Topic: Let it all hang out,tell us how you really feel and what pisses you off.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Sean, and everyone else who've given me pointers on how to use technology to continue to enjoy my wonderful tapes. After another 1000 mile week I've just about decided that sadly my Subaru is coming to the end of it's useful long distance life, so I'm going to have to make a decision soon regarding what I'm going to replace it with.

With my new job I'm paying almost as much in tax as I was earning in my last job, so I'm going to lease a car and "Salary Sacrifice" the lease, so as to reduce my taxable income.  I'm hooked on 4 wheel drive cars so maybe another Subaru would be good, but I'm 6'4" tall, so would like an "SUV" style vehicle that I don't have to fold myself in and out of, like I do with my Liberty. (Legacy in the US) A bit more leg room would be nice too.

I'm not a Toyota HiLux fan, I've had 2 of them and while they're a great truck, they're a crap car. I really liked the Ford Ranger work truck that I had for the last couple of years, it was quite comfy, and with amazing fuel economy (2.2 litre turbo diesel) but with the worst turbo-lag I've ever experienced, I've almost been wiped out several times when I've entered a "T" intersection, gone to turn left or right and when I've attempted to accelerate away, nothing. Fcuk! Also, I don't want a truck, and I don't want a really big vehicle that'll be hard to park. Anyway, whatever I get will have a CD player, so I'll upload all my old tapes onto CD's. Cheers, Terry.      

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, they where days Tez.
Back then if you paid more than a dollar a cc for a Honda Four you where getting ripped.
We built a couple of sidecar chassis and bolted a new fridge body on em every year.

I can't remember ever getting one back home in one piece. 

Cheers,
Brian

Ha ha, yeah mate, I've got some old photo's I must scan into the computer of some of the crazy things I saw at the Mountain Brian, like the guy doing donuts on his mate's new CB1100R with "Bathurst or Bust" rattle canned on the carbon fibre fairing, then repeatedly dropping it while his mate watched on, stoned off his face, or the naked girl sitting backwards on a Honda trike, being followed by more and more guys on bikes until she disappeared. (I saw her again the next morning and she looked like she was full, she even had a runny nose to prove it..........) Or the remains of the Channel 7 Falcon wagon that the film crew parked in the middle of the donut ring and told the boys to "go for it" so they could film the "riots" and sell some advertising space. My first K1 that I rode up to the mountain in 1983 cost me 300 bucks, and that was with a crashed K0 thrown in. I wish I still had them both.

[petercb750]

Tez if you get tired of trying to find somewhere to keep all your extra cash, I'll happily send you my bank details. It'll be safe with me. ...

[Terry in Australia]

Tez if you get tired of trying to find somewhere to keep all your extra cash, I'll happily send you my bank details. It'll be safe with me. ...

Hey thanks Pete, that'd be great mate, the bloody roof keeps coming off the money bin and the neighbours are complaining about picking up all the 50's and 100's blowing across their lawns, the whiners, so yeah, it'd be beaut if you'd look after a few bales of used notes for me?

Anyway, I just did a comparison of all the mid range AWD SUV's, (no, I'm not going to take it off road, I've still got my "Exploder" for that sort of work, I just like the idea of some extra traction on wet roads) and as the Jeep Cherokee is the only one with a 6 cylinder engine (the rest are only 4 pot screamers) I think it's just made the top of my wish-list. The amazing thing is that the missus doesn't seem to mind me leasing a new car? Just as well I haven't told her about my new (to me) Harley............

[trueblue]

Terry, before you buy a Jeep make sure you are happy with their build quality or more to the point, lack thereof.  I haven't personally seen too many major issues with them, but to be honest their interiors are crap.  The plastics fall apart after a couple of years, and the cut on the fabric for the seats is atrocious. 

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Andrew, I'm guessing they've improved out of all sight of late, the two reports I just read about the MY15 models both compliment their level of trim, fit and finish etc compared to their Japanese rivals. I won't be getting a used one, and I probably won't have it that long anyway due to my 1000 mile weekly commute, so if it's no good I'll get another car, I guess? But hey, I haven't even taken one for a test ride yet, so I'm probably putting the cart before the horse, ha ha! Cheers, Terry.

[petercb750]

Tez, I know a multi franchise dealer over here who dropped jeep after about 6mths (this only about 2mths ago) due to the number of new cars coming back on tilt trays, lack of spares and factory backup. Had a major biffo with the factory suits but won. I know a couple of techs at that dealership and they said they are a pos, would come in for repair and sit for weeks, and are to be avoided.
Just sayin.

Hard to go past a prado in the suv range. Mazda cx5 diesel are very good too.

