Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
Based on its evolving needs and plenty of user feedback, we are trying to bring some order and institute some rules. Please make sure you read these rules and participate in the spirit of this community.
Rules for General Chat
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Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
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Avoid long drawn out arguments. This should be a place to relax, not to waste your time needlessly.
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Personal anecdotes, puzzles, cute pics/clips - everything welcome
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Try keep things light. If you are bringing in deep stuff, try not to go overboard.
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Things that are clearly on-topic for this board should be posted as a separate post and not here (except if you are new and still getting the feel of this place)
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If you find people violating these rules, deport them rather than start a argument here.
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Feel free to give feedback as these rules are expected to keep evoloving
In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
Yep, thanks! Yeah I've been planning to get something bigger/better for snow since I paid off the GTI. So lady friend has a last-gen CR-V that is tolerable, I checked out the current ones which are improved in some ways but miss the mark in others (despite improved dash it's still weird, very plastic-y HVAC controls, still has awful racket when really on it despite being quieter in this dept generally - a neat trick).
I looked into Rav4 hybrids - not that I'm a fan of hybrids whatsoever but it's how you get better performance in them - and there's several strikes there. They look better in pictures than in person, they are barely a fit for tall people, and again a really plastic-fantastic dash. Oh and they did recently change from NiMH batteries to LI so I was like "if I'm gonna risk THAT this is gonna have to be awesome."
Well - I didn't even drive it because the dealer was a zoo - as in you CHECK IN at the front and they give you a beeper like at a restaurant - told "about 15 or 20 minutes" but surveying the scene they have a waiting area complete with fucking corn hole and it was full, like 20-30 ppl ahead! I guess a Toyota dealership is a license to print money - they didn't even have cars in the showroom, just rows of cubicles!!! So I nosed around the lot and finally found a couple unlocked to check out and was like hard no.
Now people going "snow car where is Subaru" - I've had 3 and the only one I fit in right was the 80s one. It's not fit exactly, it's the "right" part - they have something weird with their ergos that just doesn't work for me - knees end up hurting primarily. So those are right out. Oh and they generally use oil because they don't break them in right at the factory but that's a whole other tangent. It's all annoying as of course their AWD (along with Audi) the real thing, but is what it is.
Sooo, it kinda went the same as when I got the GTI - I knew I was risking it just looking at them - I didn't want 2 German cars but (knock on my hard wooden head) this one has been ok so I checked out Tiguans, and it won easily. Same basic dash/layout other than the new digital gauges - which are decently configurable even at the base level - moving up more so - and despite gripes about VW cheapening lately the dash is soft-touch plastic like everyone used to do and almost no-one is at this price point anymore.
I got the very basic "S" model as that's the only way to get regular HVAC controls instead of their stupid little touch-screen ones, and I don't need the frippery of the big moonroof and all that (just another thing to leak/go wrong etc). And the base 17-inch wheels have narrower tires (215 vs 235) which is better for snow anyway (tires will be swapped immediately as the stock ones are dog shit, same as happened with the GTI so I knew that was likely). C/D's review of these is favorable but curiously they found it slow - I haven't full-on hammered it yet but from so far I wonder if they got a dog or something as it's not bad at all - I mean it's no rocket but its on par with the CR-V. It can be tuned of course though with this car I don't know if I will or not yet. Now VW's AWD is NOT Audi's despite what the salesman tried to pawn off on me but it should be adequate based on how the CR-V's part time system works*, so I'm not too concerned there.
Oh - and they are running a deal right now, $500 off (no big whoop but every bit helps) but 1.9% (!!!) for 4-year loan. So going into this with rates how they are I was planning a big DP, but with that, I put down way less as at that rate it's almost free money, well worth it to keep for other things. And ALWAYS know what you're doing when you go in - sales guy came out with the little table of DPs vs payments and I was like what APR is this. He was like I don't know, but here's your payments, just circle the one you want. I was like not until I know the terms, amount and APR (!). So he went and did the Office Thing and all that and came back and they were all 5.9. I was like with my credit I think there's a special on. He "hadn't heard of it" so I pulled it up on my phone and he said hmmm and went back to the office and came back saying it's apparently a new deal etc etc but I was right.
And now you know...the rest of the story.
*I borrowed LF's without her in it a few weeks back and surprised a Subaru that wasn't expecting it away from a light, for example - it pulled pretty well and WAY better then the FWD GTI running full snows (Blizzaks). She is running the Nokian all-seasons that have the snow tire rating, so not as good as real snows but better than M+S.
Edit: wall of text looks less so in edit mode so broke up a couple paragraphs to try to help with that.
I had a early 2000s GTI with the 1.8T in it. Then kids. It's bitter sweet.
You totally crack me up. We are a lot alike. I do so much research before purchasing a vehicle. It’s ridiculous. Looks like you did yours. 😂🤣.
You’re right about the all-wheel-drive Subaru. My mom is 83 and she has one, she loves it. But she’s super short. It’s a good safe car for her. Would not recommend for anybody tall.
Dealerships… you have to work them or they will work you! Good on you for being prepared, and also for having a great credit rating. It makes a huge difference. 👍
I’m happy you found something that you’re satisfied with. If that’s even a thing. 😂🤣.
After all the research, all the test drives, etc.… Are we ever really satisfied with the vehicles that we buy? 😂🤣😂🤣
Well, you ‘know’ I am with mine. But that’s just because I purchased the lifetime bumper to bumper warranty, so I’m good. (for some reason they’re not selling them anymore) 😂🤣. What a blessing from the Lord that was. I will keep this car for the rest of my life.
Perhaps I’ll get another vehicle, but my other car will have vehicle envy, because I love it so much. (actually, I inherit the Subaru, so I guess that’ll have to be it) 😂🤣
Yeah your car is enviable for sure. I met a dude here that did some insane speed (like 150 maybe more) on I-25 IN METRO DENVER in one.