I hate car shopping.
I really have nothing else to say. I just hate this. I just wish I could say “I want what I had in my old car plus newer and betterer and here is the money.”
Sadly, it does not work like that. Bet I have spent 80 hours in the past two months reviewing every car ever made and watching videos and checking legroom and headroom and shoulder room and checking out MPG and HP and what not.
Think I am going to pull the trigger on the six banger Subaru on Monday. Going to test drive it, of course, but I am very intrigued in going from 137 HP in the old Subaru to V6 in basically the same car with 250 HP. It will be nice being able to accelerate up hills and a bit weird entering on ramps at full speed on the highway.
NotMax
In which case, the absolutely perfect car will show up listed for sale on Tuesday.
‘Twas ever thus.
Omnes Omnibus
Brand new tires on my Saab made her brilliant again. I took to today off – got the tires and an oil change – and then took the car out to play. My god, that car can move. I drove over to Devil’s Lake State Park and took the really twisty road down to the south shore. On the way back up, since there are no leaves on the trees and I could see far enough ahead to take the straightest line through the corners, I just had a blast. I should have put new tires on the girl last year.
John Cole
@Omnes Omnibus: Devils Lake ND?
guachi
It basically works that way if you buy a new car. Or, it can work that way.
I used to read edmunds.com (a car info website) and one guy had a very simple buying technique. He’d figure out what car he wanted and the Out-the-Door price he was willing to pay. He’d walk in and make his offer contingent on two things that he’d have in writing (two sets of keys and a test drive). Any answer other than “yes” was considered a “no” and he’d walk out if he didn’t hear a “yes”. Amazing how often that “no”, which was never actually a “no” just a long pile of verbiage, would change to a “yes” when he started to leave.
If he actually did leave without a car, he’d up his price $50 and go to the next dealership. He only ever had to go to another dealership one time.
Mnemosyne
I bought the car that Consumer Reports said was best in its class (compact cars). If I had test-driven it and hated it, I probably would have started over from scratch, but having that endorsement helped me narrow the field.
? Martin
OMG. Just buy the fucking car already, Goldilocks.
srv
250 HP.
WTF, A WRZ? MPG LESS THAN ZERO.
In other news, the Hacker News Rocket Scientist of Silicon Valley has decided to fight Eternal September by requiring comments to be upboated by someone with 1000 karma.
It’s so hard not to feel superior when you see geniuses ratfuck themselves.
Jewish Steel
I remember that it took me about a year to stop looking at houses with an appraising eye after I bought the one I’m in now. Couldn’t turn it off.
srv
Hey John, that WRZ will just tumble deeper into some farmer’s rabbit hole.
Mnemosyne
@Omnes Omnibus:
Holy crap, Devil’s Lake! We went there for a day trip when I went to summer camp.
(I am freshly astounded that the camp is still there. It was really awesome, except when it rained while we were sleeping in a teepee we had constructed ourselves.)
Omnes Omnibus
@John Cole: No. Devil’s Lake in WI.. Very good to excellent rock climbing. Great hiking. And a glacial lake that has had very very petrol engines ever touch its waters.
srv
Hey John, you know USAA has a car buying service? Derp.
JGabriel
John Cole:
Won’t that run up your gas bill?
srv
@JGabriel:
Maybe not as much as you think, since the 137 HP got 14 MPG.
John Cole
@srv: Not a WRX, an outback.
http://www.wheelingsubaru.com/used/Subaru/2006-Subaru-Outback-b05a64f00a0a0065168a242cc76c8bc4.htm
Omnes Omnibus
@Mnemosyne: I can still find the tree where my younger brother was attached to a leash while the rest of the family climbed or belayed. I was climbing at 9 and the kid was likely to dive onto the talus slope.
JGabriel
@srv:
I’ll take your word for it. Living in NYC, I know jack shit about cars.
waspuppet
John, seriously. Buy a freaking car. Yeah, a slightly better car for $50 less might show up the day after you buy something, but so what?
I say this as a recovering compulsive about these things: Just buy a damn car. We all know what the good brands are; just buy one.
You’re thinking there’s A Perfect Car At The Perfect Price out there, and if you don’t find it you are A Moran and everyone will laugh at you. That really isn’t the case. No one will think the less of you. (If you want to get all tough-guy about it: No one actually cares.)
The only thing I’d continue to ponder at this point is: Have you really not had a car for two months? Maybe you don’t need one.
lahke
Lordy, I bought my house with less dithering. Just do it. If it’s a mistake, do it differently next time. You are young enough that you’ll be doing this four or five more times–consider it practice.