[Terry in Australia]

Fark! I was hoping to avoid getting a Jap car Pete, 'cause I don't like Japs, I wouldn't buy a BMW or Land Rover because of their dodgy electrics and warranty problems, so what's left? Another Ford Ranger? Poop............

[trueblue]

Well a ford ranger is Japanese. It is a mazda after all.

[Terry in Australia]

Well a ford ranger is Japanese. It is a mazda after all.

That's it, I'm buying an Amarok................
 

[petercb750]

Fark! I was hoping to avoid getting a Jap car Pete, 'cause I don't like Japs, I wouldn't buy a BMW or Land Rover because of their dodgy electrics and warranty problems, so what's left? Another Ford Ranger? Poop............

Yeh, rangers are bt50's.
You don't like japs?....honda, subaru....what's going on there mate?

[petercb750]

Well a ford ranger is Japanese. It is a mazda after all.

That's it, I'm buying an Amarok................

By the time you option up the VW to get it to decent specs you could have bought 2 x cx5.....well  nearly.

[Terry in Australia]

Fark! I was hoping to avoid getting a Jap car Pete, 'cause I don't like Japs, I wouldn't buy a BMW or Land Rover because of their dodgy electrics and warranty problems, so what's left? Another Ford Ranger? Poop............

Yeh, rangers are bt50's.
You don't like japs?....honda, subaru....what's going on there mate?

Yeah, it's a bit Irish I know Pete, I just don't like the current crop of Jap cars, the new Subaru's look crap, the Mazda is probably the best of the lot, but I was quite taken with the Jeep before you and Andrew pissed in my weaties............

[petercb750]

Haha sorry mate, it's only cos we love you like a brother 

[petercb750]

My mrs had a cx5 diesel, top of the range, was a good car. For some reason known only to herself she took it in for 30k service and came home with a new mazda6 diesel wagon.....still a good car but it pissed me off.

[Terry in Australia]

He speaking of brotherly love, I'll be in Adelaide the last week in October, maybe we'll catch up? I'm doing some logistics training in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide next month, it's a pity the company is flying me everywhere, would have been a great ride.........

[Terry in Australia]

My mrs had a cx5 diesel, top of the range, was a good car. For some reason known only to herself she took it in for 30k service and came home with a new mazda6 diesel wagon.....still a good car but it pissed me off.

Yeah, that would have pissed me off too Pete, what's up with your missus making decisions anyway? Next she'll be wanting to wear shoes, and probably bloody vote!

[MoMo]

I have two Cherokees Terry and I haven't been pissed off since I bought them  used, one has 260000 and the other 160000. As mentioned the interior finish leaves a bit to be desired but both have been fairly reliable...Larry

[petercb750]

He speaking of brotherly love, I'll be in Adelaide the last week in October, maybe we'll catch up? I'm doing some logistics training in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide next month, it's a pity the company is flying me everywhere, would have been a great ride.........

You bet!

[petercb750]

My mrs had a cx5 diesel, top of the range, was a good car. For some reason known only to herself she took it in for 30k service and came home with a new mazda6 diesel wagon.....still a good car but it pissed me off.

Yeah, that would have pissed me off too Pete, what's up with your missus making decisions anyway? Next she'll be wanting to wear shoes, and probably bloody vote!

I know. Sometimes she even tells me what to do. ....who would have thought that.
She's very independent. ....when it suits 

[Bailgang]

We had a whoopass storm go through last night, the wind was blowing so hard it roared almost sounding like a tornado. All kinds of thunder and lightning but I kept hearing loud crack sounds but no thunder followed and it dawned on me that the loud cracks sounds I was hearing wasn't thunder but instead a tree being ripped apart and it turned out to be my tree in the back yard. I had to wait till daylight to see the carnage but geez that wind sure tore my tree up and I'm pissed because now I have a mess to clean up.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Larry, my cousin had a Suzuki dealership back in the 1980's and even Suzuki , which had an excellent reputation for quality built bikes had a few recalls, so I don't know that Andrew and Pete have put me off completely, but I'll still listen to their advice, as they know what they're talking about. My nephew's got a Jeep Cherokee that his dad bought new and to my knowledge it's had no problems at all, but it's 30 years old, so not easy to compare to a new Cherokee. Cheers, Terry.

[petercb750]

Looks like you were lucky it missed the house!

[Bailgang]

I have two Cherokees Terry and I haven't been pissed off since I bought them  used, one has 260000 and the other 160000. As mentioned the interior finish leaves a bit to be desired but both have been fairly reliable...Larry

Cheap interior trim I think is pretty much the norm now days with American cars. Our 06 chevy cobalt has been very reliable so far but it's interior trim sucks.

[Bailgang]

Looks like you were lucky it missed the house!

It just missed the neighbors garage that's not in the pic to the left.