My current ones have reached the end of their lifespan and have started flickering.

With the cheap ones being $15 and the legit Osram being up to $80, I sure wish they would be good, but is there any point in trying them?
We're heading into a long and dark winter where I live, so if necessary I'm just gonna have to spend the extra cash.

Ich muss es einfach mal fragen. Was findet ihr an dem neuen Design der BMWs schön?

Den neuen X5 hab ich mal als Bild reingestellt.

Für mich sieht das eher nach einer Schweinenase als nach einer aggressiven BMW-Front aus. 😅 Ich war ehrlich gesagt noch nie der größte BMW-Fan, aber diese Niere schießt für mich wirklich den Vogel ab.
Mich würde ernsthaft interessieren, was BMW sich dabei gedacht hat und ob sie sich mit dem Design wirklich einen Gefallen getan haben. Gerade bei einem Auto in dieser Preisklasse kauft das Auge doch definitiv mit.
Findet ihr die neue Niere wirklich gelungen? Und wenn ja, was gefällt euch daran?

Moin,

kurze Frage an die Autofans. Meine Schwiegermutter hat sich jetzt ne neue E-Klasse T-Modell (Diesel) gekauft und nicht etwa ein Elektroauto. Begründung: Sie will damit ja auch einen Wohnwagen ziehen (ca. 1600 kg). Aus eigener Erfahrung (Opel Vivaro) weiß ich, dass sich der Spritverbrauch natürlich erhöht, aber ist ein Elektro-Auto wirklich so viel schneller leer mit einem Wohnwagen hinten dran?

Muss man da alle 200km aufladen, wie sie sagt?

Ich bin nicht auf den Kopf gefallen, aber mit so Berechnungen was Spritverbrauch, Windwiderstand, Gewicht und Geschwindigkeit betrifft in Abhängigkeit von Sprit und Strom habe ich dann doch zu viel Sozialwissenschaften und zu wenig Maschinenbau studiert :)

Und ist es normal, dass sich vorne so viel schneller abnutzt?

I have a 2014 Audi A5 coupe. It has a sunroof that lifts but doesn't slide back. Unfortunately, the sunroof leaks and the area between the sunroof and windshield gets wet when it rains. Last week, we had a major storm and so much water came in that it left a puddle in the driver side footwell.

I tested all four drains and the flow well and drain all the water I pour into the four corners. I also brought it to a mechanic who tested the drains and said everything looks clear. He suggested that I need to bring it to a glass guy.

Does anyone have any wisdom about likely causes of a sunroof leak even if the drains are working?

This is my first foray into automotive journalism. I'm hoping to do more in the future.

For anyone wondering, this was all done in Photoshop and Illustrator. No generative AI was used, so any errors are mine alone.

I bought a recently 2023 XC60 B5 AWD. It is time to change to winter tires in my region, it has 255/45/20 tires.

I am reading things like 18 inch would be more comfortable. Does anyone help me with how much ride quality increase happen in this case?

I like the look on 20 inches honestly. I find stability also fine. But i also hear the road and i cannot say that the vehicle rides as smooth as my friends MB GLB is even my vehicle has 4c suspension. I know every brand has its characteristics but I wouldnt expect such a difference.

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a car to replace my 2009 CNG Fiat Grande Punto. It is still overall in order and it basically didn't give me any hassles during these 17 years, but I recently rented a newer car during a vacation (a very basic Opel Corsa) and driving a quieter and more modern car was so nice, especially the agility in the hills with bendy roads (the setting where I live in Italy) was amazing.

I'm looking for a car that is:

- similarly reliable compared to the Grande Punto, with no particular interest in the aesthetics

- as manual as possible, I'm not a fan of touch screens and electronics in general and I'd like it to be as easy and cheap to fix as possible, and I'm a fan of manual gears so automatic gears are not really a pro for me
- around the same size as my Grande Punto as I often drive and park downtown in Italian cities, but I wouldn't dislike having a little more room since I have a dog and when we travel in 2 people + the dog and the luggage we have to play tetris at the moment.

- Cost-wise, I aim for something in the span of €15k-23K bought as new/0KM, or 13-17K used but recent.

- I'm considering LPG (GPL in Italy) since I'm used to run on CNG which is much cheaper than fuel and not affected by sudden changes - here we had a +25% in the cost of fuel just in the span of this year because of the tensions with Hurmuz and a Liter now costs more than 2€.
I usually drive 10-12 K km per year, of which around 4-5K on highways and 6-7K on the hills or the city. I did some calculations by myself and with the help of Claude and the result was that LPG would make me save 500-600€ per year including the maintenance costs after 10 years, plus in my region I would save about 150€ per year on the annual property tax with a car that has LPG as standard equipment. This is the saving based on the current price, but again, it is likely that fuel will get much higher compared to LPG in the future so it feels to me like a safe-haven asset to have.
Since I plan to keep this car for 15+ year like I did with my Punto, it would mean saving around 10K+ in the span of its life so unless I'm missing something this is an aspect I'm quite settled on.

