2016 retirement vehicle thoughts..

[tonUPRacer]

Since you asked for advice, mine is buy a 911 because that's what you really want. After you've gotten out of your system you can sell it for little to no loss, you'll lose more on the cayman would be my guess. Or, you can do like my father-in-law did, buy the 911 new when your in your 20s (it's a 1968 911L) and keep it forever until you have grandkids to stand in front of it. I rode in it last weekend to a local car show, lots' of fun.

[oldbike54]

 Paul , did the authorities finally catch up with you ?

  Dustu

[PJPR01]

Paul , did the authorities finally catch up with you ?    Dustu

Only when I slowed down enough for them to do so and give them a nice wave!!  :)

[oldbike54]

Only when I slowed down enough for them to do so and give them a nice wave!!  :)

  Thought maybe that's why you were going away 

  Dusty

[PJPR01]

  Thought maybe that's why you were going away    Dusty

Aha! Just vacation plans to a warm and sunny place for a while...leaving the cold and wet behind for a couple of weeks.  :)

[oldbike54]

Aha! Just vacation plans to a warm and sunny place for a while...leaving the cold and wet behind for a couple of weeks.  :)

 Sometimes even I don't get my cryptic sense of humor 

  Dusty

[PJPR01]

Good thing we know someone who can translate for us!  :)

[not-fishing]

You should get a Grandpa Car, easy to get out of, enough room, you can always tow a trailer if you need more capacity.  Gas mileage is ok at 20 mpg.  Of course it will be used and you want the 6 speed manual.  You can get it in white if you don't want to stand out.  I've had my "V" for 130,000 miles and it's been one of the best cars I've ever owned.



Downside is it's scary-quick and scary-fast

[Nic in Western NYS]

There has been no hatch since the 2015 redesign, and WRX's are probably a bad car to pick up used since the probability they were thorough thrashed goes up exponentially over many other sporty cars.

Yes, I'm in 'used only' mode to address the dog carrier issue. It seems a shame to put a dog in a new car.

[groundhog105]

KIA. Bought my retirement car in 2011, a 2011 Kia Optima SXT. Sport model 275 HP 275 ft torque. 6 speed auto with paddle shifters. Leather interior with heated and cooled seats.  It's a blast to drive and now has over 90,000 on it. 31 to 33 mpg hwy at 85 mph. 23 to 26 in town driving.  All it has needed I'd oil and filter changes and standard factory upkeep. Not a drop of oil consumption.  This one has surprised me for performance and reliability.

[Moto Rizzi]

F150, safe, reliable, practical and Texan. One you get a pickup you never look back. Test drive one before you buy anything else.

[LowRyter]

That Kia Optima is a very nice car.  I drove a turbo model equipped out, paddle shifters and selective ride control.  Very nice.  I am glad to hear it's been reliable.

That Caddie wagon is a pretty cool.  I'd like to drive one.

I've been poking around in my Camaro today and I still love it.   

[oldbike54]

That Kia Optima is a very nice car.  I drove a turbo model equipped out, paddle shifters and selective ride control.  Very nice.  I am glad to hear it's been reliable.

That Caddie wagon is a pretty cool.  I'd like to drive one.

I've been poking around in my Camaro today and I still love it.   

 Not being a car guy , I had to google the specs on a 1994 Z28 . Damn , 156 MPH top speed , 14.1 second 1/4 mile , .85 G's on the skid pad . Pretty impressive .Didn't realize I was riding in something quite so potent .

  Dusty

[LowRyter]

Mine only went 14.3 but I didn't speed shift it.  And was shifting in 4th at the line.  I've gotten to 135 between stop signs on a section line road. 

But the fun is steering with your right foot.   

[oldbike54]

Mine only went 14.3 but I didn't speed shift it.  And was shifting in 4th at the line.  I've gotten to 135 between stop signs on a section line road. 

But the fun is steering with your right foot.   

 Yeah , the testers that managed the 14.1 ET probably weren't gonna have to pay for a clutch or transmission if they screwed up 

  Dusty

[trippah]

Have you considered leasing, perhaps one sports car and a nice truck?

[groundhog105]

That Kia Optima is a very nice car.  I drove a turbo model equipped out, paddle shifters and selective ride control.  Very nice.  I am glad to hear it's been reliable.

That Caddie wagon is a pretty cool.  I'd like to drive one.

I've been poking around in my Camaro today and I still love it.   

Yea, I have been pleasantly surprised with the low maintenance and reliability. It's the turbo model. Sounds like your camero is the quite special.

[Kev m]

Ha ha - perspective is a funny thing.

I see you guys talking about low 14 second 1/4 miles and thinking that's fast and think to myself

"That's as slow as an 883 or V7". 


Even a Golf R will do about that.

Hell a new WRX, A BMW 335 or M235, Infiniti Q50 AWD will all beat that with low-to-mid 13's (depending on the particular model).

HELL A JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE SRT8 will beat them with a 13.1

A Dodge Charger SRT 8 faster still at 12.6

And THEY all still lose to the smallest bike in our garage! (M696) at 12.21 or even a new Hipster Scrambler at 11.91.


Funny thing perspective is.


Oh and if I didn't get this Jeep that I am really, REALLY enjoying, I think I would have gotten this:

[oldbike54]

 Kev m , how many cars built in 1994 were capable of 14.1 second 1/4 miles ? That is the point . Sure, cars and bikes are getting faster , but I'm betting , having been in LR's Z28 , that finding another 75 HP would be cheap and easy .

