nicely priced, and also has a great warranty and with the 4cy I think you can get the mpg you are looking for.

Actually, the Elantra is looking like it is right up my alley. I like the performance of the Mazda3 more, but the Elantra has more room, better gas mileage, more features, is cheaper, and a longer warranty. Also, a somewhat local dealer has them on sale for about $12,500 in the paper! I don't think that's an automatic, though - I need to call in the morning and check. Even if I just pay the amount I got quoted today, that's still over $1,300 cheaper than the Mazda. Still need to drive the Honda and Sentra first to check them out as well.




Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room? Trust me, leave that thing alone. - GLaDOS Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away? - Ripley

27.

Re: shitty ass company

Mar 14, 2008, 21:37

Syntarsus

Americans get 199 calories per day from chicken, 209 from pork and 119 from beef -- the equivalent of roughly three quarter pounders lol wow I never knew meat was so low calorie, I should have more of it. So, they're saying a quarter pounder has less than 200 calories? Or am I misreading that?

26.

SoaSE MP

Mar 14, 2008, 20:44

Enahs

Hey yo bitches, I finally got around to creating my Ironclad account thing for Sins of a Solar Empire online, so I can do multiplayer. Samebody add me to the friends list (even though I hate you). I wanna try a small random map at some point to start with!

Have I mentioned how much I love SoaSE yet?

Edit: Mofo. Why was I not informed that the new version would break old saved games?! Why ohh why. I was so close to finishing a HUGE ass set of solar systems! Ohh the humanity! I could have just upgraded when I was done. *cries*

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This comment was edited on Mar 14, 20:47.




I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally. - W. C. Fields

25.

Re: shitty ass company

Mar 14, 2008, 18:00

skyguy

And I have to deal with bullshit articles like this: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/6665 Americans get 199 calories per day from chicken, 209 from pork and 119 from beef -- the equivalent of roughly three quarter pounders lol wow I never knew meat was so low calorie, I should have more of it.

24.

posted at a later time

Mar 14, 2008, 17:43

shul

in order to spam as little as possible, sent this question again at 16.3.08 This comment was edited on Mar 16, 12:38.

23.

Re: Automobile recommendations

Mar 14, 2008, 17:39

Warhawk

I'd look into a that Jetta, but get the 2.0L TDI engine (140HP 236TQ) instead. The TDI wont be available until later this year though

Any idea on cost? Any idea when?

I think the iron is hot right now, if you know what I mean....




Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room? Trust me, leave that thing alone. - GLaDOS Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away? - Ripley

22.

Re: Automobile recommendations

Mar 14, 2008, 17:32

Warhawk

I find it funny that you are so concerned about price, yet buying new, its the biggest waste of money since you lose 20% of the value just driving it off the lot

True, except for a couple things.

Looking at 1±year old cars, the price difference has not been 20%. Not the ones we have seen. If you shop the ad specials and not the MSRP, the price differentials are much lower.

20,000 miles is quite a lot of mileage to lose when you plan on keeping the car for a long time. We are not planning to sell it but run it into the ground as a commuter car.

Some used cars have been driven like shit and not maintained. If I get it new, I ensure that proper maintenance is done, which is one of the largest problems with making a car last.

I like the new car smell, even if it is killing brain cells.

My wife and I cannot stand the smell of smoke. Sometimes it is hard to tell from a quick test drive if a smoker has used the vehicle, but in long term use it will become evident. We have run into this with rental cars before.

Because we can afford a new car but want to still get the best deal possible.

Because the warranty lasts longer when buying new vs. a used car with 1/3 the warranty miles used up already.




Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room? Trust me, leave that thing alone. - GLaDOS Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away? - Ripley

21.

Re: Automobile recommendations

Mar 14, 2008, 17:29

jimnms

So right now we are looking at things like the:

Honda Civic LX - 36 mpg
Toyota Corolla S - 35
Ford Focus SE - 33
Nissan Sentra S - 33
Nissan Versa SL - 33
Mazda3 i Touring - 31
Saturn Astra XE - 30
Chrysler Sebring LX - 30
Dodge Caliber SXT - 30
VW Jetta S - 29

I'd look into a that Jetta, but get the 2.0L TDI engine (140HP 236TQ) instead. The TDI wont be available until later this year though, bit the extra cost for the engine will pay for itself in fuel savings. The EPA hasn't put out their official numbers yet, but real world testing so far has it getting up to 40 MPG city, and up to 60 MPG highway.

My 2005 Jetta Wagon with the 1.9L TDI has been averaging 40-42 between tanks. I've kept a detailed fuel log since I bought the car in Jan. of 2005. I've put a little over 35,000 miles on it so far, and I've only spent $2300 on fuel. That works out to an average of 7 cents per mile in fuel.

The nicest thing is not having to stop to fuel up so often. It has the same fuel tank as the gasser, but I've driven over 700 miles on a tank, though I typically fill up around 600-650 miles.




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20.

Re: Automobile recommendations

Mar 14, 2008, 17:25

Warhawk

I drive a 07 Nissan Versa

Well, in all honesty, I doubt any of these are going to win a beauty contest.

In looking at the Hyundai Sonata GLS with the 4 cyl - a local dealer has them on sale for just under $16k. 32 mpg, good horsepower and torque, lots of standard features, and free oil changes and tire rotations every 3,000 miles for as long as you own the vehicle. I'm going to go look at that. Thanks Bats - I missed the 4-cyl vesion when scanning through them earlier and the V6 wasn't something I was looking for. Might be a winner, especially with the 100,000 mile warranty on the powertrain.




Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room? Trust me, leave that thing alone. - GLaDOS Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away? - Ripley

19.

