#advice

Peter writes:

I have been twice plagued from owning a Saab. My current ride is a 2009 Rav 4 and the Wife’s Corolla S from 2004. Lately I’ve been missing, horribly missing, my old Saabs. It’s something about the change in the weather that has reminded me of how much I adored these cars when they weren’t in the shop. The 2.0 turbo, and the 2.3 Viggen turbo paired with those awesome seats and perfect climate control was just wonderful. I’m looking for a replacement to my wife’s Corolla, and she wants it to be our fun car. I’d like to keep the price under 20K. The car must be reliable. I want it to have some of the same soul as the two 9-3’s I used to have, but probably not a Saab (it must be reliable). Does anything like this exist without becoming an honorary Jersey Shore cast member?

Todd writes:

Hello Sajeev, I have a 2001 Audi TT (225hp) that cranks but wont start, not even a sputter. Thus far I’ve checked for fuel and spark and both seem to be in working condition. I verified fuel by unplugging the return line and watching fuel come out as the motor was cranked. I can hear the injectors ticking so it seems they’re working as well. I popped off a coil pack and grounded it to a screwdriver to verify that I also have spark. At this point I’m thinking the fuel in the tank has gone bad because the car has not been significantly driven in 18 months. I literally haven’t started or driven it in nine months, and when I did drive it nine months ago it was for about 3 miles. There was less than a 1/4 of a tank of gas in it while it sat for those 18 months and I just added about 3 gallons of premium to the tank with no result. There also seems to be an odd smell coming from the exhaust when I crank the car, almost like a paint remover or super glue smell. Is this bad gas? I’m really stumped here because I feel like even if the gas is bad it would at least sputter or run rough.

BG writes:

Hi Sajeev! I am a big fan of TTAC and visit it almost every day. I have a question for you, so here it is:

We’ve heard so much about the goodness of wide wheel tracks, where the wheels are pushed to its corner. And the benefit of this seem natural and easy to comprehend for me, better handling, better looks, perhaps even better interior room if the wheel wells can be made less deep. It’s the other end of the spectrum, the narrow wheel tracks, that I can’t understand. What could possibly be the benefit of having a narrow wheel tracks? For some reason it used to be so popular, nearly all cars featured them. Even after the wide tracks was popularized by Pontiac in the 1960s, most cars still came with wheels that are placed well inside its openings. The only reason for them I can think of to justify that is if you want to use wheel skirts or low, “barely there” wheel openings, the Bathtub Nash being a good example. But most of these cars with narrow tracks have full wheel openings, at least in front. Why the narrow tracks then, I wonder?

TTAC Commentator Halftruth writes:

Hey Sajeev, maybe this has been covered before, but as I read thru new car reviews here on TTAC I see that every car maker has left out one of my fave features: the bench seat! I see these huge, gaudy, dust collector consoles in between the two front seats taking up leg and knee room! Am I the only one that misses the bench seat? And column shift? Say it ain’t so! I know they still exist on trucks to some degree but for me, my pref is a good ol’ bench seat. I prefer the 60/40 split and do think they are quite comfy (I am reminded of my years in a 96 Intrepid). I am sure the manufacturers are simply responding to market demands but what do you think? What does the B&B think? Am I sounding like a dinosaur here?

TTAC Commentator Azure Ape writes:

I’ve got an odd one compared to the normal repair/fix stories. I’m a twenty-something in the Midwest with his first real job and a mountain of graduate student debt who is currently driving a 2002 Chevy Tahoe LT 4WD. I’ve been borrowing it from my parents because I couldn’t afford my own car and they just gifted it to me as my own. It currently has 72,000 miles and has been in the family since 24,000; I’ve been driving it since about 52,000. I recently had leaking front axle seals and a lower ball joint boot replaced. I change the oil when the oil life indicator says so and otherwise maintain it well.

I’ve read that the transmission on these is prone to failure. Should I have the transmission fluid changed before the recommended 100,000 miles? How often thereafter? Anything else I should keep my eye on/do preemptively? Oh yeah, my current commute is 120 miles round trip every day (when I’m not able to carpool or it’s my turn to drive). I’d like something more fuel efficient but it’s hard to argue with a free car, even if it is one that swills gas.

