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Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:58 pm
by Kristoffer Gjevre
Craig Naylor wrote:...
But to be totally honest, I'd settle for the Prius (CVT

) III w / solar if a compromise of "fun" vs. "efficient" was necessary with the wife.
...
That is interesting, the sunroof/solar/nav package was only available on the IV in October and now it can be had on the III too.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 7:25 pm
by Tom Berry
Wow.. I had no idea that there were so many Prius haters out there.
Theresa and I both drive them daily. Its not a rocket ship, but its quiet, comfortable, holds lots of people and stuff, and gets great mileage,
( and I hear it handles great in the rain too. ) Both of ours have the car pool lane stickers which is also a wonderful thing.
once you are used to getting almost 50 mpg, its really hard to drive anything else, and to say that it doesnt handle well is not really the case.
Tom
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:27 pm
by Mako Koiwai
It's weird hearing Tom use the word "hate."
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:13 am
by Kurt Rahn
Freudian slip, Mako? You named that pic "TomPrevia." I guess Mako's a hater too.

Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:37 am
by Steve Ekstrand
Could Tom take down Marshall's Evo in a Previa? A new match in the making!
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:53 am
by Randy Chase
Thanks for the replies! We are still sifting through options, but I can tell you that she wants a new car and is leaning to the Hyundai Genesis still.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:55 am
by Max Hayter
Randy Chase wrote:Thanks for the replies! We are still sifting through options, but I can tell you that she wants a new car and is leaning to the Hyundai Genesis still.
Talk to Annie Bauer - she just bought one.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:20 am
by Jason Isley BS RX8
Max Hayter wrote:Randy Chase wrote:Thanks for the replies! We are still sifting through options, but I can tell you that she wants a new car and is leaning to the Hyundai Genesis still.
Talk to Annie Bauer - she just bought one.
And chances are in a matter of weeks you could pick up Annie's at a substantial savings.

Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:38 am
by Annie Bauer
Ha ha - funny one Mr. Isley
Randy - to answer your question on SCCAForums, the bigger engine Track is in FS - you get to play with Sammy Strano with that.
The suspension on the Tracks and R Spec is quite stiff, and getting in and out of the back seat on the driver's side is something she'll want to consider with it being something to haul people regularly in the back.
Email me if you want more info - mine is the 2.0T R Spec, but it has the Track suspension, etc.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 6:51 pm
by Randy Chase
Well, today we called an audible and mixed it up. It now looks like she will be getting a 2010 JCW Mini Clubman.

Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:02 pm
by Kurt Rahn
Sweet! I love my new Mini. Crapload of torque steer, but a hell of a lot of fun!
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 5:41 am
by Mako Koiwai
You owe it to her to try out a four door WRX. Clubman might be longer (the standard Mini), but with kids four doors really are nice.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 6:45 am
by Kurt Williams
I agree with Mako , with twin boys four doors are a practicality. Unless she is planning to have the car for a shorter time than Annie . :}
And the do not like list said torque steer.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 10:05 pm
by Randy Chase
I hate dealing with any kind of crap with people that sell cars. So.... the Mini is now not being considered. May go look at the WRX again.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 11:02 pm
by Larry Andrews
(I know Randy already knows this - but for the sake of the discussion...)
It's not at all unusual to have to find alternate salestwits in order to get taken seriously. I don't bother with anybody at that level and just walk into the sales manager's office and lay out the deal I want. Either I get it or I don't, but usually get a yes/no answer quickly.
The usual advice of going late on the last day of the month applies - never fails to act as a deal lubricant.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 7:10 am
by Mako Koiwai
I've used car buying services that charge two to three hundred dollars ... that was 6 years ago. They deal with the Fleet Sales Manager and typically get the car for a few hundred over dealer invoice. You just go in to sign the papers and drive off with your new car. Last time, the Suby person that had me signed the paper only said, "I know you're probably not interested, but would you like the additional undercoating?"
Most internet car sales reps for dealerships are the Fleet Sales persons.
If you are interested in doing this with a Suby, let me know and I can probably help. Andi Mast and her boy friend just bought a Black and a White, his and her's STI's.
Of course our own Tom Berry finds great deals. Henry bought his wife a beautiful BMW recently.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 9:30 am
by Mako Koiwai
Desiree at Irvine Subaru is their internet sales person. I bought my WRX from her, by emial ... and she gets rave reviews from NASIOC Southern CA. You can also pop in and deal with her directly. Best to know your Dealer Invoice costs ... available from Consumer Reports .com
http://www.irvine.subaru.com/contact-form.htm
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 9:56 am
by Kurt Rahn
For the G35, I used a family friend who also happens to be a buyer: Bud Wegge. He found me the only car on the West coast in my color with a manual tranny and no sunroof, and I got it for $29,900. I highly recommend him. No charge from him because he doesn't make his money from the buyer, but from the dealership. If you're interested, let me know and I'll pass on his digits.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 9:18 pm
by Tadd Ekstrand
The clubman is a great car!!!!! Lots of fun to drive and there is plenty of space.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 11:29 pm
by Kurt Rahn
Tadd Ekstrand wrote:The clubman is a great car!!!!! Lots of fun to drive and there is plenty of space.
I love my new Mini, but if two of the criteria are no torque steer and ingress/egress easy enough to put a kidlet in the backseat repeatedly, it's got two strikes against it.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 11:32 pm
by Tadd Ekstrand
Kurt Rahn wrote:Tadd Ekstrand wrote:The clubman is a great car!!!!! Lots of fun to drive and there is plenty of space.
I love my new Mini, but if two of the criteria are no torque steer and ingress/egress easy enough to put a kidlet in the backseat repeatedly, it's got two strikes against it.
True! Glad to hear you are loving your new Mini. We love ours!! Just have to get those damn run flats off.
I don't think it would be hard to get a kid in the backseat of the clubman because of the extra rear half door thing on the passenger side.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 6:16 am
by Mako Koiwai
Tadd ... you might have missed it ... but Kurt came with in a whisker of winning SK2 in his first race with his Mini ... with those Run Flats! Perhaps their stiff side walls make them semi worthy on a otherwise softly sprung car?
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 6:56 am
by Steve Ekstrand
Trust me... There is NO performance benefit from a runflat.
Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:22 am
by Bob Beamesderfer
Steve Ekstrand wrote:Trust me... There is NO performance benefit from a runflat.
Sure there is ... for the balance sheet of the dealership that sells them.

Re: Help me pick a car
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 8:33 am
by Mako Koiwai
So you think Kurt would have won SK2 by 1.5 seconds with "proper" ST tires? How do you explain his times, first time out with a completely stock mini? Adrian would have beat him with his stock Mini w/ ST tires if he hadn't coned his last run ... but he's been running and winning with his Mini for quite a while now.