real world EVs review

[hutchman]

Yeah, I consider them. I consider them too expensive and too far away from meeting my requirements with their current technology. And I don't think I'll live long enough to see any that will. Of course, the new vehicle market in general is to me pretty abysmal right now anyway, so I'm certainly not their target demographic anyway.

But if they work for you, that's great!

I agree. Brand loyalty used to mean something but I feel today everything sucks. Mfr's are forced to roll out unproven technology to comply with the ruling class unrealistic requirements and the result is everything is unreliable crap (speaking of the most modern engines etc.). And when they start putting particulate filters on GDI's it's gonna be even worse.
Go with whatever new vehicle meets your needs and you like it. Cause the reliabiltity of everyone's products is pretty much a crap shoot and doesn't look like it's going to get any better in the future.

Heck, my special order 1999 F-150 XLT (which I need to sell) is still going strong ... but I have zero expectations my 2019 King Ranch 3.5 ecoboost will last half as long.

 

[oilhammer]

I still like the traditional wagon definition: If it has a window behind the rear door, it's a wagon. If it doesn't, it's a hatchback.

Agreed. Another way to look at it is if it has a true D pillar. This of course might exclude some of the 2-door wagons from the past, although the few that I can think of off the top of my head (Volkswagen Type 3 and Type 4, the Pinto wagon, the Vega wagon, and even the old tri-five Chevy Nomads, all had a D-pillar, but the Nomad's C pillar wasn't much more than a divider in the side windows).

 

[oilhammer]

On a somewhat thread topic related note, I have a 2019 Nissan Leaf here with only 28k miles, and both its front sway bar links are wiped out, and the car is already on its second set of tires. The bottom of it looks like Nissan chose the same garbage crap steel to make it out of as the rest. It's all rust already. Pretty sad.

 

[turbobrick240]

I still like the traditional wagon definition: If it has a window behind the rear door, it's a wagon. If it doesn't, it's a hatchback.

There's a window back there, though it's pretty tiny. I think it looks ok, other than the rear view. But I felt the same way about the Ioniq6 rear design until one parked next to me at the grocery store last night. Thought it might be a Porsche for a split second coming out of the store. Really not that bad at all.

 

[oilhammer]

Yeah, yeah it is. It's bad. It's really bad. And they are awful to drive, too, because they have horrible blind spots... but that isn't limited to just those. Lots of cars are like that now. So now the nannyware state has to step in and mandate a bunch of sensors and crap all around the car. And people STILL crash into things, only now instead of a $800 bumper cover they also have $1200 worth of sensors and another $300 worth of labor to recalibrate everything. And people wonder why new cars get totaled so easy by insurance companies, LMAO!

And the Ioniq6 doesn't look at all like a Porsche... it looks like a Chinese knock-off of some 16 year old MB CLS. Of course, we know you're visually challenged, so... Your comment about the pistons was priceless.

 

[turbobrick240]

No idea what you're talking about. But it's far too beautiful a day here for me to get down in the mud with you. Hope your mood improves.

 

[oilhammer]

My mood is FANTASTIC, LMAO!!!!

Memory slipping too now?

I've got an air-conditioned shop full of diesels, I'm happy as a pig in snot.

Note to anyone reading this: don't put DEF in your coolant tank. Just got finished fixing a Sprinter that someone did that, the CTS was in a bad mood, that's for sure!

 

[Rob Mayercik]

On a somewhat thread topic related note, I have a 2019 Nissan Leaf here with only 28k miles, and both its front sway bar links are wiped out, and the car is already on its second set of tires. The bottom of it looks like Nissan chose the same garbage crap steel to make it out of as the rest. It's all rust already. Pretty sad.

Does Missouri brine their roads in winter like NJ and many other East Coast states do? My mechanic complains about that stuff all the time - since it's applied in liquid form, the particles are a lot smaller and it gets into lots of places the traditional solid ("rock") salt can't as easily, and he's seeing fairly recent cars getting very rusted as a result. Maybe that Leaf has been somewhere a lot of road brine's been applied - I thought Japanese cars being quick to rust was more of an 80s thing (maybe they were recycling Chevy Vegas to make them? I seem to recall one joke about the Vegas being manufactured out of "compressed rust"...