Mind you, you’ll be buying that many more cars because things happen to you and your stuff–MY cars last 20 years.
Mnemosyne
@Omnes Omnibus:
I vaguely remember some trauma of being teased by the other girls at Devil’s Lake, but I seem to have blocked out the details. One of those things where they told a scary urban legend about how the lake got its name to the gullible and easily frightened one in the cabin.
srv
@John Cole: Good God. Did you know the 2006 WRX only had 230 HP?
http://autos.yahoo.com/subaru/impreza/2006/wrx-tr/specifications.html
Why don’t you just find a surplus Honeywell AGT?
Omnes Omnibus
@Mnemosyne: The name comes from its depth below the rest of the country. It was once a path for the Wisconsin River. Shit happened and the river moved. Glacial waters remained. And the bluffs offer great, and I mean, great climbing.
piratedan
sad family news…. my beloved Jake, the monster he-cat with a heart of gold will be gone soon. In for a biopsy this week and the verdict is aggressive lymphatic stomach cancer, he has maybe two to six months to live. I’m simply fucking devastated. I’ll share one story with you all that perhaps provides a glimmer of insight as to just who this incredible feline is…
We has lost another kitty two months prior due to kidney failure and after our time of grieving we decided that it was time to let our hearts heal and let another kitty into it. So the spouse and myself made an appointment at one of the local no-kill shelters (this one was an entire residence turned over to the felines, over a hundred in residence of various shapes, sizes and ailments). We spent about 30-45 minutes wandering from room to room, petting, stroking, looking, and cooing to cats…. I decided that I needed to sit down and start to discuss some of the likely suspects, when we sit down out in the covered/enclosed patio and begin to review all of the cats that we had seen and liked when this sleek fellow of a midnight coat and an a cloudy eye saunters up to me, bleeks once and then climbs into my lap and makes himself at home. This goes on for about ten minutes of him being petted and stroked while we discussed other cats, when he gets down and goes and sits in Mom’s lap and gets the same treatment.
Obviously we were mistaken, we thought we were in charge, we were gently rebuked of that notion and he indicated that we could return to see him at any time we wished. We brought the boys with us and proceeded through the house, pointing out various and sundry patrons who had caught our eye but making nary a mention regarding the character who had made the last impression. Retired to the same room and began to discuss the various contenders with the boys and up saunters the soon to be crown prince and he proceeded to sit at my feet again, gave out a warning bleek and up he came. The boys came by, stroked him, picked him up and looked at him and he made eye contact with them and bleeked again in greeting. Allowed himself to be carried and cuddled and then got down after a few minutes and repeated the established protocol with Mom.
At that point we had conceded that we had been adopted and as such made arrangements to provide the appropriate room and board for his Jake-ness….
It’s been nine years and he’s been fucking awesome, through kittens, dogs, teenagers, new furniture, his human being away for months at a time, he’s been a constant provider of affection and general awesomeness that can only be lived with through many books and TV episodes and cool mornings in bed together. He’s not gone yet, but I’m tearing up while typing this because he’s been awesome companion and I will miss him so…. While it’s the most awesome thing to let an animal into your heart, it’s the saddest thing knowing that it can’t last forever but somehow you never stop to worry about the pain and the heartache and how sad you feel for yourself to not to be able to experience the awesomeness of having them in your life…
I know you folks would understand because many of us have shared those feelings of loss here and somehow, it feels cathartic to allow the tears to fall like the keystrokes in this post and make the burden easier in the sharing of the loss….
as always, ty to all for the time and the sympathy…. sigh
MikeJ
@waspuppet:
How could we?
Linkmeister
How is it that Governor Walker hasn’t shut down that park or sold it to the Koch Brothers or taken it away from his constituents already?
trollhattan
@John Cole:
Make sure they throw in bags of grass seed Scott’s Turf Builder so you can always have the pasture-fresh feeling.
Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)
h, for fuck’s sake, shit or get off the pot.
Or think of putting a saddle on Steve.
Omnes Omnibus
@Linkmeister: Because the assholes don’t own the state. Yet.
JCJ
@Omnes Omnibus:
Oh my! that is a twisty road! I’ve only been there in the summer and fall. That road would be fun to speed along if you could see. Does your Saab have a turbo? I drive like an old man now, but I used to have a Honda CRX that was a lot of fun to drive on roads like that.
Omnes Omnibus
@Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again): Hey, he isn’t bitching about how much he hates the commenters who offer the advice for which he askes.
