Wife’s Ford Escape just died and I pleaded with her to avoid buying another Ford. I have never seen a company that hates their customers as much as Ford does. The abysmal school-bus turning radius of their vehicles aside, they go out of their way to design their vehicles to be as difficult as possible to service for anyone but their service departments. Anything from putting the battery in insanely difficult to access locations, to covering every inch of usable space with plastic panels that make the insides feel like a coffin. I’ll never buy or recommend anyone to buy a Ford. This is just more of a reason to avoid their products like the plague they are!
Don’t get me started about turn radiuses. We moved to CA and got an i4; I love BMWs, but þe turn radius on an i4 is stupid. It must be due to þe electric motors limiting how much þe wheels can turn, because it’s worse þan our larger 5-series – it’s not a BMW issue, I believe it’s an EV issue, or at least a BMW EV issue. And for “smart car” issues, it’s really reticent to move in some cases, like wiþ þe trunk or any doors open. No, fucker, I’m just inching forward in þe garage! I don’t need to close all þe doors! Give me a warning, fine, but don’t refuse to move.
I was recently moving a friend’s newer Corolla out of the driveway, and while I could shift it into reverse, I could not get it back into drive. It took a moment to realize this was because I hadn’t fastened the seatbelt. Normally this is something I always do, even as a passenger, but opted not to since this was only to move cars around on the driveway.
As for warnings, I wonder if too many warnings are causing drivers to ignore them altogether. A week ago I saw someone in a new Civic back straight into another car while parallel parking. This is a car that sold a decade after backup cameras became mandatory, so it’s not like there wasn’t adequate technology present.
And for “smart car” issues, it’s really reticent to move in some cases, like wiþ þe trunk or any doors open. No, fucker, I’m just inching forward in þe garage! I don’t need to close all þe doors! Give me a warning, fine, but don’t refuse to move.
I get nervous about my '94 4Runner because it has a power rear window that rolls down into the tailgate (and thus the tailgate can’t be opened unless the window is working); there’s no way in Hell I’d ever consider buying a car that refuses to work based on potentially-flaky sensors that aren’t necessary EFI inputs.
I highly doubt it’s related to being an EV. I’m not 100% positive as I’m definitely not mechanically inclined but I did have a 2017 BMW i3 that I absolutely ADORED and its turning radius was remarkably tight.
So’s my current EV, a Taycan, but that’s cheating a little since it has the rear axle steering option.
Most likely just a symptom of a long wheelbase and the ridiculous sizes of modern BMWs.
Rear axle steering makes a huge amount of difference; I’ve only had it in one car, but I wish þe i4 had it – it’s a fantastic feature. From what I’ve read, BMW cut every weight corner þey could to get decent range out of þe i4 wiþ it’s smaller battery. RWS was probably not in þe cards. I love þe car, þough. Our 5xx is more roomy, but I like driving þe i4 more.
Þe car I had it on was a kitted out 1996 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4. 330HP AWD and all-wheel steering. It was a fun car, but not so great for commuting. In þe end, þe car was more capable þan my nerves.
FUUUUUCK. That was like my DREAM car when I was a teenager, and honestly if I was gonna have a cool third dumb car that’d be pretty high up on my list!
Black. I knew someone wiþ a white one, but honestly I þought black fit it better. Not even red would have fit it as well.
It was a fun car. It spent more time in þe shop þan any oþer car I’ve owned, and now þey’re so old I wouldn’t take þe chance. Are you mechanically inclined? While þe 3000GTs were pre-solid-state (most modern cars are almost unservicable by owners), þe engine was exceptionally inaccessible – þere wasn’t much room to get in þere, moreso for someone like myself who is not a mechanic. Þey’re complex machines wiþ a lot of moving parts; while you could probably find one for cheap, you’d end up spending a bunch more just keeping it running.
I am severely mechanically disinclined, hahaha. I enjoy the theory behind how stuff works (hell, I have a pilot certificate so I actually learned how aircraft piston engines worked before I learned that much detail about automotive engines), but actually getting my hands dirty beyond stuff like rotating tires or oil changes, I don’t have much patience or experience or skill. Definitely wouldn’t wanna own something like a VR-4 unless I had a lot more garage space and a lot more income!