 

[Dannyboy]

Seen DEF in the engine oil on a sprinter 2500, in all fairness the cap was black and not even a foot away from the engine oil cap.
I'm sure they've changed it to the blue caps now

 

[oilhammer]

Sodium Chloride I think is what it is called, and yes, they do "pre-treatments" with that, along with the normal rock salt. We do get winter weather, but it is pretty isolated events, so it isn't like it is a salt bath constantly all winter long. I have several cars I never drive in anything of that sort, and they are fine. I think Volkswagens hold up better than some, but obviously it depends on the area.

Illinois right next to us is much worse. Even people directly east of us, which really are not getting any more winter weather than we would, but because the Illinois gov't is all screwed up and dictates everything based on what the bureaucrats in Chicagoland are dealing with, those cars are generally in worse shape.

Illinois also has no safety inspections, so in addition to being rusty piles of crap, they can also legally have parts flying off of them, no functional brakes, lights, etc. We see some real gems in here with Illinois plates.

This Leaf is Missouri plated, and obviously is local (it has to be, it couldn't get very far... it's half "tank" shows a range of 74 miles remaining, LMAO). Nissans in general will look far worse underneath than a lot of other cars, although GM and some Chrysler stuff can be pretty bad, too.

 

[hutchman]

On a somewhat thread topic related note, I have a 2019 Nissan Leaf here with only 28k miles, and both its front sway bar links are wiped out, and the car is already on its second set of tires. The bottom of it looks like Nissan chose the same garbage crap steel to make it out of as the rest. It's all rust already. Pretty sad.

What do the brake pads look like?

 

[Rob Mayercik]

I'll bet. You're making me think of a long-gone website I used to stop by occasionally and laugh at - the "Scary Steering" page. Not rust-based, but more focused on some of the more insane/stupid ways people home-fabbed steeing on modified 4x4s (for example, one guy opted not for a "drop pitman arm", but rather to lower the entire steering box on a spacer and then reconnect to the steering shaft with two pulleys and some bicycle chain...) Bet it's in the Wayback Machine, though a word of warning: the commentary language, while hilarious, is occasionally NSFW.

As to rust, my Jetta has held back the rust petty well here in NJ, other than where the gunk builds up behind the front fender liners (my own fault, really), even though it's a daily driver and NJ tends sometimes to apply "an inch of salt for every inch of snow expected".

 

[Abacus]

Does Missouri brine their roads in winter like NJ and many other East Coast states do? My mechanic complains about that stuff all the time - since it's applied in liquid form, the particles are a lot smaller and it gets into lots of places the traditional solid ("rock") salt can't as easily, and he's seeing fairly recent cars getting very rusted as a result. Maybe that Leaf has been somewhere a lot of road brine's been applied - I thought Japanese cars being quick to rust was more of an 80s thing (maybe they were recycling Chevy Vegas to make them? I seem to recall one joke about the Vegas being manufactured out of "compressed rust"...

Being from Maine, they put more salt on the roads than there is in the ocean. They use 3 different types of salt based on conditions and storm, but the liquid is mostly magnesium chloride. It’s a mess and causes more accidents because it creates a slippery layer (contrary to what the state says) during a snow event. Life was so much simpler with rock salt and sand.

Interestingly enough, my area of Arizona applies the same stuff in winter, just not as often. The reason there is no rust is because we often have single digit humidity, and rust cannot exist without moisture. Flagstaff does not allow the use of salt so they use volcanic cinders that LOVES to break windshields. This stuff is sharp so it works well for traction but is easily plowed off the roads due to its size.

 

[kjclow]

Toyota just doesn't seem to have a lot of cars at dealers these days. I stopped at our local dealer to look at a BRZ they had on the front of the lot, and walking around I saw that every car had ADM of $2-5K. I bet some people are paying that, too.

I've haven't found a single car that I would be willing to part with an additional chunk of change. Very few of them have I actually paid sticker.

We noticed that our local toyota dealer has lots of trucks and suvs but not many cars. Honda dealer looks similar, but it might just be that they use the front lot for the bigger vehicles.

 

[Abacus]

Nice to see others travel the way I do. In recent years I've made several trips to Madison WI from my home (1180 miles) in one shot. Best time was 16 hours during the peak of the pandemic. Only time I can recall when I drove IBW through a tank of fuel (750 miles) without shutting it off.

We didn’t see the need to spend $125 a night for 6 hours worth of sleep. We rarely get hotel rooms when we travel. When I travel solo I always just rack out in the car. I have eye shades and noise cancelling headphones and have parked next to semi trucks that I never heard leave in the morning. I rest when I’m tired and drive when I’m not. I prefer to lay flat but in my car it’s not set up for it. The B4V was easy for obvious reasons and the wife’s SUV was even easier as the seats didn’t fold completely flat. Running tandem we don’t need to stop but for a few hours every few days but solo I need to stop every 15-16 hours for some shuteye to stay safe driving. With the truck stops around the country on major roads, things like showers are easy to find now and they’re open all night. I rolled into the largest truck stop in the US at 2AM, grabbed a shower and hot meal, and caught 4-5 hours of sleep in the car. It was cool to see a place that large.