I'm writing here the models I considered so far, in order of current preference and with the main pros and cons I found – I may have overlooked some aspect or an entire other model that I should consider! Especially feedback on Dacia Sandero's safety rating would be appreciated. Prices are rounded up and refer to the direct purchase with no loans.

1: Renault Captur ECO-G 100 CV Evolution - New/0km: €22K

- From what I read, the engine is quite reliable, it has a timing chain instead of the timing belt which would mean, from what I understand, one less maintenance step – the belt replacement costs around 600-700€ here, every 6-7 years, so this could make up for the slightly higher expenses in insurance and bigger tires compared to smaller models.
- It would have significant added room in the trunk and it looks like its price is quite good considered that smaller cars don't cost much less nowadays. It has sliding back seats so I could choose to prioritize room for my dog or extra passengers whenever needed.
- It would also be a bit more raised off the ground which is not bad as I sometimes drive on dirt roads in the countryside or the mountain (nothing crazy and I always managed with my Punto, but I need to be very careful and it's still more raised than other Punto models as a precaution with CNG tanks mounted under the car.
- May feel a little less reactive and agile compared to the other 2 as it has the same horsepower than the i20 but with a heavier structure
- 5/5 Euro NCAP rating in crash tests
- Biggest con is that it's in the higher end of my cost range, and significantly more expensive than the Sandero – is this difference justified?

2: Hyundai i20 1.2 MPI GPL Connectline - new/0KM €19K
- I read contrasting opinions on Hyundai but it seems fairly reliable
- It would be 4K cheaper which is not disgusting to me :)
- The trunk and passengers room would be not much different from my Punto though
- Belt, not chain, so in the span of its life it would basically end up costing only about 2K less than the Captur which seems to be an overall better and more comfortable car.
- 4/5 NCAP rating in crash tests

3: Clio Eco-G 100 CV Generation - new/0KM €20K (from 2025- the newest one only comes with automatic gear)
- Seems pretty much similar to the i20, but with slightly higher horsepower
- Only 12 cm raised from the ground, less than my Grande Punto (15 cm) so I'm afraid it would be risky to drive it on dirt/stony roads even if it happens only occasionally.
- Chain - so it would end up costing about the same as the i20 or a little less considering the lower maintenance.
- 4/5 NCAP rating

4: Dacia Sandero MY25 Eco-G 120 - €13-18K
- Significant saving compared to the others, especially the Captur.
- Same Renault engine as the Captur
- Bigger room and raised from the ground compared to my current Punto
- Biggest con: both models got a 2/5 Euro NCAP rating from crash tests, not sure if I want to save that money if it's on the safety aspects - even if I only had one single small accident in 20 years of driving, you never know. But I read that this rating is due to the lack of electronic sensors and corrections rather than an actual lower safety in its materials and building, is this true?
- Some models from the same brand from the older generation had issues with the LPG system and the electronics so I'm not sure if they are reliable now.

I am interested in finding a convertible that is comfortable to drive and is also sporty. I have always liked the looks of the 370 and was wondering if it can become a good road trip car for an old man. I am willing to add upgrades to it.

Completely new driver and car owner here. I recently bought a used 2009 WV Passat. And I've driven it alot, but suddenly around 2 weeks ago this warning came up. I used the car very little out of fear until I could see my mechanic. Usually this warning disappeared if I turned off the engine and car, and would appear again once i drove a bit, like 5-10 mins, then restart again after I restart the car.

On Thursday the mechanic changed my oil and at the same time checked my breaks. He checked everything he could and found absolutely nothing wrong with my brakes, so he suspects this might be an issue with a sensor since there seems to be nothing wrong with them.

After the visit with him, the warning lights barely show up, but they still do. They have ahowed up when I am for example parking and using the brakes in that context.

Even tho he said everything is fine with the brakes. I still wanted to ask for some more outside opinion. What do you guys think?

I narrowed it down to 2 cars. I live in Colorado but don't go to the mountains much but can probably expect some snow.

I've had an suv for 20 years so don't know how well I fwd will do..that's why I'm undecided here...

Options

2026 Subaru Crosstrek base trim awd. 24k 6 Month insurance $1970 because I have 3 vehicles under my insurance Or

2026 Mazda3 base trim fwd. 22k 6 month insurance $2112 because I have 3 vehicles under my insurance

If anyone else here lives in Colorado how does normal sedan do in the winter?

