My next car is... no car??

[Piotrsko]

Compared to an 1965 Oldsmobile "98" we had in the '70s, or even my stretch F250 longbed, cars are absolutely miniscule today. Cant see half of them in the mirrors.

Even more so in the UK, but their fuel was £ 2.15 @liter in the smaller remote towns. So perhaps $10 USD.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Compared to an 1965 Oldsmobile "98" we had in the '70s, or even my stretch F250 longbed, cars are absolutely miniscule today.

The best-selling car in Brazil in '65 was the VW Beetle, which is quite small, and the Brazilian market much more oriented toward small cars than in the United States and Canada. I grew up mostly around small cars, and some newer cars which are now sold as compacts are noticeably larger than the smaller models of their manufacturers 10 years ago. Even the Japanese automakers, despite still making their compacts slightly less than 1.70m wide.

[redpoint5]

I saw mostly old Beetles around 2008 in Mexico. By old, I mean they made new ones there on the old platform, I think. Mexico City was a polluted and terrible city with some beautiful standouts.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I saw mostly old Beetles around 2008 in Mexico. By old, I mean they made new ones there on the old platform, I think.

They were only phased out there in 2003. Most likely because of that ban on 2-door taxis in Mexico City than anything else.

Mexico City was a polluted and terrible city with some beautiful standouts.

Valley of Mexico is quite like a trap for the pollution, that's why Mexico City is so critical environmentally-wise.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by JSH

I've suggested you move to a place with low housing costs where you could afford to own a house instead of renting and being pushed farther and farther out of town. Those are not places with terrible traffic because they have low housing costs as a result of large population declines.


On the other hand I do live in a metro with 2.5 million people and moderately bad traffic and we had one of the highest percentages of bike commuters despite 7 months of rain. What if you have a wife and kids? Once a kid is about 5 they can peddle their own bike (I was riding a bike without adult supervision a mile to 1st grade). Until then there are these (which I see on my commute as well) Handy for carrying groceries home too.

I love biking! Haven't done it recently as it's winter and all the streets are snow packed and snow banks make for less space. That and another person I know got ran over and killed on his bike a month or so ago.

But as soon as they finish these new condos between here and my place of work there'll be a bike path to my work again.

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Instead of endorsing any further restrictions against car ownership, I'm more favorable to incentives for compact and more efficient cars.

Right?! Right now used cars are burtal. I have two friends who bought used cars and both were lemons. One bought a 2017 Ford Escape with almost 100,000 miles for $17,000 (in payments) and less than 6 months later it now needs a whole transmission.

It would be nice to have cheap new cars even if they were small, underpowered, opposite of luxurious, etc.

[redpoint5]

EVs should reduce the abuse / defect factor. Should.

I just wouldn't buy a non-EV at this point unless I was a renter, in which case, I would be driving the cheapest car I possibly could until I was no longer a renter.

Usually you see fancy cars at apartment complexes, and old cars parked in wealthy neighborhoods. I wonder why?

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

EVs should reduce the abuse / defect factor. Should.

I just wouldn't buy a non-EV at this point unless I was a renter, in which case, I would be driving the cheapest car I possibly could until I was no longer a renter.

Usually you see fancy cars at apartment complexes, and old cars parked in wealthy neighborhoods. I wonder why?

It seems most of what would be a defect in an EV would be the battery, and that is usually easy to track. Either they catch on fire or they degrade quickly.

I'm very interested in getting an EV for my next car even though I rent and don't have level 2 charging at my house. Sadly EV's are still slim pickings. For my budget, there's the Bolt and the... Well I think that's just about it. And I wouldn't even get the tax credit and don't know of anyone who would and who would let me buy one in their name either.

So, full priced Bolt or I'll just keep driving the car I have for now.

[freebeard]

Put 'em to work.


i5.walmartimages.com/asr/6608e228-2791-42fb-8fa8-cdc92be5d075_1.6a69d14d6811945f9380ee48f1b3c083.jp eg

[Piotrsko]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

It seems most of what would be a defect in an EV would be the battery, and that is usually easy to track. Either they catch on fire or they degrade quickly.

They do neither. Properly cared for and kept within parameters they do make design life which is 10-15 years. Don't change oil and run water saturated gas then see how long a modern gasser lasts.

[freebeard]

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IIRC a decade or two ago, in Bleugene, I saw a road train of a parent with two helpers.