Posted on 12/05/2024 8:54:46 AM PST by ChicagoConservative27
"What's the best car?" Getting asked that question is an occupational hazard in this business. (And, yes, we realize that it's not actually hazardous, at least compared with the occupational dangers faced by, say, ironworkers who build skyscrapers or zookeepers who feed lions.) When you drive and test hundreds of cars every year—as our editorial team collectively does—it's a natural query. And our annual 10Best awards provide the answer.
Since 1983, we've been conducting this exercise: We identify the very best of what's available, not merely our favorite new models introduced for a given year. An onslaught of new or significantly redesigned contenders vies with the winners from the previous year for one of the 10 coveted spots. These days, the price cap is $110,000 (sorry, Ferrari). We gather our staff and contributors from far and wide for an intense two weeks of driving and instrumented testing, interspersed with arguing. And then we vote. The winners are those that best fulfill their intended mission, deliver value to their buyers, and spark driving joy.
(Excerpt) Read more at caranddriver.com ...
Amen to that. I recently bought an Acura RDX over the Honda CRV because of the CVT. My Acura has a 10-speed auto trans and a 272 hp turbo 4 that Honda doesn’t have. It’s a night and day difference. The Acura quality is a notch above Honda, and this little SUV gets up and goes.
You win, Best car? Best answer, one that the bank doesn’t own!
“Cadillac actually does make good cars for a change.”
I agree, and I own one. But it seems to me that they’re putting all their marketing muscle behind electric SUVs. I question the wisdom of that. The Alpha II-platform cars (CT5/CT4 families) are possibly the best cars that GM has made in decades, but does the public even know it when all the promotion that they see is for the Lyriq?
“Toyota is currently recalling 100,000 vehicles for engine failure due to metal shavings internal to the motors.”
I don’t doubt that there’s a problem but you’d think the shavings would either settle to the bottom of the oil pan or be caught in the oil filter.
Maybe the problem is that some rubbing surfaces are producing shavings continuously.
IF Toyota is recalling them and replacing the engines I would argue that they are in fact fixing the problem.
Just like they did when they bought back 800K+ Tacomas because the frames were rusting out on the 1995-2005 models.
Unlike Ford or GM that basically told people to pound sand when things went wrong beyond warranty.
I heard it’s possibly a tolerance issue at the crank shaft......engine gets hot and theres not enough space for parts to expand......it would probably only take a few thousandths of an inch to be an issue.
One Toyota? Guess their subscription ran out.
Most of these lists are pure crap.
I don’t see my 1978 Monte Carlo in the list. It should be. Could drive it with one finger. Sat my Dr. Pepper on the seat and it never once spilled.
Nope. You're not going to get 300,000 miles out of a 2.4 liter turbo like you typically can with the venerable 1GR-FE 4.0 V6 engine.
Mr. b sold his old Toyota pickup for more than he paid for it. It was the bare minimum with nothing but 4 tires and a steering wheel.
Cadillac actually does make good cars for a change.
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2012 Caddy CTS. 184,000 miles. Does not leak, no drips on the garage floor.
120,000 of the mileage is at 70 or above - that helps. It tops out at 130. (I know a road....)
You can thank Biden’s electric vehicle plans for that.
Lucid Air
Never heard of it but I like the name.
Correct.
I had a 1988 Toyota with the 2.4 Liter 4 cylinder engine. It may still be running somewhere in the world. Like Afghanistan.
Then I bought a 1999 V6 Tacoma extended cab. Its frame rusted out on both sides. I had them both repaired. I sold it back to Toyota in 2012 for Kelly Blue Book full retail x 1.5 = $14500 for a 13 year old truck.
I used that to buy the 2012 V6 double cab long bed Tacoma that just turned 115K. I was considering buying a new one until I heard they now are using a 2.4 4 cylinder turbo.
Frankly, the 2012 I am driving is the best of the three trucks I have owned. In fact it is the best vehicle I have ever owned. So, I think I will just keep it.
I have been looking to buy a Lexus IS 350(V6 305 HP) hard top convertible. They made them from 2010-2015. There are not a lot around. Especially with low mileage. There is one right now down in TX with 50k miles they are asking $24K. Really low miles (under 30K) still go for about $30K.
Here is the listing:
https://www.autolist.com/listings/JTHFE2C26B2506944?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=confirmation_favorite&utm_content=052318
A lot of the old Toyota trucks end up overseas. Africa, Asia and Central America.
In 1999 I sold my 1988 basic stripped down Toyota truck.
I had multiple guys willing to buy it even if the frame and body were rusted out. It was in good shape and sold within a couple days.
In 2002 the US got involved in Afghanistan. Every rag head was running around in either a Toyota or Datsun/Nissan. So, I started calling my 1999 Tacoma the Official Vehicle of the Taliban. I even had a bumper sticker made.
“Do you know when the last year for manufacture of the Tundra with v=8s was?”
2021
The 3series BMW used to make the list every year for decades. It now looks like Honda has replaced it for the past few years.
Subaru BRZ/Toyota GR86
I need awd, surprised subaru isn't.
“I heard it’s possibly a tolerance issue at the crank shaft”
Here’s some trivia, not really related to the Toyota problem, that a aircraft engineer told me.
Pressure-lubricated sleeve bearings, such as crankshaft bearings, don’t wear once up and running because the shaft is floating on oil and not touching the bearings. Wear only occurs at startup when the shaft is resting on the bearing and before the lubricant film gets in between.
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