What kind of cage do you drive, and why?

OK, here's an even more interesting question. We all love our Swings, but it's likely not your one and only mode of transportation. What do you drive when you can't be on your Swing?

I recently leased a 2011 Toyota Rav4 V6 AWD Limited. Since 1981 I have never owned/leased an imported car. My reasoning for this was 3 fold:
1) The Rav4 is assembled in Canada, providing jobs and economic stimulus in my country.
2) Japan just took such a $hit-kicking that I wanted to help them out.
3) The Rav4 is one of, if not the, top rated smaller SUV.

Nobody likes my topic?

Here is one I wouldn't mind driving:
2005 Maserati Pinafarina 75th Birdcage concept?


Would you ever drive this cage?


I drive my 2001 mercedes cause I can't afford a new one.

Buicks.
I drive Buicks if I must be caged. (Who'd have thought it )
I like the '61s and my favorite is the one in my avatar.
As to why, I like the smooth ride, durability, comfort and room.
I do have a "modern" Buick or two as well. They have proven to have those same characteristics, not in quite the same way as the '61 but in a way I find acceptable.
I also have a '76 DeVille that is Ok but the mileage stinks, the ride isn't quite as good, in my opinion, and it has accessories that are "over the top"
For transport I much prefer two wheels but there are times when some form of cage is needed. If I'm caged, I want a "Tri-Shield" and "holes in the side".

A 2000 mercury sable station wagon......the origional S.U.V........

I'm rockin' a 2000 Subaru Outback wagon, because I bought it CHEAP from my parents. Gets decent gas mileage, and does good in the snow. It's not something I'd normally choose to drive, but I just couldn't pass up the price.

I worked in a GM plant for 10 years until last year when the plant I worked in stopped producing cars. When I worked there they put a lot of pressure on you to buy a car with an American nameplate. I always resented that. At most plants you can't park non-american name plate cars in their lots.

So last year, finally free from UAW tyranny, I bought a Mini Cooper.

It's the best of all worlds. It's a retro/copy of a British design, so it's attractive. It's made in Germany by BMW, so it's well engineered and well built. It's small so it gets excellent mileage ~38MPG.

I love it.

I just went to dinner in my 51 GMC. I agree that there is nothing like cruising in a Buick. My last one was a Roadmaster wagon named Newly. I miss on the long drives home from school.

DuggleBogey wrote:

I worked in a GM plant for 10 years until last year when the plant I worked in stopped producing cars. When I worked there they put a lot of pressure on you to buy a car with an American nameplate. I always resented that. At most plants you can't park non-american name plate cars in their lots.

So last year, finally free from UAW tyranny, I bought a Mini Cooper.

I see from your sig you're in Tennessee. Did you work at the Saturn plant in Springhill?
I owned a 2000 SW2, and my elderly mother owned a '94 SL1, an '02 LS1, and now an '07 Ion3.
Talk about union pressure to not buy an import. That's borderline tyranny.
There's lots of Mini-Coopers and Cooper S's up here in Canada.

2010 Toyota Highlander, comfort, quiet ride and decent towing capacity for a Crossover.

2005 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, Bulletproof, fun to drive and over 40mpg highway, 35mpg city.

Just sold an Audi allroad, fun to drive but it was a GIANT MONEY PIT!

Honda Pilot. Need room for our German Shepherds.

2007 Civic Si 4dr, 'cause I always wanted an Si. Worth the wait -- it's a total kick in a** to drive. Ridiculously easy to drive waaaaay too fast. Hit the VTEC crossover at 6 grand and hang on. Roughly 67K trouble-free miles. (What did you expect; it's a Honda after all.)

1991 GMC Sonoma 4WD extended cab, 4.3L. Sometimes you just gotta have a truck...
I paid a grand for it a year and a half ago and everything works except the 4WD (needs new axles, previous owner removed them) and the passenger window. A/C even blows cold. 278K and counting.

Ah, Mini Cooper. Now there's a cage I could sink my teeth into!

