Why isn't there a Driving sub-forum or whatever?

[Ibby]

I've had my license since late octoberish, and I'm loving it. Managed to bend my rims on a curb and take off a mailbox with my side mirror (strike that, reverse it), and scuff the side on a narrow shoulder barrier.

My favorite drive so far has been taking MA-2 from Williamstown to Boston (via 95 south once you hit city), with a hairpin curve and STEEP GRADE : SHARP CURVE area in the mountains, but I need to find more good driving in upstate new york/north vermont, as I'm moving to Burlington this week. Anyone know far-upstate new york well?



Oh, yeah. It's a silver Subaru Impreza outback 2.5ST (i think), wagon/5-door, handles FANTASTIC. I've named her Mercy until something better comes along... G.L.O.R.I.A. comes to mind, but...

[jimhelm]

For the same reason there isn't a shoes forum. We old folks take diving for granted.

That said.... If youre ever in my neck of the woods, rte 282 from downingtown to glenmoore is a delicious patch of asphalt. Especially in a 2012 Nissan Maxima.....sport edition.... Fucking vroom.

Sent using magic.

[Ibby]

Jim, you do USED cars, right? what sort of... price range? What's the "best" you can hope to get for around $7000? That is to say, can you get your money's worth, get something that would really hold together maintenance-wise but also perform well?

[infinite monkey]

Hi Ibby! You're a new driver? The only advice I can offer is twofold: enjoy the hell out of it, and remember to be careful. Cars can get away from you when you think you're totally in control.

But how awesome. Driving can be so much fun, especially in a car that handles well.

[Lamplighter]

Years ago I heard most private pilot accidents came around the 100 hr mark.
So we used 1,000 miles with our daughters as a time to have a good review of driving skills and habits.

But sure enough, the first (minor) accidents happened to all 3 just after they passed the 1K mark.

Have a great time, but be careful out there
... there will be lots of opportunities for mind-drift .

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Ibram

Oh, yeah. It's a silver Subaru Impreza outback 2.5ST (i think), wagon/5-door, handles FANTASTIC. I've named her Mercy until something better comes along... G.L.O.R.I.A. comes to mind, but...

I'm confused.

I have a Subaru Outback.
2.5 litre station wagon, and yes, with the all-wheel drive that baby grips the road brilliantly. I've tried to hang the back and it just swings back in.

But there is also a Subaru Impreza, which I believe is 1.6 litres and is close cousin to the impreza WRX, subaru's rally car.

Can you post a pic of yours to clarify matters.

[jimhelm]

Originally Posted by Ibram

Jim, you do USED cars, right? what sort of... price range? What's the "best" you can hope to get for around $7000? That is to say, can you get your money's worth, get something that would really hold together maintenance-wise but also perform well?

I do finance. I also do the used car list because I'm the resident excel expert.

Cars in the $7k range are either undesirable, or beat. Generally.

We traded a gti for 9k last saturday.....thats a good car..but it has 90k miles....

Why do you ask ?

Sent using magic.

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

... Driving can be so much fun, especially in a car that handles well.

Gumball

[Sundae]

I had a fling with a Subaru Impreza driver.
He was a real petrol head and loved driving.
He also had a high-spec Ducati. He drove fast and aggressive. It was very sexy.

He was also fantastic at foreplay.

That's all I can add to this discussion, as I haven't driven for ?5? years and although competent at it, I can't say I've ever really enjoyed it. Unless being in a state only a few notches down from fear is considered enjoyable. Maybe on rollercoaters.

I'm one of life's natural passengers.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Picked up a low-mileage '08 VW Rabbit two-door early December from a dealer; 14k. Quite the jump forward from the '89 VW Cabriolet; the thing's a fort, everything works, and it's like driving science fiction.

[Ibby]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

I'm confused.

I have a Subaru Outback.
2.5 litre station wagon, and yes, with the all-wheel drive that baby grips the road brilliantly. I've tried to hang the back and it just swings back in.

But there is also a Subaru Impreza, which I believe is 1.6 litres and is close cousin to the impreza WRX, subaru's rally car.

Can you post a pic of yours to clarify matters.

It's a 2004 with 250,000 miles on it (and a lovingly rebuilt engine). Back then, I assume, they put the Impreza engine/brand/etc in Outback station wagons, and called them Impreza Outbacks. The dash says IMPREZA in the bottom-right corner of the rev counter, but the back hatch says Outback. I'll post pics when I go out for a smoke later - it's snowing and coooold.

and jim, i ask just out of curiosity, cause its gonna be a long time (i hope) before I have to shop for another, but I paid $5200 for my Subaru and its a beauty - I would drive it to California tomorrow, I trust this car so. Subarus run forever if you take care of them, and at $5200 with a rebuilt engine VERY affordable. There's a guy here in town who's been doing nothing but fixing up and selling used Subarus for like, 20 years, and he does all the maintenance on them for life for dirt-cheap. I know people who've bought three generations of cars from him - super loyalty, and superb cars.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Ibram

2004 with 250,000 miles on it

Holy shit, what? That's over 31,000 miles per year, or 600 miles per week. That's a 60-mile one-way weekday commute, and Vermont is only 90 miles across at its widest point.

[Ibby]

It was the dealer's brother-in-law's or something, who was a pastor or something. All I know is it doesn't smell of bodies, and he put in a free kenmore nice stereo for me when I brought it in for it's first checkup. I've already put 3 or 4 thousand on it, to be honest. I've driven up to canada once, to new jersey once, to dover plains NY (train station) once, to boston twice, to brattleboro a few times, to burlington once, to rutland once, to albany a few times, plus work commuting. I love driving.

[Ibby]

Zen - you were half-right - that is to say, the dealer was wrong about mine. It is just a 2.5TS Impreza wagon - no outback - BUT, i did also snap a photo (to come later) of another car just in my own parking lot that clearly IS an impreza outback.

[jimhelm]

I'm spamming yer fread:



Your price: $12,495!


every once in a while, I get excited about a car we trade. That's a good one right there. I met the guy that traded it. He was ...fastidious. He bought a Juke....after what sounded like some thorough research, comparing it to the Mini Cooper and the new GTi. Back in 06, i was seriously considering buying a GTi just like that one up there. was torn between Red and White. .... but I decided that I'd kill it in 4 years, with the miles I drive (33k/yr) and still owe 10K. So, I kept the demo(s)