ProVarinati Diner & Saloon and Beyond

[newyork13]

That's interesting. Mazda? Not disagreeing, just wondering when that happened, and it's good to have a third alternative. I've only owned Audi's for the last 15 years (comprised of just 2 vehicles) and I've noticed the build quality deterioration. Unlikely I'll buy another, though they drive very well.

 

[Bronze]

That's interesting. Mazda? Not disagreeing, just wondering when that happened, and it's good to have a third alternative. I've only owned Audi's for the last 15 years (comprised of just 2 vehicles) and I've noticed the build quality deterioration. Unlikely I'll buy another, though they drive very well.

Mazda was a good carmaker back in the 90s and prior. Many carmakers were good in the 90s. Mazda, along with many others, began making crap in the 2000s. In recent years, however, they’ve upped their game considerably. Toyota has a small ownership in Mazda and entered a joint venture in a giant manufacturing plant in Alabama. There is a lot of Toyota influence within Mazda and their products are reflecting that.

The one thing the Japanese have above all others is they take the long look. They’re not concerned about the next quarterly report. They design an engine, for example, and when they encounter problems with it they choose to remedy it versus throwing it out and going with an unproven replacement. They have very long term design platforms that they have perfected thru the decades. The greatest automobile engine ever designed and manufactured is Honda’s 1.8L, 4 cylinder ICE. You cannot kill those engines. To get a half million miles on that engine is no big deal. Toyota is boasting the same successes. They just flat out know how to make cars last.

 

[Bronze]

I have 4 Toyotas. 2 Avalons, a highlander and a tundra. 2002 Avalon has 300k, 2012 Avalon with 90k, Tundra is 2016 with 32k,. 2022 highlander has less than 9k. All with v6. Do the recommended maintenance and they are trouble free. Will dump the 2022 soon. Burns quart of oil every 1000 miles. My two cents.

So many truck enthusiasts believe that Toyota Tundra is the best pickup truck ever made. But the V8 model. The V6 is perfectly fine if you’re just driving it like a car but if you’re towing or hauling the V8 is pretty much necessary. Sadly, Toyota stopped offering V8s in the Tundra a few years ago. They replaced it with a turbo V6. Still plenty of power but it’s a turbo. The knock on turbos is the engines don’t last as long. Stands to reason. A turbocharger simply takes exhaust (air) and rams it back in the engine. Add more fuel at the same time to get the correct mix and you can make a smaller engine do a lot more. Only problem is you’re adding a lot of stress on that engine. They just don’t last as long.

 

[MikeE3]

I'm going to sell the wife's 2007 Jeep soon and replace it with a car that very well could be the last car I buy. That's my intention anyway...it wont get a lot of miles as we will both be retired. So it has to be durable. I spent a ton of time over the last several years researching automobiles and talking to lots of mechanics. I have a real good idea what's out there these days. My Conclusion: Toyota (Lexus) and Honda (Acura) make the best automobiles. And more recently, you can add Mazda to that list. No one else really challenges them. Subaru is OK but they're almost all AWD. All Chrysler products are crap. Jeep is crap. BMW is crap. Mercedes is crap. The Korean cars are crap. All General Motors products are crap except for their larger trucks (1 ton on up). All Ford products are crap except for their truck line which is still pretty good. Volkswagen is crap. Pretty much lots of crappy automobiles out there if you're looking to keep one for a long time. The Japanese still dominate (though Nissan and Mitsubishi are crap).

Not remotely interested in electric, hybrid, turbo charged, or supercharged automobiles. Only interested in straight up internal combustion engines. Haven't settled on a 4 cyl or 6 cyl. Plusses and minuses for both. Don't want a CVT but haven't completely ruled out the recent Toyota and Honda CVTs that incorporate a "launch gear". Prefer a regular automatic tranny, perhaps an 8-speed. FWD. AWD completely out...totally unnecessary in the south and very expensive to repair plus if one tire gets wrecked you gotta replace all four...screw that!

I have yet to find a mechanic who didn't think Honda, Toyota, and Mazda were the best automobiles made...especially if they were built in Japan. If you got money to burn you can get their luxury versions (Lexus and Acura). Truthfully, it is getting harder to find the cars I'm interested in. So many are electric, hybrid, turbocharged, AWD, or CVT. But they're out here, just gotta look. Likely to get a 2-3 year old car with 20-40K miles.

We had Honda Civic, 3 CRVs and Pilot. All have been reliable and virtually trouble free outside normal wear and tear items.