Mnemosyne
@piratedan:
Been there, so I’ll give you the same advice that our vet gave us when Natasha was diagnosed with terminal cancer (in her case, it was mammary cancer that metastasized to her lungs). Our vet told us that as long as she still had her body functions (ie was eating, drinking, peeing, and pooping) and was not hiding (wanted to be around us all the time), there was no need to put her to sleep, because Tashi still had good quality of life. What none of us counted on was Tashi being so freakin’ stubborn that she continued doing all of those things right up until the day she died, literally. The night before G came home at lunch and found that she had died, Tashi had pushed Boris away from the food to get her share.
Shorter version: Jake will tell you when he’s ready to go, so make sure to listen and not pretend not to hear what he wants because it’s painful for you. We waited a little too long with Boris (kidney failure) and I still beat myself up about that, even though it was maybe one or two days too long.
Jewish Steel
@piratedan: Aw, that is very sweet. Now I’m tearing up too. He knew all along you were his family. My rotten, bitey rescue basenji was the same way. A big kiss on the nose when I met him and ready go home with me immediately.
At least you can make his last 6 months as comfortable and happy as possible.
Omnes Omnibus
@JCJ: The Saab is a 2.0T; I went up it today at about 40 mph – I had sight lines. It was a blast.
aangus
@Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again):
Careful with that last thought.
:; )
BubbaDave
@piratedan:
So sorry to hear that. I hope his last months will be spent spoiling him as he deserves, and that you and yours will hear his bleeking in pleasant memories for years to come.
Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)
@Omnes Omnibus:
It’s always only a matter of time. ; )
Mnemosyne
@Jewish Steel:
We ended up with Keaton because I was walking past his carrier at Petco as he was being packed up for the day (they sponsor adoption days with local rescue orgs) and he reached out of his cage and grabbed me by the arm, like, Hey, hey, you, c’mere. You look like you need a cat.
I wasn’t able to talk G into going to look at him for another month (something about us getting married that week or some crazy excuse like that ;-) but, sure enough, Keaton was still there waiting for us. Purred like crazy when we took him out of the cage and walked around with him, turned his back on us when we put him back in the cage, like, Well, fine, I didn’t like you either!
The rescue lady convinced us we were just going to be his new fosters for a week to make sure he got along with our elderly cat Boris and history was made.
Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)
@aangus:
Sometimes ya just gotta.
Elizabelle
@piratedan:
Ahhh, Jake chose you and your family. Great story. Sad about the diagnosis, and glad you and the kit had so many happy years en famille.
Hope Jake has more quality time ahead of him.
JCJ
@Omnes Omnibus:
Wow! That is speedy for that road, sight lines or no.
NotMax
Would be kind of a rush to nonchalantly swing into a gas station in this baby.
Omnes Omnibus
@JCJ: I love that road. And I time myself ever time I drive it. This time I lucked out:; no one was coming down and the sight lines were clear. PSA: Don’t fly up that road although doing it is a fucking blast.
badjim
I hate that bit about driving like an old man. I’m 62, and I drive faster than I did in my 20’s, because all I had then was a clapped-out 40-hp ’63 Karmann Ghia. I upped my game when I replaced the engine, then again with the 75-hp ’84 Civic DX, and the 125-hp ’92 Civic Si, and finally with the 175-hp ’99 Integra GS-R, any of which could climb my hill faster, and more thrillingly descend it, than nearly any other car I encounter. It may have something to do with the fact that I’ve driven that route more than ten thousand times.
Whenever I’m stuck behind a bigger car grinding slowly up the road, I wonder why they never think of shifting to a lower gear. They certainly have a bigger engine than I do. There’s more power available at higher RPM’s, and it’s my understanding that it’s easier on the engine as well. It’s perhaps reasonable to trust an automatic transmission on level terrain, but not necessarily elsewhere.
I’m happier being an active cyborg than a passive operator.
mazareth
@Omnes Omnibus: Devil’s Lake is one of the most beautiful spots in that part of the state.
Years ago when I was training for a European bike tour, I did a training ride with a couple friends around the lake. We warmed up on some of the country roads away from the lake. We did about 60 miles total, with 3 laps around the lake. To this day, one of the hardest rides I’ve ever done in Wisconsin.
On the car thing, I just bought a 2012 Toyota Yaris. Great gas mileage, but a little doggy going up hills from a stop.
Jordan Rules
Mercy John! So many good insights in this thread, but more importantly, in the previous threads about this here. People shared ideas to help you alleviate the redundancy and dread. But, here we are again…
You love this shit.
