ferricoxideAug 23
Glad it's not overly hot, today: stuck in my wife's car, waiting for a tow truck to arrive.

As we were leaving the grocery store parking lot and I went to shift up to the next gear, the gearbox quit. Had to push the car to the curb and panickedly call friends to see who could pick up my wife and our groceries and get them home before they became heat casualties. Best friend, wife and groceries are all on their way to my house while I sit and wait.

Given the litany of repair expenses this car has racked up over the last 18 months, it's looking like time to try to find a replacement: I doubt this incident will be less than the $1,000 I'm willling to spend to get it fixed.
Show threadferricoxideAug 23
When the tow truck finally showed up and we turned the engine on (to enable power steering) to get it onto the flatbed, a strong smell of burning clutch resulted.


...Soooo gonna start looking at new cars this weekend. Need to see if an EV makes sense (since the tax credits are still available until end of September.
Show threadferricoxide
Was able to squeeze in test drives of #Volkswagen's #ID4 (a Pro S) and #Hyundai's #Ioniq5. Both put #BMW's in to shame. An SAV or crossover — with their higher centers of gravity — should never handle better than a sedan, let alone a sedan from the company that used to market their vehicles as "driving machines". BMW has truly lost their way.
Aug 24 at 12:35amWeb
Show threadferricoxideAug 27
Test drove a #Mustang #Mach-E, tonight. While not horrible, like the BMW I was, it wasn't in the same league as the VW, Volvo or Hyundai. While it accelerated well, stayed level in hard turns, etc , it felt every ounce of its (nearly) 5000lbs. Worse, the feedback between the chassis and the driver's seat was utterly absent. It felt fat and like it was wider than its mirrors.
Show threadferricoxideAug 27
For years I've wondered why so many people straddle the centerline of two way unlined streets. If the #Mustang's "feedback" is typical of modern cars, it's fully understandable why people can't feel how much of the road their cars occupy.
Show threadferricoxideAug 27
Primary reason I gave it a test-drive was:

- It was highly-rated on Car and Driver
- There's a Ford dealership walking-distance from my house

So, had it not been so unpleasant but had had a ridiculously-low out-the-door price, it might have been worth considering. That said, the driving-experience combined with a middle-of-the-pack pricing means it's not up for consideration.