  Dusty

[Kev m]

Kev m , how many cars built in 1994 were capable of 14.1 second 1/4 miles ? That is the point . Sure, cars and bikes are getting faster , but I'm betting , having been in LR's Z28 , that finding another 75 HP would be cheap and easy .

  Dusty

I'm just saying it's not 1994 anymore, hell it's not 2004 anymore...

Actually the availability of fast cars and I mean stupid fast cars has just exploded in the last decade.

Hp levels that were once only available on SuperCars has become commonplace in entry level sport sedans, and SuperCars have become HyperCars.

That doesn't change my preferences for a V7, 883, or even a "lowly" 300-350 hp WRX or Focus RS.

[skromfols]

You didn't mention how much driving you'll be doing with this vehicle and to me that's a strong consideration, because I hate to give any more than I need to the petroleum industry or the government.  The 4 wheel vehicles in the garage are a Nissan Titan, a Mercedes E350 and my little Jetta Sportswagen TDI.  I bought the Jetta because I was tired of taking the Titan and getting 15 MPG when I had to play handyman with my rentals (and all of them are at least an hours drive away), or when I wanted to tow my ATV anywhere or haul a motorcycle to the shop.  I purchased the Jetta with the 6 sp stick and all the bells and whistles.  In about 18 months we've put 35,000 miles on it and the dash computer tells me that we've averaged 44 MPG. 

I purchased an aluminum trailer to haul my motorcycles and ATV and put a hitch on the little VW.  I had a Malone 1.5 tune put on the VW and when I put it on the dyno it showed 170 hp and 299 ft lbs of tq.  It easily tows my bikes and ATV, and with the stick shift is a kick in the pants to drive.  It's always difficult to get the VW, because my wife prefers it to our Mercedes for her trips (we're in a rural area with mostly two lane twisty roads), so it's frequently in use when I'd like it.  With the VW diesel cheating scandal a used 2014 or 2015 can be purchased at a very reasonable price, and all VW will do because of the cheating will be to alter the software, which you can alter back for a few hundred dollars.

So if you want a great little car that is fun to drive, is a great grocery hauler (and poodle transporter), can easily tow you motorcycles and gets great fuel mileage, you might want to consider a VW Jetta Sportswagen TDI 

S

[wrbix]

WRX or WRX STI. Hauls everything, including the mail!

My 2 cents.

John Henry

^^^^^^^^ Yeah that! Yehaa. Ready for some velocity citations?   

[jcctx]

This thread tells us that we are an affluent bunch, considering all the high end iron owned/suggested. On the 911; my son has one and I can hardly get in it, much less out. Can't say it would ever get used at my house??? Probably the same for other sports cars mentioned.
Good luck with whatever you decide on!!

[lucydad]

Hmm,

On petroleum industry, as a 40 year veteran, now retired:  I think gasoline prices will stay very, very low for at least 5-7 years due to oversupply and much more efficient mileage vehicles. 

A thought:  advantage to the Cayman over the new Miata is trunk space.  Miata has a tiny rear trunk, the Cayman has a small rear hatch, and a fairly reasonable front trunk for hauling some stuff.

Next step, sometime February is to go test a Miata.  If it is a reject, finding the right Cayman could be a chore, and will involve monitoring the resale market in the Houston/Austin/San Antonio/Dallas areas. 

A plus:  no hurry at all.  Youngest daughter absconded with the red Mazda 3 last night.  She still has designs on it in NYC, but no firm plans.

Did you guys see Falcon-9 Space X?  Wow!!

[LowRyter]

Kev m , how many cars built in 1994 were capable of 14.1 second 1/4 miles ? That is the point . Sure, cars and bikes are getting faster , but I'm betting , having been in LR's Z28 , that finding another 75 HP would be cheap and easy .

  Dusty

Since I **** ** *** ****, I'll comment.   

I purchased the Camaro new in 1994 with the intention of hot rodding and upgrading when I needed to overhaul it.  So far other than an oil drip, the car has been solid at 165k miles.  And you're right, you can pick cam, ported heads, exhaust and tune and get 75 horsepower.  Consider about $3k for the parts and whatever maintenance and overhaul is needed.  And you can go 383 stroker kit.  Certainly not cheap but much less than a new car.  I think it feels a little "soft" on the top end but the torque is what makes it fun.

As you might remember, I looked at several turbo pocket rockets when I purchased my Accord.  Nice cars.  The GTI was especially nice driver but considering the expense and reliability I declined (BTW- how many 20 year old VWs do you see on the road?).  I got real close to getting Kia Forte 5 Turbo.  My youngest son purchased a Focus ST, loaded.   Nice performance car.  I've heard the little Fiesta ST is a barrel of monkeys and the new Civic Type R lapped the Nurburgring as fast as a new 911 Porsche.  All FWD.

All would be good retirement cars, or again, I could just stick to the plan (10 years later than I imagined) and upgrade the Z and enjoy the TTops and steering with my tight foot (RWD + torque). 

[oldbike54]

  Yep John , and even if you spent $10K (Bev , are you reading this  ) to do the motor and some other freshening up , still cheaper than any new car that will approach the performance level of your Z28 . AND , that new Honda in the garage is damn impressive , probably more real world capability than anyone can use , and doesn't draw attention from the local constabulary 

  Dusty

[Kev m]

Bev?

[oldbike54]

Bev?

 John's lovely wife .
 
 Dusty

[Kev m]

John's lovely wife .
 
 Dusty

Ahhhh, lol, that post makes sense now. 

[Daleroso]

OK..here goes...I think I'll be able to take it. I really like our Jaguar XK convertible. I'm outa here!