Dave
John,
Minor technical point… No Subaru has a “V” engine, they are all horizontal layouts, also known as “boxers” in either 4 or 6 cylinder configurations. There are basically 3 popular 6-cylinder configurations, V, inline (think BMW) and H (think Subaru, Porsche and old VW Beetles). One advantage to the H configuration is that the weight of the engine is concentrated low in the car, contributing to a lower center of gravity, and thus greater stability, all else being equal.
Hope you like the new car.
Dave
Jewish Steel
@Mnemosyne: The most beautiful Persian blue kitten, probably 10 mos according to my wife, showed up at our door a couple of months ago*. I quickly chased him away (murderous basenjis) but he ran under my car and began meowing. Worried he was hurt, I coaxed him out. No, not hurt. Just very determined to be friends. Flopping on the lawn, rubbing against my leg, generally showing himself to be a great sport.
This was clearly an indoor cat, who’s we had not a clue. My wife hit upon the bright idea checking Craigslist and bingo, lost Persian blue. But when she called it turned out that cat had been found. However, the man on the other end of the line said his mother in law had expressed an interest in getting a Persian blue recently and if we didn’t turn anyone up, she might take him.
Well, that cat couldn’t stay at my house (fiendishly clever basenjis again) and we were disinclined to consign him to the pound. So we told the man to send his mother in law over. Turns out she had lost her husband last fall and her beloved cat on Valentine’s day. Could it get any sadder? I ask you!
I was gone when the woman came but my wife reported the cat immediately took to her and was crawling all over her. They left together happy as could be.
This whole episode began and was over in the span of two hours. Now I’m not a superstitious person, quite skeptically inclined, in fact. But blimey, it was sure felt like that was a pairing that was fated and that we were chosen as vessels to bear one friend to another.
*ETA: actually, as I think of it, this was last year. jesus, I’m getting old.
Cain
@piratedan:
Dude.
I’m sorry.
Having lost two cats, and feel exactly teh same way for the first one I ever got. I can well understand how you feel. When it comes to time to let him go, we’ll be there with you in spirit.
Cain
@Mnemosyne:
I have my cat on my lap, and she’s been diagnosed with early onset of kidney disease and her quality of life has been great. She eats well, and lives well. But I know one day, she’s going to go, I just don’t know when that will be. I’ve been giving her hugs while reading this thread.
mtiffany
*newerer
Keep up, Cole.
Ruckus
@Mnemosyne:
Went to the Humane Society once to look at getting a cat. They took me back to the cat rooms and said look around, see who likes you. Lots of nice cats but when I sat down in a rocking chair this 4-5 yr old tuxedo jumps in my lap and made himself at home. He was a great cat but within a 15 min I couldn’t breathe. I thought it might just be my usual issues as I’d lived with cat and dogs before and never had an issue. So I came back a few days later and that same cat made a bee line for my lap. Same 15 min later, couldn’t breathe again. Had to leave him there but he sure was a beauty. Now I share a house with three cats and don’t have a problem. Some things are not meant to be.
Mnemosyne
@Ruckus:
Oh, I could tell you about the feline and canine Ones Who Got Away all day long. I’m still a little sad about a determined little tortie kitten in Wisconsin I couldn’t get and that was 25 years ago. But once you have a few happy stories of serendipity, you worry less about the ones you didn’t get because they probably ended up as someone else’s happy story.
kindness
I’m sure the fraternity guys at the college are really going to appreciate that extra horsepower. They’ll be able to outrun logging trucks.
kdaug
@badjim: I’ve got the 98 Integra GS
Breth
Bought my ’12 Forester (5 speed manual) just over a year ago and I simply couldn’t be happier. The buying experience at the Charlottesville dealership was as close to painless as possible as well.
It helped that I could walk in and tell them exactly what I wanted. Their price was, amazingly enough, as close to what I expected to pay that we basically shook hands and when the car arrived I drove away. Spent maybe an hour in the dealership all told.
satby
@piratedan: aww, so sorry piratedan. He’s had a happy life with you. Give him a scritch in his favorite spot from me.
Rook
The ability to accelerate onto freeways will make you a safer driver. As to gas mileage; since when is a 6 banger a gas hog? My 2007 Ford has a six cylinder and gets close to 30 mpg, and she can more than accelerate, she can warp drive onto the freeway.
muricafukyea
Wr0ng way Cole upgrading to a car that burns more gas, while complaining about oil pipeline spills. Why does libertarian Cole hate America?
muricafukyea
Wr0ng way Cole upgrading to a car that burns more gas, while complaining about oil pipeline spills. Why does libertarian curious Cole hate America?