ERRR so far I've owned,
Vauxhaul velox (3 months, the left front wheel and stuts kept falling off)
Fiat 1969 850 Sports, (hmm I want another one) too small for growing family
72 Renault 12, not bad but i dont miss it
77 Falcon ex police car good for carting around the family
Falcon XT utility (pickup) work, carting around mowers
76 Land Rover work vehicle /Scout mover now we're talking. Too slow and a real gas guzzler.
82 Nissan Vanette. Obvious kid transporter, paid for itself many times over had it for 22 years
Fiat 850, worked as a rep, it could generate some interest too with clients. I bought a wreck to keep up parts supply. Eventually it became too hard to keep it on the road.
85 Subaru Brumby.. (Brat) had it for 23 years and only recently parted company with it. Bullet proof, the harder I drove it the better it got.
76 Range Rover Yeah Baby now this was a scout car! A 2 ton V8 Mechano Set, like a horse, for every day driven, 1/2 a day on maintenance. After 12 years was retired as a tractor for the Sea Scout Group. Loved every minute driving it.
92 Mitsubishi Verada. HMMM sorta put me off mitsubishi for a while, nice when it was going but not great for short people. Written off by taxi.
04 Subaru Impreza... Wife's car, still got it love it
83 Subaru wagon Intermediate car to use to stay out of the rain.. sold it for $50
And Current, Just bought it last week and still have not driven it cos of shoulder:
97 Mitsubishi Delica Royal Exceed. I sure hope it can hold up to the Subaroo's.


Favourites: Brumby and Rangie. I had both at the same time.

Honda Pilot

Reasons? Honda because it's a Honda. Pilot because my Wife is in a wheelchair, and I need an SUV to carry it easily. We liked the Pilot better than the Odessy van we had before it.

2005 Scion xA - Unable to find a used Honda Fit in my price range when we decided to buy a replacement for the 1998 Honda CRV.

and

2003 Honda Accord LXV6 - Kim's car and a real nice gas sipper for such a powerful engine.

bigbird wrote:

I see from your sig you're in Tennessee. Did you work at the Saturn plant in Springhill?

I worked at the GM plant in Spring Hill, but it was most certainly not a Saturn plant. It used to be, it even sets at the end of "Saturn Parkway." Then they spent hundreds of millions, not exaggerating, refitting it to build Chevrolet SUVs before halting production less than a year later. Tough to see how a company can make decisions like that and go bankrupt, eh?

Before that I worked at a now closed plant in Oklahoma City that made Chevy Trailblazers, before that a plant in Kansas City that made Oldsmobile (daddy, what's and Olds mobile?) Intrigues and Pontiac Grand Prixs. I helped convert that plant to make Chevy Malibus and Saturn Auras. One project they had was movable tool trays so they could build both Grand Prixs and Malibus at the same time. Cool tech, cost millions. Yet they never actually made them at the same time. They stopped the Pontiacs almost a year before Malibus started. Millions more down the tubes.

My first GM plant was in New Jersey where they made Chevy pickup type vehicles. It's gone now too. Along the way I helped launch a plant in western Lansing Michigan and one near Guadalajara Mexico too.

The Spring Hill plant still makes engines in a small part of the campus, and still produces some plastic parts and paints them due to union requirements. There are pretty often rumors that they are going to start producing vehicles there again, but so far they've all just been rumors. I have some friends still hanging on there by their fingernails, so I hope for their sake they get something someday.

Currently, we have a Toyota Yaris as the "family car", that's it; my wife drives it to work and I ride the Swing full time.

Past cages: A Mini Cooper, a Honda Element, a Honda Civic, a Renault Twingo "université" and the first one, a Daewoo Tico

Bought a 2011 Toyota Camry after years and years of SUV's and pickups. I enjoy the handling, power to mpg ratio, and the quiet cabin.

2005 Ford F150 Lariat Supercrew.

At the time it was the newest, most comfortable four door truck available. Employee pricing (for all) and rebate took the price from $37,000 down to $27,000 without any f***ing around with the salesperson. Built into that discount was $1100 because it had 5500 miles on it, attributed to the dealer's wife who supposedly drove it as her personal vehicle.

Right now I only have about 47,000 miles on it. Still love it and cannot think of anything that I would want to trade it in for. Seriously. Really. In fact, last December my mother was willing to give me her Hyundai Santa Fe Limited when she stopped driving. We sold it instead.