Can't say the same for our Fords prior to switching to Honda. Ford Pickup - transmission went at 40K miles, Ford Explorer - cylinder head cracked (such a common problem had to have a used one shipped from TX to PA they were so rare to find used), Ford T-Bird - transmission at 60K needed rebuilding and at 80K it's V8 engine spun a bearing.

A friend's daughter has been saying for years that after the Apocalypse then only things to survive will be cockroaches and Honda's.

 

[smacuser]

Reminds me my Camry is overdue.

 

[Storm52]

So many truck enthusiasts believe that Toyota Tundra is the best pickup truck ever made. But the V8 model. The V6 is perfectly fine if you’re just driving it like a car but if you’re towing or hauling the V8 is pretty much necessary. Sadly, Toyota stopped offering V8s in the Tundra a few years ago. They replaced it with a turbo V6. Still plenty of power but it’s a turbo. The knock on turbos is the engines don’t last as long. Stands to reason. A turbocharger simply takes exhaust (air) and rams it back in the engine. Add more fuel at the same time to get the correct mix and you can make a smaller engine do a lot more. Only problem is you’re adding a lot of stress on that engine. They just don’t last as long.

V8 in the truck. Every offering in the pipeline is turbo. No thanks. Only thing I want to see or hear turning under the hood is the accessory belt.

 

[jwbnyc]

 

[Bronze]

We had Honda Civic, 3 CRVs and Pilot. All have been reliable and virtually trouble free outside normal wear and tear items.

Can't say the same for our Fords prior to switching to Honda. Ford Pickup - transmission went at 40K miles, Ford Explorer - cylinder head cracked (such a common problem had to have a used one shipped from TX to PA they were so rare to find used), Ford T-Bird - transmission at 60K needed rebuilding and at 80K it's V8 engine spun a bearing.

A friend's daughter has been saying for years that after the Apocalypse then only things to survive will be cockroaches and Honda's.

If someone were interested in only the least expensive transportation and nothing else, a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla cannot be beat. They will last between 300,000 and 500,000 miles provided they are properly maintained.

 

[Bronze]

V8 in the truck. Every offering in the pipeline is turbo. No thanks. Only thing I want to see or hear turning under the hood is the accessory belt.

Sadly many automobiles went to turbo. They have to due to govt regs. I want no part of a turbo.

 

[MikeE3]

If someone were interested in only the least expensive transportation and nothing else, a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla cannot be beat. They will last between 300,000 and 500,000 miles provided they are properly maintained.

The Civic was my wife’s shuttle car back and forth to work. It served that purpose well. But as she/we got older it became more challenging getting in and out of it. Moving to a CRV was truly a step up.

 

[Bronze]

The Civic was my wife’s shuttle car back and forth to work. It served that purpose well. But as she/we got older it became more challenging getting in and out of it. Moving to a CRV was truly a step up.

I haven’t taken a deep dive yet but I’m not seeing many new CRVs with non turbo engines.

 

[MikeE3]

I haven’t taken a deep dive yet but I’m not seeing many new CRVs with non turbo engines.

Yes, her 2021 model is an In-Line 4-Cylinder engine with a Turbocharger, producing 190 horsepower. I believe all the gas engines are turbocharged, don't know about the hybrid model. It's typical to get 34 mpg on the highway.

 

[Bronze]

Yes, her 2021 model is an In-Line 4-Cylinder engine with a Turbocharger, producing 190 horsepower. I believe all the gas engines are turbocharged, don't know about the hybrid model. It's typical to get 34 mpg on the highway.

I’m assuming that is a 1.5L turbo charge. That’s rough on a small engine like that but she’s a woman and has more sense than a man and probably doesn’t drive like a maniac so that should help extend the life of that car. Driving sane in a turbo is far more necessary than a ICE in terms of durability.

 

[DPLongo22]

 

[Bronze]

Ann Wilson doesn’t owe anyone an apology for her singing. She usually sounds better than the original artist she’s covering. But I gotta say in this case, she doesn’t rise to the level of Robert Plant. It’s far more a testament to Plant’s singing than anything else.

 

[Bronze]

 

[jwbnyc]

A true talent. Is it just me, or; did we all need a haircut and a hamburger back then?

 

[Bronze]

A true talent. Is it just me, or; did we all need a haircut and a hamburger back then?

I had been just thinking about the best female vocalists. A friend told me he just heard an interview with Paul McCartney who said Karen Carpenter was the greatest voice he has ever heard. He was saying that even back when she was alive. He’s right.

 

[Bronze]

A true talent. Is it just me, or; did we all need a haircut and a hamburger back then?

Perhaps a girlfriend too?

 

[jwbnyc]