off topic: new car advice for senior

[Ed Pawlowski]

Beetle does have a good safety rating. Can't speak for its reliability, but there are no really bad cars these days. Some better than others, all better than cars made years ago.

[Ed Pawlowski]

I'm picking up my new car on Tuesday. The electronics are incredible.

I have no plans to bail out the roof though.

[Don Y]

Until they fail! :< I dread having to deal with one of umpteen little processors deciding to have a nervous breakdown at some inopportune time. And, despite my education, training, tools, etc. being HELPLESS to effect a repair, on my own! (short of "replacement")

Also, there seems to be pretty compelling evidence that these things have been designed on the assumption of a "friendly" (not hostile) operating environment. Sort of like the folks who design insulin pumps and never consider that someone might want to maliciously *hack* a device which is responsible for the short term health of a human -- just to prove they

*can*!

(ditto pace makers, etc.)

[clare]

OK I'll try again, Wiesel VWs were about 40% of the North American market. (Those 2 letters are right next to each other too --- Darn that "fat finger syndrome" AND this old keyboard that has most of the letters pretty well worn off

[clare]

The G and T are next to each other too - seems to be a theme here!!!

[clare]

Canada DOES build some of the best quality cars in the world. And have for years. Will be interesting to see how next year's camaros compare - - - - We built the best Crown Vics, and all of Chrysler's rear drive vehicles for many years come from "just down the road" in Bramalea Ontario.

[clare]

And a hand cranked starter, just to be safe.

[Percival P. Cassidy]

So Joe Wagenkaeufer is supposed to be able to determine for himself the level of air pollution a modern car will produce? Obviously he can't rely on any figures the manufacturer publishes.

Perce

[Neill Massello]

They always do. Twenty years ago, the Toyota RAV4 was a fairly compact jeep-like vehicle. Now, it looks like it's up in the mid-size SUV category.

[Percival P. Cassidy]

The first Toyota Corolla I saw was a tiny car with only about a 1-liter engine.

Perce

[rbowman]

Like Elvis and the Thunderbird, they've been packing on the pounds.

[rbowman]

When the Fiero first came out, I went to look at one. The saleman who had sold me a Firebird a couple of years before yelled across the showroom 'They don't make that in your size'.

[rbowman]

We have quite a few Hmong in this area and they favor big pickups. And big rifles. I wouldn't mess with them, but it is sort of amusing watching them mounting up.

I go the other way. Back in the day people would see me climb out of my Sprite and wonder where it all fit. Actually, I found the Sprite has a lot more leg room than a Corvette.

[rbowman]

I can't find a current article easily but

?While diesel cars and pickup trucks make up only three percent of the overall U.S. vehicle market, most analysts predict continued growth in the U.S., with many believing the diesel market will double by 2018.?

This is more current:

"It?s a small market?about 3 percent of the total US passenger vehicle fleet, about 7-8 million cars?but one VW dominates. In 2013, it reported it accounted for more than 70 percent of ?clean diesel? passenger vehicle sales. "

Extrapolating, the 40% figure may be right.

[rbowman]

Kind of puny shot glass... Maybe for a chick... (ducking)

[rbowman]

The reliability ratings haven't been that great but the ratings themselves can be unreliable. 'The bud vase is crooked' gets the same weight as 'the transmission dropped out on the pavement.' The Golf is the same platform and has better ratings leading some to suggest New Beetle drivers are pickier.

[Muggles]

That's good to hear about the safety rating.

[Muggles]

lol

[Muggles]

I hear good and bad stuff about every car I've considered buying.

[Stormin Mormon]

I wonder some times, with peoples vehicle choices.

As to advice for seniors: Drive several at the dealer lot, and choose what feels right for you.