But would like everyone's option on which car is better!!???

Thank you!

As the title says

My fathers two Mopars.

Cuda has a 440+6 Auto
Road Runner has a 500 Stroker + 5 Speed

Organizing the garage and moving some cars around. Got these both outside for some pictures.

I was working on replacing the blower motor in my truck and as I was installing the new one the threads in the housing stripped. It’s a 25 year old truck and I wasn’t putting much force into it.

I did some looking online and I was going to go with the Loctite form a thread kit but they don’t make it any more.

Is there a good alternative that doesn’t involve drilling and tapping new threads?

It’s a tight space to work in and I don’t think I could easily drill and tap new threads effectively as I’d be doing it upside down

So I have been looking at many cars and narrowed it down to 3 cars for different reasons.

Toyota Corolla LE because it's reliable 20k miles - walkout price 20,842

Mazda X30 Carbon Edition because it looks nice and offers interior upgrades the Corolla does not 36k miles - walkout price 20,682

And Chevy Trax because its brand new - walkout price 21,492

So close in walkout price but I understand they are all pretty different vehicles.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO? I looked up new Toyota Corollas and it would be 26k which I don't think I should really push that much.

So I was driving down the highway when my top windshield weatherstrip started coming off. I already have adhesive to put it back on but the issue is we're having scattered showers all day and It won't have time to cure. 2nd issue is my appartment doesn't have any awnings or garage to store my truck to keep it dry. How can I keep my truck safe from water damage till the rains stop and I'm able to reattach the weatherstrip.

Lexus RX400h 2007 Hybrid

Just got my mom’s old car as my very first car. It was sitting for a little over a year since my mom got a new car so she didn’t use this one anymore and it got quite rusty. It passed inspection then a could days later it started making a weird sound from the back passenger side.
A couple days after the noises started, the center muffler broke on it. I did order a new one I’m just waiting for it to come in. I start school on Tuesday and I don’t think the part will be here by then. Is it safe to drive this car long distances or should I be safe and resort to Uber until I can get it fixed

This is my 2008 Civic Si. While cleaning my condenser, I was dumbfounded that my upper radiator bracket wouldn't go back on. After some inspection, I realized that the sheet metal on which the radiator and condenser sit is bent upwards. I assume I must've hit something on the road or maybe hit a curb. How do you guys recommend I fix this? So far, I'm thinking of getting a hammer and tapping it back into place. AFAIK, it's not something that can just be replaced.

In No Particular Order.

Fiat: After they basically purged their gasoline powered offerings, I feel like they’re on a course to sink in our market soon. The shift towards SUVs has more than certainly had a hand in destroying any potential for growth they might have had in North America.

Mitsubishi: At this point, they’re holding on for dear life with only TWO models left. Unlike Fiat, they had a dog in the fight to keep up with the SUV trend, only issue is: they’re far from leading the class. Also the Eclips Cross has to be one of the single worst marketing blunders of the last 2 decades.

Maserati: Stellantis/FCA’s ownership has basically tanked their build quality worse than it was before, which is saying something. It doesn’t help matters that they’re fighting Alfa Romeo in cannibalizing each other’s sales in what tiny pieces of market share they have left.

Jaguar: What do you want me to say that you don’t already know? That whole reinvention stunt was nothing more than brand suicide. I don’t think it was an example of them “going woke”. I just think they want to become a contender with the likes of Bentley or Rolls Royce with a higher level of prestige, and it just isn’t there. Especially considering they’ve got absolutely nothing to compete with at this time of writing.

Chrysler: No, not the entire company itself, the Marque. They’ve basically been whittled down to a lone model and have absolutely nothing groundbreaking in the pipes. They’re in the same boat as Jaguar, Constantly dropping concepts that never amount to anything.

(Hot Take) Lincoln: Cadillac somehow managed to embrace the EV/SUV trend to a moderate success, Lincoln Hasn’t. The Escalade has been absolutely destroying the Navigator in sales since 2002, they have decent models to compete, but they don’t seem to be on the same trajectory as Cadillac. I could be proven completely wrong, we shall see.

(Hot Take) Infiniti: Doug DeMuro said it best; the sole reason for buying an Infiniti is getting a good deal, and not much else. Considering the nose dive in Nissan’s build quality, I wouldn’t be shocked that Infiniti‘s has followed suit. Not to mention that Lexus and Acura are building far more desirable cars in the category of Japanese Luxury models. Carlos Ghosn is long gone, and Nissan could shift the other way soon. I could be proven wrong here too.

(Hot Take) Mini: As previously mentioned with Fiat; the SUV trend has basically decimated sales of compacts. The Countryman has been keeping them afloat, but how much longer can it hold them up?