Disney maintenance crashed our car at Epcot

TheMillenniumRider:

Why would anyone buy a small suv instead of a hatchback?

Not everyone gives a crap about performance (obviously). My wife, for example, feels much more comfortable driving while seated higher off the ground. Visibility and all that. We just traded her 2013 VW Tiguan (for a larger 2018) in October that wasn't much bigger than a GTI inside (or out, really). Same engine, more weight, a little higher up. Fun to drive, even.

She and I have very different preferences when it comes to the vehicles we drive. She likes room (for kids and stuff), all wheel drive, higher off the road, automatic transmission. I prefer smaller, lighter, closer to the ground, manual transmission. You mentioned the Miata, that was my favorite car I've ever owned. And currently I have a Scion tC (automatic, unfortunately, so the wife can drive it), and a Triumph TR7 for fun. Oh, and a VW Jetta that I need to get rid of because it won't start. Love German (over)engineering...when it works. When it inexplicably stops working, I despise it. The 2018 Tiguan may be our last VW.

Back to your question I quoted, I had a Mazdaspeed 3 for a decade, and I recall test driving a CX-3 several years ago with a friend of mine who was looking for a small SUV. That thing made no sense to me; it was 3 inches taller than a regular 3, but smaller in every dimension inside and out (same rear cargo space but seating area felt much more cramped). Same engine but less power and torque, about the same weight (50ish lbs. less). Smaller gas tank and worse gas mileage. More expensive to own and maintain than the 3. The only possible reason I could ever see for picking the CX-3 over the 3 is if you prefer sitting a couple inches higher.

My friend ended up getting a CX-5. No surprise the CX-3 was dropped in the US after 6 years (and Canada after 7).

Wow, TR7... my dad had one of those when I was growing up. Scared the crap out of me, because he fancied himself a race car driver, which he was briefly on a semi-pro rally circuit. Until he crashed.

That's awesome. I live 5 minutes from a motorsports park with 3 racetracks, it's one of the reasons I moved here 10 years ago. I have yet to drive on it, but it's a goal. Not in the TR7, though, it's a convertible with no roll bar/cage (and in too-nice condition to be more than a street car).

Note the cardboard underneath. General rule for British cars is, if it isn't leaking oil, it's empty.

I ditto what Vater said above. My wife is short and likes sitting higher up.

I admit I do laugh at the guys (usually) who drive bigass pickup trucks back and forth to their office jobs, the beds never see anything but groceries. A complete waste of space and money. SUVs, while I dislike them myself (although not as much as I dislike minivans,) badly get lumped in to one category of huge-ass gas hogs. But not all SUVs are a lifted Suburban. There are legit reasons to have one, and my wife's RAV4 gets about twice the gas mileage of my A4. (It's also half as much fun to drive, so screw that.)

I drove a Ferrari 458 Italia on a local race track once. It was incredible, but unfortunately the trunk is way too small for my luggage so I didn't buy it.

That's precisely the reason I haven't bought any supercar. They're just so impractical.

I'm not one to vehicle shame for whatever reason, but the sheer number of giant, oversized, don't fit in the parking spots, Rocky Ridge, F4-kajillion, Tundra-****ing, extended-extended cab, 8 wheeled, 12 foot tall monstrosities I have to work around to get in or out of the parking garage of our high rise in a f'n major downtown metro area makes me realizes that, well, stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason sometimes.

And they move all the time. So it's like the daily driver for these people. Suddenly I'm Mr. Practicality.

That brings me joy. Also, RAV4 is basically a tall Corolla. :)

I see that in my parking garage at work. Zig zagging to miss the extended pickups/SUVs on the way in and out of the garage. And if two are parked across each other, two cars can't pass at the same time. Going around corners in a car I need a periscope to see if anyone is driving the other way. Garage services some downtown hotels but its mainly daily commuters.

Lord Gonchar:

I'm not one to vehicle shame for whatever reason

Yeah, same (although I understand the aggravation with your situation). When someone's question begins with "why would they need--", I tune out. It's not exclusively with vehicles, either; it can be most anything. Why? Because it's not my damn business why they need it...or even if they need it.

The giant pickup thing is something that seems to really piss people off (for more than just sticking out of spaces in parking garages). Not that it matters, but how does one know the beds are never used for more than groceries? I almost bought a pickup before getting the Scion, I've been wanting one since I moved here (it's practically a requirement in WV). I don't particularly like driving them, I just need one for those times I have to run to Home Depot for large home improvement stuff. The bed would likely get any real use maybe a handful of days per year. Those other days when I'm theoretically transporting only myself, are people judging me because the bed is empty?