 

[kjclow]

Actually, that article says that a higher percentage of vehicle buyers will consider EVs in the second half of the 2020s. It implies that considering will translate to buying, but the study didn't quantify that.

It makes sense that people will consider EVs as they become more common and more models are available. Heck, I'd consider an EV if I were shopping for a new car right now. That doesn't mean I'd buy one.

An electric, or at least hybrid, when we decide to replace the JSW. My daughter and grandkids currently leave about 10 miles from us, so running over there on electrons seems like a good option. However, the JSW is paid off and we're putting less that 5000 miles on it a year. Why get rid of it?

 

[kjclow]

I consider it a waste of time to sit that long when traveling, which is one of the reasons we don’t sit down for meals on the trip.

We used to drive like that but age has made it more of a necessity to get up and move every couple of hours. I've also gotten to the point that regardless of the meal, I'd much rather not be trying to eat while driving.

 

[kjclow]

Being from Maine, they put more salt on the roads than there is in the ocean. They use 3 different types of salt based on conditions and storm, but the liquid is mostly magnesium chloride. It’s a mess and causes more accidents because it creates a slippery layer (contrary to what the state says) during a snow event. Life was so much simpler with rock salt and sand.

Interestingly enough, my area of Arizona applies the same stuff in winter, just not as often. The reason there is no rust is because we often have single digit humidity, and rust cannot exist without moisture. Flagstaff does not allow the use of salt so they use volcanic cinders that LOVES to break windshields. This stuff is sharp so it works well for traction but is easily plowed off the roads due to its size.

What makes me laugh is when the severe weather is coming for NC and they get out to brine everything that resembles streets. The rain always proceeds and freezing weather, so the brine just runs off into the ditch. Good thing it's not as bad on the grass as road salt.

 

[turbobrick240]

Looks like EV sales are forecast to grow by 20% this year in the US. I expect that pace will pick up somewhat as the economy continues to gain steam.

The Vibes Lie: Electric Vehicles Accelerate Toward 50% Of Global Sales

Don't believe the media hype: New data shows global EV sales are on track to hit 50% of total vehicle sales by 2035.

www.forbes.com

 

[gearheadgrrrl]

Observations from this weekends travels:
1. Saw a handful of Teslas and a sole BMW i3 racing at the SCCA ProSolo Autocross in Lincoln. Also saw one of the Teslas getting recharged with a gas generator...
2. A dozen new Tesla chargers have arrived at my local HyVee grocery store so the 25 EVs in the county will be assured of a place to park should they make it that far. Also noticed a pack of off brand chargers have appeared at a grocery store in Sioux City and one was actually hosting a Kia!

 

[El Dobro]

Living in NJ, I always either go to the car wash or use a hose to wash all the salt off the bottom of the car and in the wheel wells, especially during the Winter. Preventative maintenance.

Is it just me, or is anyone else having issues with the toolbar?

 

[dieseldonato]

My mood is FANTASTIC, LMAO!!!!

Memory slipping too now?

I've got an air-conditioned shop full of diesels, I'm happy as a pig in snot.

Note to anyone reading this: don't put DEF in your coolant tank. Just got finished fixing a Sprinter that someone did that, the CTS was in a bad mood, that's for sure!

One of my more frequent road calls was ro power screen crushers. The Def tank was located right next to the hydraulic tank and for whatever reason they both had the same blue cap on them. Stupid design.

Sodium Chloride I think is what it is called, and yes, they do "pre-treatments" with that, along with the normal rock salt. We do get winter weather, but it is pretty isolated events, so it isn't like it is a salt bath constantly all winter long. I have several cars I never drive in anything of that sort, and they are fine. I think Volkswagens hold up better than some, but obviously it depends on the area.

Illinois right next to us is much worse. Even people directly east of us, which really are not getting any more winter weather than we would, but because the Illinois gov't is all screwed up and dictates everything based on what the bureaucrats in Chicagoland are dealing with, those cars are generally in worse shape.

Illinois also has no safety inspections, so in addition to being rusty piles of crap, they can also legally have parts flying off of them, no functional brakes, lights, etc. We see some real gems in here with Illinois plates.

