GeneRally International Forum

Old Saabs are one of my favourites. Since they appear rarely these days, I always admire the drivers of these cars. But they seem to run well despite being old, just like old steel Volvos.

Same chap selling me this has an older 99 Turbo. Easily my favourite car that I've driven, a bundle of turbo whooshing jet plane fun.

I'm looking for a new car now. Call me boring, but I'm thinking about a Mazda 3 or a Hyundai Elantra... I'm cheap, but I still want something new, and being honest with myself I know I'm not going to be doing that much sporty driving, not with all the freeways around where I live...

Skoda Octavia. Being biased since I own one but it was similar priced to the Mazda 3/Hyundai Elantra while being roomier, a little more fuel efficient and feels more solidly built. Both the Mazda and the Hyundai are really good choices. I almost bought a Hyundai i30 but didn't buy it because they no longer sold the current model wagon here and the hatchback was a bit small but my parents bought one two months after I got my car anyway.

If you're being cheap, consider the smallest size car you can live with to tell get the price down. Also consider the servicing costs, fuel costs and insurance costs. You have a lot of options and they are all pretty good.
Oddly enough, the Mazda 3 is currently the top selling car in Australia. That's probably a good sign

bduddy wrote:I'm looking for a new car now. Call me boring, but I'm thinking about a Mazda 3 or a Hyundai Elantra... I'm cheap, but I still want something new, and being honest with myself I know I'm not going to be doing that much sporty driving, not with all the freeways around where I live...

boringduddy?

In measures of current new cars Mazdas are usually quite solid cars with entertaining engines giving taste for use of whole scale of rpm, but not sure if it's fitting to your intention. Contrary to e.g. VW engines, which all act like a turbo-diesel (btw by Crowella mentioned Škoda isn't present on US market, but it's a VW Golf-based car IIRC?). Similarly Hyundai Elantra is not available here (US and Asian markets only, if you talk about 5th gen.) so cannot say anything, just that I like the design.

I actually had a sentence saying asking if they were available in the States but my mobile phone must have erased it. Then go the VW Golf if you can drive a Manual (the DSG boxes are a bit of a nightmare at the moment)

The Elantra is a rather nice looking car but I don't understand why it is marketed between the i30 and i40/i45 though, both of which are better than the Elantra IMO. I havo to say, the design of the current generation of Hyundai's are beautiful. That, and the Kia Optima, which I think looks pretty amazing.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... 6-2011.jpg

If I am to be honest, the Mazda will be the sportiest of the lot. It has a pretty nice suspension setup and a bit of go. The Hyundai's will feel a bit dull, especially with the electronic steering (a hint, put it in Sport mode, it feels nicer)

Basically, get an idea of what you want from a car, have a look around at everything you can and go with what you like best.

No Skodas here, yes. I've really only driven a manual once... I guess I probably could learn, but I'd prefer to avoid it if possible (pretty much all cars sold here in the US have automatics, though, so that's not a big problem). From what I could tell the Golf has not-so-good fuel economy unless you get the diesel, and the diesel is more expensive than other comparable cars. I know that the 3 is sportier and probably a little better overall, but the Elantra is cheaper, and I'm cheap

Have a bum pic for no reason. It's moved and is now having new driveshafts put in and other sundries. Not much to do for some upcoming summer fun!



PS Notice how 50% of the cars I've had here are Valmet related. Mad coincidence...

No picture update, but it's running around now! Just had the brake light switch put in. Ripper.

Please, don't let me be the only updater here, by all means!

It's storytime once again, kids. Once upon a time, there was an idiot, named Da... wait, you know all this guff. Last episode, the Saab was up and running and looking... well, looking like it needed a scrub. So a scrub commenced.



However, this not bad example of tidiness and general nicely done upkeep was undone merely 24 hours by a rather typical but rather unsurprising technical anomoly. The car was, so to speak, broken.

Don't worry, it's just a bit black thanks to the many helping hands pushing it off the road. Why did I need six people, you may ask? And yeah, it's because the steering tie rods were, to put into automotive technical jargon, knackered. The left hand one lost the nut going into a left hand turn and decided to do the total opposite of what the right front wheel was doing. Luckily, no obstacles or t-boning vehicles were found... very fortunate for Davo.

So this means...



... yeah. A headache and expense chasing up parts that are hard to come by in this country. But this also means...



... that this gets driven for the duration of at least until Sunday. Maybe it got jealous and undone the tie rod nut. I mean, that can't be possible right guys? Guys...?

Stuff the Saab, it's pretty much just wanting to kill me. I'll take the hint, it will get binned very soon. Not that fussed.

Luckily Davo has found a rather surprising and more middle class solution!




The inspiration for this move? Welllll... there was already one in the driveway. They drive well and for the price are pretty specced up.




EDIT: For those wondering what happened to the Swedish Chef, it got seven shades of crap beaten out of it because it now decides it won't start. None of the panels close anymore...

Oh... so you mean THAT Skyline? Reminds me a little bit of the frog: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_Thesis
But for claiming to really own a Skyline, it's definetly worth it.

Because I live in a big city, I don't need any car. When I will stay where I am, I don't expect to need any car at all!

Yeah I know. Not a "proper" one according to most, but I'm happy to have something that will have most of it's bits still attached at the end of a journey.

This is my car, GM Chevrolet Corsa 1.0 year 1999.

OK, I do not have any car yet. I have drove car just 3 times (in driving school, doing it right now )
But our family car can be seen on Google StreetView

Yes, it is Daewoo Matiz 0.8
http://goo.gl/maps/WihbP

But we also have other one, Seat Cordoba 1.6

Something like this. Unfortunately, I did not drive any from it yet.

Me and my father just started restoring an old Volvo 122/Amazon. It's a beautiful car just in the wrong visual condition. The bodywork is maybe a bit worse than Doorslammer's Saab (mainly rust), but apart from the brakes which have to be made, most of the technics seems to be alright. Considering that it has driven maybe 20 km in the last 7 years, it starts without serious problems.
As soon as I get there again to continue with the car, I'll take a photo.

XYY wrote:most of the technics seems to be alright. Considering that it has driven maybe 20 km in the last 7 years, it starts without serious problems.

That's probably the best result you can hope for if it's been sitting around for a long time. Body work is rather easy compared to solving all the little problems as to why a car won't start.

If I remember correctly the only thing my fahter had to do was recharge the battery and put some fuel in the carburettor, so this Volvo is very reliable (like the other ones we have) On Saturday we'll really get started, I think we start with detaching the rear bumper so that we can get rid of all the rust under and around it.

I love Amazons. See one every now and again down here.

I am now a one car person again, all the old stuff now gone. I hear the HX will get a full on restoration and the Saab was going to be broken for bits, but will become a utility instead? Now that I must see!

Yeah. Forgot the camera to take a photo.
Well it's a lot more rusty than expected. I think the entire area under the doors has to be remade - it was only rust. Very likely a long way until it's finished...

Ok, so here's a photo of the car. There's a lot to do, I think we'll be derusting and welding the next few weeks. It's worse than it probably looks on the picture...

450 liters of pure sound

Nice car XXY, i'm curious to see how it will stay after the restoration.

I know the power of this sound Michel, we could do a party with it.

That's what i'm driving now... Terrific car.