Vater:

When someone's question begins with "why would they need--", I tune out. It's not exclusively with vehicles, either; it can be most anything. Why? Because it's not my damn business why they need it...or even if they need it.

Quoting because I can't like it more than once.

In fairness, our garage has a **** ton of charging spots that are always in use too. Almost exclusively Teslas per my observations. I tend to see a lot of Rivians around here too, but that might be because there's a Rivian store downtairs. 🙄

Regradless, whether you're driving the biggest Redneck Deluxe or the sleekest space car in the garage, they're mostly high-priced status vehicles that I just pull my hat brim low (Did I mention trucker hats are standard issue when establishing residency here? It's a whole thing.) and sulk by in the cheapest car in the entire garage making little "vroom vroom!" noises to myself.

But, you know, I'm not judging or anything.

Vater:

Not that it matters, but how does one know the beds are never used for more than groceries?

Oh, I had a specific former co-worker in mind who I'm convinced doesn't even know what a screwdriver does. I doubt he even got groceries in it, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

And I'm judging ALL of you.

Maybe it's regional, but I don't see how anyone with a Tesla could think that they're special. I mean, they sold 650k cars in the US alone last year. There are at least six that I'm aware of on my block. They didn't start out as status cars, they were the domain of the hippy technology enthusiasts that bought a Prius some years before. And if they were status cars, that ship has sailed.

They think they are, we have a dude at work who does nothing other than talk about that Tesla like it is some badge of honor. Dude, it is a run of the mill mass market electric car. But you better know he drives a Tesla.

Also, why does it seem like every Tesla owner needs to have some custom license plate as well? Many of them with some gas reference.

Those are definitely the OG drivers. My Prius plate was NOT N SUV. Yep, I was that guy. 🙂

Jeff:

Maybe it's regional, but I don't see how anyone with a Tesla could think that they're special. I mean, they sold 650k cars in the US alone last year. There are at least six that I'm aware of on my block. They didn't start out as status cars...

I think price and exclusivity are two different things. I use "status" to mean cost.

It's a good mix of models down there. I'd agree on the base 3. As far as the Y (or long-range 3), maybe. I mean, is a $50k car something people aspire to? Probably depends on who you ask.

I think the S and X are absolutely status symbol vehicles. I have no doubt most of the trucks I'm bitching about are in a comparable price range. Which was most of my joke.

My car was fun 13 years ago because of the exclusivity. Those first 5th-gen Camaros drew so much attention early on. As soon as everyone realized how cheaply they could be had, they were everywhere - ushering in a new generation of mulleted, marlboroed, mustachioed, muscle-shirted dirtbags. Of which, I ride with proudly...but not exclusively.

Vater:

Not everyone gives a crap about performance (obviously). My wife, for example

Yes, as it seems, size matters yet again…

TheMillenniumRider:

Also, why does it seem like every Tesla owner needs to have some custom license plate as well? Many of them with some gas reference.

This. IDFWGAS, LOL GAS, LOL OIL, etc. I mostly use Facebook for silly groups, and Smug Tesla Platespotting is one of them.

Of course, I have mixed feelings because I strongly believe that everyone should have personalized plates. If you're forced to put a giant thing that breaks up the lines of your car, at least make it your own. Myself, wife and son all have plates of our favorite bands.

And just to counter myself even more, to this day I maintain one of the best plates I ever saw was Prius that said SMG LBRL. I mean, this person had the balls to own the stereotype and deflect the hate before it could even be thrown.

With the fed tax credit, the base Y is cheaper than the 3 at the moment (the new 3 batteries aren't made in the US, so no credit). Inventory Y's start around $37k, which doesn't seem like a status car, but maybe I'm an out-of-touch 2%'er (if that's even a thing). But price and exclusivity are related. When I had an S, there weren't a ton of them around at first. I only had it a few years because the cost was stupid, and the 3 made so much more sense.

My FB friends may be familiar with the harassment I endured to buy a Porsche Taycan to replace the wrecked car. That would be exclusive and status. But how silly would it be for a guy to buy one, even if I could afford it (I guess I technically could), when I've had two cars totaled in the last three years, three if you count back to Christmas Eve 2011. Things on wheels with other drivers around are always at risk. I got just barely scuffed by a moronic driver with my first new car at age 22. Even if I had F-you money, I'm not sure I could justify spending more on a car. YMMV.

Jeff:

Things on wheels with other drivers around are always at risk.

Especially in Central Florida. I have considered starting a Youtube channel with daily videos of the dumb sh!t my dash cam sees on my way to work.