Steve writes:

I’m no lover of cars, but since I sold my motorcycle, going bicycle only is proving problematic. Being a one-car family has worked better in theory than in practice. I spend a lot of time mountain biking and trail running. So I need something that can handle muddy, sweaty people and haul dogs and bicycles and the occasional road trip to races. The dog is a collie and my wife and can get by fine with a hitch rack. I don’t the need the car for commuting to work – I ride a bicycle to work every day rain or shine, 12 months a year. Also, I have fundamental distrust of automatic transmissions.

TTAC Commentator Silent Ricochet writes:

Hi Sajeev, I am the owner of a 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 (has the 2.4L LDR motor in it) with about 128,000 Miles on it. I being a teenager, have my fun with it, but also baby it when it’s cold out, let it warm up plenty, even in the summer, and give it an oil change every 3000 Miles; no excuses. The car has a 5-speed Manual Gearbox, and I’m trying to figure out this awful noise that comes from my car when shifting from time to time. In any gear, other than first, if the RPM’s are too low for that gear (usually under 2000 RPM), the engine is kinda sluggish (that’s expected). What isn’t expected is this weird metallic vibrating sound that comes out of my car. Happens often when being in too high of a gear when going around a turn (even in 2nd gear, and I can’t put the car in 1st around a turn unless I’m doing under like 5 MPH). Pressing the gas harder to raise my RPM’s quicker does nothing, if anything just amplifies the sound, so What I must do is either downshift to a lower gear if possible, or just lightly hold my foot on the gas until I get back into my Torque band around 2400RPM. The noise can be hear well outside of the car, as I get looks from people walking by when the noise is made, and I can even hear it reverberate off the houses in my neighborhood when my windows are down. What is this noise and is it a cause for concern?

John writes:

That’s right, the Yuppie is back. After reading every one of the 117 comments to your July 29th response to my previous question, I have come to yet another crossroad. As much as I hate to admit, Steve won that argument. Ignoring some of the more ignominious comments about how much our family should spend on a house, 401K, kids, etc., here now is the master plan. I will cap my next car budget at $12,000, with $1000 set aside each year for maintenance. My desire would be to buy a 5-10yr old used car, use it for a year (spending less than the banked $1000 on maintenance), then being my fickle self sell it and get a “new” used mobile. I live in a state without vehicle transfer taxes or sales tax, so there are few transfer costs associated with selling a buying a new ride. The $1K maintenance account will be renewed each year.

So, now the question – best ride under $12,000 that won’t blow a tranny and cost me more than $1K a year to operate?

Top picks right now: S4 (yes, an Audi, but most on the market have had all the required maintenance done just to sell the bad boy…and I’ll only keep it for 12 months), Mazda 6, BMW 3, Lexus IS manual, G8…..the list goes on. Wife drives an Outback so we have our family hauler. I am 6’4″ though, so need some leg room. Thanks!

Ernest writes:

Hi Sajeev, first of all I enjoy your column very much. The Honda transmission post over in the “New or Used” column raised my interest in something I’ve always been curious about. I have a few questions:

1. I used to compensate for my lead foot by coasting down slight slopes or towards a red light in neutral (in my automatic.) I used to drive a manual and I understand it can be dangerous to coast down a steep slope because the differential becomes free and so the rear wheels can turn in opposite directions, potentially allowing for a spin.
2. I stopped the practice in my automatic after learning (from a usenet board years ago) that the multi-plate clutch has very small clearances in N and consequently leads to overheating if allowed to coast. I’ve also heard that you don’t even want to idle at a standstill in N. Is this true? What the heck is N in an automatic intended for anyway, if you’re not supposed to use it?
3. It was mentioned that you shouldn’t go into reverse without doing a complete stop. Same idea?
4. Is it better to stress the engine at low rpm in overdrive, or to stress the transmission at high rpm in D4 (or D3 or whatever)?

TTAC Commentator MadHungarian writes:

Hi Sajeev – I am your fellow Town Car-o-phile, and per Panther Appreciation week commentary, I accept your invitation. How do you get that harshness out of the ride of my 2005 Signature Limited? That banging and bottoming in the rear over seemingly minor bumps. Strangely, it seems worse at lower speeds. I miss the authentically Land Yacht-y ride of my ’92. I don’t miss the seriously imprecise steering, but is one a necessary tradeoff to get the other?