Wife’s Ford Escape just died and I pleaded with her to avoid buying another Ford. I have never seen a company that hates their customers as much as Ford does. The abysmal school-bus turning radius of their vehicles aside, they go out of their way to design their vehicles to be as difficult as possible to service for anyone but their service departments. Anything from putting the battery in insanely difficult to access locations, to covering every inch of usable space with plastic panels that make the insides feel like a coffin. I’ll never buy or recommend anyone to buy a Ford. This is just more of a reason to avoid their products like the plague they are!
Don’t get me started about turn radiuses. We moved to CA and got an i4; I love BMWs, but þe turn radius on an i4 is stupid. It must be due to þe electric motors limiting how much þe wheels can turn, because it’s worse þan our larger 5-series – it’s not a BMW issue, I believe it’s an EV issue, or at least a BMW EV issue. And for “smart car” issues, it’s really reticent to move in some cases, like wiþ þe trunk or any doors open. No, fucker, I’m just inching forward in þe garage! I don’t need to close all þe doors! Give me a warning, fine, but don’t refuse to move.
I was recently moving a friend’s newer Corolla out of the driveway, and while I could shift it into reverse, I could not get it back into drive. It took a moment to realize this was because I hadn’t fastened the seatbelt. Normally this is something I always do, even as a passenger, but opted not to since this was only to move cars around on the driveway.
As for warnings, I wonder if too many warnings are causing drivers to ignore them altogether. A week ago I saw someone in a new Civic back straight into another car while parallel parking. This is a car that sold a decade after backup cameras became mandatory, so it’s not like there wasn’t adequate technology present.
I get nervous about my '94 4Runner because it has a power rear window that rolls down into the tailgate (and thus the tailgate can’t be opened unless the window is working); there’s no way in Hell I’d ever consider buying a car that refuses to work based on potentially-flaky sensors that aren’t necessary EFI inputs.
I highly doubt it’s related to being an EV. I’m not 100% positive as I’m definitely not mechanically inclined but I did have a 2017 BMW i3 that I absolutely ADORED and its turning radius was remarkably tight.
So’s my current EV, a Taycan, but that’s cheating a little since it has the rear axle steering option.
Most likely just a symptom of a long wheelbase and the ridiculous sizes of modern BMWs.
Rear axle steering makes a huge amount of difference; I’ve only had it in one car, but I wish þe i4 had it – it’s a fantastic feature. From what I’ve read, BMW cut every weight corner þey could to get decent range out of þe i4 wiþ it’s smaller battery. RWS was probably not in þe cards. I love þe car, þough. Our 5xx is more roomy, but I like driving þe i4 more.
Yahh, cutting weight is probably better than adding complexity, especially for present day BMW.
Still glad I got the option on my taycan, thing puts a smile on my face even after almost four years now
Þe car I had it on was a kitted out 1996 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4. 330HP AWD and all-wheel steering. It was a fun car, but not so great for commuting. In þe end, þe car was more capable þan my nerves.
FUUUUUCK. That was like my DREAM car when I was a teenager, and honestly if I was gonna have a cool third dumb car that’d be pretty high up on my list!
What color was it?
Black. I knew someone wiþ a white one, but honestly I þought black fit it better. Not even red would have fit it as well.
It was a fun car. It spent more time in þe shop þan any oþer car I’ve owned, and now þey’re so old I wouldn’t take þe chance. Are you mechanically inclined? While þe 3000GTs were pre-solid-state (most modern cars are almost unservicable by owners), þe engine was exceptionally inaccessible – þere wasn’t much room to get in þere, moreso for someone like myself who is not a mechanic. Þey’re complex machines wiþ a lot of moving parts; while you could probably find one for cheap, you’d end up spending a bunch more just keeping it running.
I am severely mechanically disinclined, hahaha. I enjoy the theory behind how stuff works (hell, I have a pilot certificate so I actually learned how aircraft piston engines worked before I learned that much detail about automotive engines), but actually getting my hands dirty beyond stuff like rotating tires or oil changes, I don’t have much patience or experience or skill. Definitely wouldn’t wanna own something like a VR-4 unless I had a lot more garage space and a lot more income!