This Leaf is Missouri plated, and obviously is local (it has to be, it couldn't get very far... it's half "tank" shows a range of 74 miles remaining, LMAO). Nissans in general will look far worse underneath than a lot of other cars, although GM and some Chrysler stuff can be pretty bad, too.

Sodium chloride is salt brine, cheaper to use then calcium or magnesium chloride, not as effective at sub zero temps. We'd inject calcium chloride into the spreaders worm gear before the spinner when we salted the roads. Made the salt stick better and acted like a melt activator. Rock salt is great, but it needs traffic to be effective. Next county over started using sugar beet juice vs brine or calcium chloride in town. Works just as good and won't rot metal out, just expensive to use.

 

[gearheadgrrrl]

We didn’t see the need to spend $125 a night for 6 hours worth of sleep. We rarely get hotel rooms when we travel. When I travel solo I always just rack out in the car. I have eye shades and noise cancelling headphones and have parked next to semi trucks that I never heard leave in the morning. I rest when I’m tired and drive when I’m not. I prefer to lay flat but in my car it’s not set up for it. The B4V was easy for obvious reasons and the wife’s SUV was even easier as the seats didn’t fold completely flat. Running tandem we don’t need to stop but for a few hours every few days but solo I need to stop every 15-16 hours for some shuteye to stay safe driving. With the truck stops around the country on major roads, things like showers are easy to find now and they’re open all night. I rolled into the largest truck stop in the US at 2AM, grabbed a shower and hot meal, and caught 4-5 hours of sleep in the car. It was cool to see a place that large.

The ability to fold the back seats down and sleep was one of the things that attracted me to the Golf in the 70s and I haven't had a sedan since. Back then I camped in the car because I couldn't afford motels, now days I'm car camping again because the cheap motels are so bad and often full. I'm also doing a lot of "sprint" trips, a couple hundred miles to an event and back in one day. These trips would be impossible in an EV- Next weekend I'm driving 300 miles to a 3 day convention that has less than one day of business to transact, leave at dawn to arrive by noon on the 2nd day when the'll maybe get started, leave whenever the real business is done and nap on the way home if needed. The EV owners will waste a couple hours at chargers and pay $200 a night at motels, I'll spend 5 minutes filling up and be on my way!

 

[turbobrick240]

A 300 mile trip shouldn't pose any challenges for an EV with over 200 miles of range. Charge for 15 minutes on the way, maybe another 30 at the destination, and 15 on the way back. Motels would be entirely optional for any type of propulsion. I've tried sleeping in my Golf on road trips and it was so uncomfortable that I'm happy to shell out a couple bucks for a room with a bed, bathroom, and tv when traveling.

 

[gearheadgrrrl]

That's 300 miles each way and a lot of it on 2 lanes, with 10 to 12 hours driving in a day plus a meeting there's no time for charging, especially if the chargers are miles off the route.

 

[turbobrick240]

Yeah, I got the 300 mile each way bit. I guess it all depends on how hard core you want to travel. I'd suggest that a more relaxed pace is healthier and more enjoyable all around. At least that has been my experience.

 

[gearheadgrrrl]

Yeah, I got the 300 mile each way bit. I guess it all depends on how hard core you want to travel. I'd suggest that a more relaxed pace is healthier and more enjoyable all around. At least that has been my experience.

But much more expensive- Motel 6 in the convention town are asking over $150/night!

 

[Mcgink]

I like being able to go from MA to FL on about 30 gal. of RUG in the hybrid. Since my fills run 11 to 12 gallons, it matches my Parakeet bladder more so than the TDI range. I don't think it would be easy for me to plan trips around a battery. I'm considering a plug in electric which would give me the best of both for my next buggy. The electric ~30 miles would be sufficient for my daily needs now that I'm retired.
BONUS, I've only spent $27 on maintenance on this buggy since I bought it in 2020 due to the 3 yr Hyundai plan. I get 1 more oil change this year and then I'm on my own.

 

[turbobrick240]

I used to use almost exactly 50 gallons of diesel in my trips to Austin. 43 mpg avg. Now I get 33 mpg, but RUG is a fair bit cheaper.

 

[Mcgink]

I used to use almost exactly 50 gallons of diesel in my trips to Austin. 43 mpg avg. Now I get 33 mpg, but RUG is a fair bit cheaper.

Agreed, Diesel cars were a much better option back when Diesel was cheap in summer and well before LSD fuel and Urea etc.