Cassidy
Paying a new car price for a used car with 100K miles seems dumb, but whatever.
tofubo
john, vw tdi, all the torque you could want plus 45 + mpg on the highway, at least test drive one
RSA
My first thought was “Wow, that’s a lot of power,” but then I looked online to find that the beast weighs 4700 pounds. So I guess it’s not really over-powered.
John PM
I think I may soon be in the market for s new car also. Took my 12-yo Hyundai Santa Fe to the dealer yesterday because of a rattling noise and other issues. It will cost me about $3500 to get everything fixed. My new car options are constrained by the fact that I need a car big enough for my three boys and their friends, who are going to be big and smelly in a few years.
Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader
Easy there, Mr. Andretti. The car is not a toy.
danielx
Wonder if Cole ever thought of looking on autotrader.com……reviews, location, price and all in one location.
Ridge
When I looked at these a few yrs ago, 6 cly required Premium gas. Same now? Anyway, my 06 Hyundai Azera with good tires is the best car I’ve ever had. Just went over a southern WV mt during the recent ice and snow storm without all wheel dr. Quite and powerful on highway. Subaru ok, but you will only need AWD once a yr or so.
R
J R in WV
Returning from winter retreat to Arizona, rolled and totaled F-350 Powerstroke that I used to pull a tractor/backhoe in Las Vegas New Mexico. Two people in the front seat, two dogs in the back seat, no one injured.
Friend in Pueblo, CO rented a small pickup and came down to rescue us. Got surviving cargo at salvage yard, dogs and Mrs JR rode in the back seat. Smooth drive to Pueblo.
Enjoyed staying with friends over weekend. Tuesday had to select and purchase a truck to get home in. Found white F-250 with a gas V-8, 4 door, long bed. 2011 model. A little more than I wanted to pay, but in the ball park.
Wednesday hit the road east towards West Virginia. Home Saturday evening.
Point here is that if you have to, you can locate and purchase a vehicle in 24 hours. I admit I spend time on Consumer Reports looking a car and truck reviews. I like to feel that I am making wise decisions when I spend that much money!
Now all I have to do is get it registered in WV… We were stopped by a very nice Deputy in Kansas because he didn’t see the temporary license taped to the back window, which is tinted. He expressed his feelings for my loss of the F-350, his is a 2000, mine was a 2008 6.4 liter.
So glad to be home! Spring is springing here, frogs calling, daffodils about to bloom. House is a disaster area, remodeling started when we left, still not done! Paint underway.
John, I’ve ridden in Sub’s, test drove one recently, hate ’em. Uncomfortable, slow, inefficient… Useful, OK, yes. But too small inside for me. Can’t imagine you fit in one in comfort. You can get a VW diesel with all wheel drive. You can get a Honda, a Toyota, lots of cars. Test drive something other than a Subaru.
Then buy what you want.
WaterGirl
@piratedan: My heart goes out to you.
I got 10 weeks with my kitty soulmate after he was diagnosed. Just when you think it’s not possible to love them any more than you already do, you take care of them when they are sick and you bond even more.
Those 10 weeks were filled with ups and downs, but it was an honor to take care of him and do everything I possibly could to make things better. I adored my sweet boy, as you do yours.
The time you have left will be filled with love and I am certain you will both treasure every minute, even the hard ones.
virag
if you’re not getting at least 20% off that listed price in wheeling, don’t do it. that car is way overpriced at list. if you need to spend over 10k for that subie, don’t, and get a new jetta tdi wagon–a used saab 9-5 wagon for way less money and tons more class–and drive it for the next 150 years, or until you let some other dipstick crash it for you.
CaseyL
@piratedan: I am so sorry. Jake sounds like an awesome kitty.
Cole- if you like the car, ignore the kibbitzers and get the car. It actually looks like a pretty sweet ride, from the ad.
coin operated
The new Outbacks (2010+) are great cars, and I totally agree with the 6-banger. I had a 2010 Outback with the 4-banger and a 6-speed manual…it cruised level ground just fine, but driving up to the ski slopes was lame. You had to put the car in 3rd gear and put the RPMs near the red-line to get past anything going uphill.
andynotadam
Mazda CX-9. Just do it….
Christian
Funny. You’re probably the first person ever I’ve run into who hates car shopping. Just about everybody I know goes nuts with excitement in getting a new car.