Re: Automobile recommendations

Mar 14, 2008, 17:19

grahamslam

I find it funny that you are so concerned about price, yet buying new, its the biggest waste of money since you lose 20% of the value just driving it off the lot. Try looking for a one year old car, much cheaper and still have warranties. Look on autotrader.com or something similar once you found a car you like. People are hurting for money in this shit economy and you might be able to strike a good deal. A one year old car is basically new anyway, cars don't even get broken in and perform at their maximum until around 20,000 miles.

18.

Re: Automobile recommendations

Mar 14, 2008, 16:57

Enahs

I drive a 07 Nissan Versa, no SL or anything. First model of the versa actually. I think it is nice. I went with the super basic model, no super luxuries or anything. Drives nice, and I have already put over 20,000 miles on it and not one single problem.

The 07 Versa does have a really large and crappy blind spot though. I do not know if they fixed it in newer models. I had to get add-on mirrors for the side-view mirrors to eliminate it; it was quite unsafe how large it was.

I am doing mostly highway driving and I am getting ~35MPG. You can get the CV transmission for a little more and up the MPG even more.

It was cheap, good warranty and such is why I got it. It looks ok from certain angles and others it looks like shit. What are you going to do?

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I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally. - W. C. Fields

17.

Re: No subject

Mar 14, 2008, 16:46

banddirector

I got to drive a Prius that my wife was using (gov. issue for a road trip) and I have to admit it was surprisingly nice. A lot of luxury features, really quiet, really good gas mileage, and plenty of zip, too. If I had to commute any distance at all for work, I would seriously consider one. I wouldn't plan on keeping the car for more than about 8 years anyway, so I wouldn't worry about long term batt issues.

You should test drive one before you decide ...

-----------------------------------
There are 3 kinds of people in the world; those who understand math, and those who don't ...




There's no place like 127.0.0.1

16.

Re: No subject

Mar 14, 2008, 15:58

Warhawk

More of higher price for a rapidly changing technology with questionalble long-term payout. I can get about 35 mpg in a conventional vehicle, or slightly less with a little more "pop". I am not spending $8,000 (or whatever it is) more for maybe 5-10 mpg better and yes, questionalble long-term repairs/maintenance.

I will look into the Hyundai you mentioned.

Thanks.

Edit - looks like the Hyundai 4 cyl does get decent mileage. I am going to stop to look at the Mazda on the way home and it looks like the same dealership carries the Hyundai as well. I can check them both out....

This comment was edited on Mar 14, 16:31.




Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room? Trust me, leave that thing alone. - GLaDOS Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away? - Ripley

15.

No subject

Mar 14, 2008, 14:33

Mr. Tact

Why no hybrid? Fearful of long term maintenance?




Truth is brutal. Prepare for pain.

14.

Re: Automobile recommendations

Mar 14, 2008, 14:25

xXBatmanXx

Not a fan of many of those - but we drove the Corolla and the Camry, and went with a Hyundai Sonata V6.

Corolla felt like a tin can.
Camry was over priced. (but nice)
Hyundai is nicely priced, and also has a great warranty and with the 4cy I think you can get the mpg you are looking for.

Liberty City: Not as racist as the Midwest.




In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. / Few men have virtue enough to withstand the highest bidder. Playing: RL

13.

Automobile recommendations

Mar 14, 2008, 14:20

Warhawk

Wife and I might get a car for me to use as a commuter car and save the miles (and gas $$$) on my 2006 F-150.

Looking for something with better than 30 mpg, no hybrid (just a 4-cyl gas engine), sedan, auto, air, pw/pl, cruise control. Nothing too fancy. Looking new right now, probably in the $17,000 range.

So right now we are looking at things like the:

Honda Civic LX - 36 mpg
Toyota Corolla S - 35
Ford Focus SE - 33
Nissan Sentra S - 33
Nissan Versa SL - 33
Mazda3 i Touring - 31
Saturn Astra XE - 30
Chrysler Sebring LX - 30
Dodge Caliber SXT - 30
VW Jetta S - 29

I think we are going to drop the Caliber and Astra right away because my wife hates hatchbacks. Ditto for some others not listed (Matrix, etc).

The Versa seems too cheap quality-wise when the Sentra is about the same price.

The Sebring and Jetta are a little low on the mpg, just brushing 30. The Mazda3 isn't much better.

The Corolla has relatively low HP and torque (122 and 126, respectively), as does the Versa with 122 and 127. Not that I need a speed racer, but that just seems a bit wimpy.

Anyways, I am leaning towards the Honda, but want to look at the Mazda and Sentra. The Focus is just kinda hanging in as well.

Anyone have any input on these or any others I might want to look at?

We do not want any of the subcompacts. The Chevrolet Cobalt doesn't have enough headroom in the back seat. I looked at the Hyundais, etc, and just wasn't all that interested based on cost and features (on the internet).

Thanks!




Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room? Trust me, leave that thing alone. - GLaDOS Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away? - Ripley

12.

Re: shitty ass company

Mar 14, 2008, 13:40

xXBatmanXx

Another link to question Global Warming...(with that one above):

I can't take it anymore. I went to get lunch in our cafeteria here at work, I look down as I am scanning my badge to get out of the caf' and what do I see?

A retro style poster similar to these:
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Coffee-Posters_i391321_.htm

That says, "Is my hamburger contributing to global warming?"

And I have to deal with bullshit articles like this:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/6665

F it all in the A.
How far gone is our society?

Liberty City: Not as racist as the Midwest.




In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. / Few men have virtue enough to withstand the highest bidder. Playing: RL

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