1998 Chevy Venture mini van.

145,000 miles on it. Took it all over. Grand Canyon, Southern Utah, Myrtle Beach several times, Texas, Tennessee, to name a few places.

Towed a trailer with it, was great for when the girls were growing up. Not to mention hauling furniture and other things. Brought my Swing home with it. Use it for the bike trailer when needed. I have great memories with that Chevy. My girls keep asking me when I am getting a new car. I tell them not until this one won't run anymore. I don't want a car payment.

Bit of variety here as far as cars are concerned.

Volvo 960 Estate, Porsche 944, Porsche 911, VW Golf Mk III Cabriolet, BMW Mini Clubman.

All taxed and tested.

Cheers,

Got a seat arosa 1000cc in hi vis yellow a1999 model it produces 50bhp lol.still it takes the kids around and the wife shopping.

Always kinda been a Ford man. Dad drove one and I just fell in line. Have owned some Chevys . Wife drives an 04 Hyundai Sonata. Good vehicle and I guess she will drive it until at least one wheel falls off. I bought a new 02 Ford F150 and drove it until Dec of 2010. Bought a new '11 Fusion. First vehicle I have owned since MY first car (a red 1956 Ford Fairlane with 4 in the floor, black pleated seats) that I don't want to get out of. It is so comfortable, quiet, runs great, gets around 36 MPG. And it has the SYNC. I love that feature. Lets me make calls and answer them handsfree. I can get weather. I can choose songs, artist, album or just play the whole USB connected flash drive I have plugged into the system. It has navigation too. I miss my truck every once in a while, but every friend I have has a pickup. I just call one of them and say please. Dang, I do miss that 56 Ford.

Yeah, Ford is making some really nice stuff these days. Very impressed.

I don't!

I've only owned one car in the last 15 years and that was an old Ford Sierra (jelly mould version) that my ageing father gave me, I kept it for a year and then it was scrapped I think I did less than a 1000 miles in it and over 250 of those were bringing it home to Exeter.

I prefer my two bikes

2001 Volvo XC 70 with 125,000 miles. I can carry lots of stuff and the all wheel drive comes in handy during the winter. It's also one of the safest cars in North America!

My "other" is a 1974 Jensen-Healey. My wife's car is a 02 Toyota Camry. A very competent auto, but hardly unique, sort of the Model T of the 21st century. Why the J-H? Well, if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand the answer anyway. ;-)

A red 1993 ford ranger with 160000 miles on.
And because its paid for.
Ill get a crv next, im done with detroit.

Why drive a car? I normally do not drive a car, own a 2010 Honda CRV, that I do not like----only idiots want car you have to stand on ladder to wash roof-----wife wanted this car.

John Grinsel

john grinsel wrote:

Why drive a car?-----wife wanted this car.
John Grinsel

Wife usually gets her way. Keep her happy. DO NOT make her use dirty Tennessee bathrooms.

john grinsel wrote:

Why drive a car? I normally do not drive a car, own a 2010 Honda CRV, that I do not like----only idiots want car you have to stand on ladder to wash roof-----wife wanted this car.

John Grinsel

cause its hard to haul a couch on a scooter?
Or take your friends out for the weekend?

Or if you are young and still interested in girls... making out in the back seat sure beats making out on top of a top box.

Opalsboy wrote:

making out in the back seat sure beats making out on top of a top box.

Are you sure

Then there is the number 1 reason to have a car.

So John can inform us how vastly superior his correct decision is, and how wrong you are for yours.

Thankyouverymuch!

My car is a Vauxhall, (GM), Astra SRi, used primarily to transport wife and dogs around. Mileage last year was sub 5k. Mileage on 'Wing' over 6.5k.

The car is a common make with loads of parts available and cheap insurance. An exotic would be nice, but not practical. An Audi TT would be my car of choice but sensibilities have to kick in sometimes.

2011 Ford Fiesta-45+ mph
2004 Dodge Ram 1500-pulls 34' camper

And then for fun:
1959 Ford 1/2 ton
1960 Renault Dauphine
1964 Chevy Corvair Spyder
1964 VW Ratrod
1976 AMC Pacer
1987 Suzuki Samurai

Hmmm...