A photo of my somewhat blingy ’05 is included for your enjoyment. It’s got only 54K and as far as I know the air suspension and all other suspension components are in proper order.

John writes:

I need a different vehicle. I need something that is better suited for towing my racecar than a Sentra. I also need it to be able to hold 4 people comfortably. My kids are getting too big for to be contained in the back of a compact car. So any vehicle I get will probably be a 4door pickup or large SUV. I have thought about a F250, a Navigator, or the compromise between the two: the 80’s Bronco.

My problem is I’ve never owned anything other than compact cars. I’ve never had a reason to own a tow vehicle until now. Can you educate me on requirements of tow vehicles? Is an automatic acceptable? Should I add/upgrade any components like a trans cooler or brakes?

Please hook me up like a tow truck.

TTAC Commentator Detroit-Iron writes:

A friend of mine and I were talking about my last Piston Slap question, in particular several people’s dislike of Jiffy Lube. My perspective is that unless you have cars in the shop all of the time or live in one place for a long time, it is difficult to find a trustworthy mechanic. I also believe in general that a good process is less likely to harm a vehicle than trusting to individual diligence. At Jiffy Lube they really only do one or two things and they have a system. They always go for the upsell, but unlike some mechanics they are not likely to recommend any truly expensive unnecessary work (or deliberately break something) simply because they don’t offer it.

TTAC Commentator sastexan writes:

I have another Ford Duratec question for Sajeev, knowing his enthusiasm [So to speak – SM] for this engine. My 12 1/2 year old daily driver, my first “real” car that I have been driving for 2/3 of my driving years – a ‘98.5 Contour SVT – has a major problem.

I was at Summit Point on Friday, and had oil starvation-no warning-just puff of smoke out exhaust, a loss of power and a noise, then engine quit – clutch in rolled off track just in time for oil to start gushing out. Oil kept dripping the next hour or two. Cannot visibly see damage, but dipstick is stuck. Mechanic today (5 days later) tried to turn over the engine to see if it would spin and if compression – said no compression and it spun a few times then he heard a bang and it locked up. Did zero disassembly.

Question 1 – is that an appropriate way to see if an engine is done for, especially knowing there is no oil in the crankcase?

Question 2 – is it worth finding someone to do a 3.0 upgrade (I don’t have the expertise, knowledge, time, or place to even fathom taking this on)?

TTAC commenter esager writes in:

I have a dilemma that may interest our readership (yes, I feel a sense of ownership after being a daily reader for 3-4 years now).

A few years back, my wife and I bought a nice 2007 CPO 328i that was formerly used as a customer service loaner car for the one of our Seattle area BMW dealerships. We really enjoy its performance and sophistication and are happy with the car for the most part, save for the various and sundry trips to the dealership to fix a few warranty items – more trips than I think should be necessary, though not truly excessive. She drove it to work every day and was glad to have it. It’s under CPO warranty coverage for 2 more years.

Earlier this year, a note I left on the windshield of a 1991 318is (the one year E30 model with the M42 engine) allowed me to purchase said car from a co-worker as a daily driver and fixer. I got it for very cheap and have been dutifully cleaning, updating (oil pan gaskets, rear shock mounts, hydraulic timing chain tensioner, differential output shaft seal replacement, etc, etc), and generally enjoying the heck out of it. Lower control arms, ball joints etc. are in the future for this car.

Jing asks:

Well my question is fairly simple. I’m in the market for a new car and just like everyone else, I am trying to maximize the earning value of my money. I’ve been arguing with myself for over a month now trying to make up my mind but the more I try to focus on one particular car, the more I find my thoughts straying towards another. I have the feeling that inevitably I am going to be facing buyers remorse no matter what decision I ultimately make. With that being said, I don’t have a choice set in stone but ideally I want something sporty.

I originally had my eye set on the genesis coupe but I found my eye wandering towards the 370z instead. The base model is at the upper limit of my price range and while my heart says yes, my mind scoffs as it’s practicality or lack thereof. The alternative is either a Honda CR-Z (Yes, I know what most people here think of it) or a 2011 Kia Optima/Sonata plus a 650cc sport bike. The pricing is about the same for both options, but I cannot for the life of me decide whether to go with the more expensive (and cooler!) car or a more practical commuter coupled with a crotch rocket. What say you all?