It's tough to take my dogs to the vet on my Swing.
It's tough to make my 50 mile each way commute when there's snow on the ground and I'm on my Swing.
I can ride my Swing when it's 30 degrees out or raining, but it makes me completely miserable. Why be miserable?

Oh yeah. You're ALWAYS miserable, so what's the difference?

bugrod wrote:

2011 Ford Fiesta-45+ mph

Those new Fiestas are really sharp.

DuggleBogey wrote:

bugrod wrote:

2011 Ford Fiesta-45+ mph

Those new Fiestas are really sharp.

I didn't think you guys went for compact cars. Or has the price of oil bitten deep over there too?

We have a 1.9 Diesel VW Caddy.

We managed without a car for six months after I sold my beautiful L200 Mitsubishi but we needed something and the VW is car, people-carrier and van so is good for most tasks.

DuggleBogey wrote:

Oh yeah. You're ALWAYS miserable, so what's the difference?

I hope he's thick skinned as well as miserable.

Waspie wrote:

I didn't think you guys went for compact cars. Or has the price of oil bitten deep over there too?

I owned a "full sized" car (a Studebaker hard-top, 6cyl flat-head for the gear heads in the audience) in 1961 for a few months, other than that, my cars have all been middling small (SAAB 96, FIAT 124 sedan, several Toyotas (a Corona Mk II in 1970, a couple of Corollas (still have one), a couple of Toy pickups) Of course, my favorites were a Goggomobil (in 1958 - 1960) and a Mini-Minor (all 850cc of it) in 1971 - 1975 or so.

Jon

2000 Buick Century sister drove it 45mi when hear on vacation last year.
1964 Ford Country Sedan station wagon
1927 Ford Model T touring car
1928 Ford Model A roadster
The last three have not bin on the road for to many years.
I ride my Wing all the time,I like John,have very little use for a car.

Waspie wrote:

I didn't think you guys went for compact cars. Or has the price of oil bitten deep over there too?

I know what you mean. We don't get very many over here. They just started selling the Fiat 500 here, I guess they were forced to because they're awesome. There's a definite retro-car movement here with the Mustangs, Camaros, Minis and Beetles so I'm sure they're trying to capitalize on some of that action, although I doubt many people in the states are even aware of the Fiat 500.

The Fiesta is a surprise though because it was just the worst car ever when they made it in the 80s. Why make an awesome new car and give it the name of a horrible car from the past? Weird. Bring back the old cool cars, but leave the old horrible ones back there.

We have a 2009 Jetta TDI that I really like. It is my wife's ride that she takes to work and runs around in getting an average of 40 MPG (I've seen as high as 50.1 mpg on the cars computer) between city and highway driving. I have been reading up on how to make BIO Diesel and going to give that a try. I love my diesel and do not think we will ever own another gas powered car.

1994 Ford F250 with a 460 V8 and a 2009 Mercury Milan with all the goodies and AWD. The '94 I bought four years ago for $4000, it has 75,000 miles on it and hauls our Lance 10' camper like it wasn't there. The mileage is about 9 with the camper and 10-11mpg without. Doesn't much matter since I have so little in the truck I can put $20,000 worth of gas through it and still be better off that most people with their newer trucks. The Milan has AWD because you often need it get out of the Rogue Valley in the winter. Why? 'Cause I want them.

2006 Cadillac STS-4. Why, I really needed an AWD vehicle to climb the steep hill we live on and didn't want a truck or SUV. I've always been a GM guy with a couple of foreign models. Order of ownership was 68' Olds 98LS, (only Ford)68' XL fastback, 76' Pontiac Grand Prix, 88' VW Quantum wgn, 92' Subaru Legacy LS, 96' Olds LSS, and 99' Cadillac Concours.

My faith is now restored in seeing some of you still drive big motors over there.

A few guys over here in the UK have some of the larger US cages and although they sound great they do struggle with the narrow rural roads we have, certainly in my secluded part of England!!!

As a fall back I drive a '96 Ford F-150 stripped model truck, Live is semi Rural area so its right handy for hauling stuff to-from our place.
I would have to rank it my #3 ride
#1 Surly Long Haul Trucker 27 speed touring bicycle
#2 '10 S-wing for longer / faster trips
#3 1996 Ford F-150

And there ya have it!

Frenchie