VROOM VROOM BEEP BEEP

[sharkythesharkdogg]

I drive a 2000 jaguar x type and have never crashed or gotten a ticket. I like to take tight turns without slowing down. This car could probably take a 120 degree turn at 90 miles an hour, but can be taken out by a fast moving bumble bee, and becomes difficult to drive at speeds over 70 miles an hour. at 75, a breeze will actually turn the car.

People are sort of surprised at the x-types because it's a Jaguar, but it doesn't have quite the pedigree of other Jags. It's supposed to be Jaguar's entry level sedan, so it's really a Ford Mondeo with extra gadgetry. I guess Jaguar thought entry level was 40k+ for nicely optioned one.

So it has a decent platform it's based of off, but it's more of a hybird. Still with the v6, and especially if you have 4 wheel drive, I'm surprised that you get blown around. Those are pretty heavy cars. Weird. Sorry.

Definitely that Bantam, much more unique and badass looking.

Thanks. I've always been fond of the ol' gal. Even if she is just an American Super 7. I've never driven it, so that's one reason I want to get it on the road again.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

NCG, you mentioned looking at a RX-7 in your area. It's a lot of the stuff I've covered before, but here's a little guide on what to look for specific to a rotary when thinking of purchasing it.

Just FYI.

[rubah]

My parents decided that they wanted a convertible and then bought a used Mazda Miata.

Then I drove it yesterday.

ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh no sports cars for me. I don't fit in them!

[Peegee]

My parents decided that they wanted a convertible and then bought a used Mazda Miata.

Then I drove it yesterday.

ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh no sports cars for me. I don't fit in them!

I have never wanted to visit your parents more than this moment.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

You either like the size or you don't, but if someone wants a sports car there's no better deal going than a Mazda Miata as far as pricing to fun factor/real actual sports car.

I love 'em.

[Polnareff]

I drive a crappy 1996 Plymouth Neon and it's pretty much falling apart in every way it can. Air conditioner's blown, the speakers are terrible quality, the speedometer and gas hand don't work, the thing leaks oil everywhere, and has really bad gas mileage (it's probably like 10 MPG, no lie.)

I strongly believe that the Neon is the Yugo of the Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler world. I haven't been proven wrong yet.

Before that I was driving my dad's 2006 Ford Taurus, until we had to give it back due to something that happened after he died. I hate driving big cars but at least everything in the car worked and it got great gas mileage.

[NorthernChaosGod]

NCG, you mentioned looking at a RX-7 in your area. It's a lot of the stuff I've covered before, but here's a little guide on what to look for specific to a rotary when thinking of purchasing it.

Just FYI.

Thanks! Now I may actually go take it for a test drive.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

I drive a crappy 1996 Plymouth Neon and it's pretty much falling apart in every way it can. Air conditioner's blown, the speakers are terrible quality, the speedometer and gas hand don't work, the thing leaks oil everywhere, and has really bad gas mileage (it's probably like 10 MPG, no lie.)

uuummmm, damn. Neons are completely boring econoboxes, but they aren't that bad usually. They're just typical appliance/point a to point b style commuter cars.

Does it have a check engine light? Is it waay down on power, or sluggish? It sounds like you have a bad catalytic converter or something along those lines. There's no reason for that little 4 cylinder to have such terrible gas mileage. Is the area around the exhaust really black?

[Polnareff]

Yep, the check engine light is always on. The area around the exhaust seems fine, but the problem here is, I can't afford to get the car fixed currently. I'm doing my damnedest to save to get it fixed though. And yeah, the car is pretty sluggish. I have to push the pedal down to the floor to even begin to get the car over a hill.

Two of my friends have much newer Neons (one has an '08, the other an '09) with some pretty bad problems akin to the ones mine is having. It's just strange and funny to see.

[Pike]

My car is a 2002 Toyota Corolla which I love dearly. I'm currently putting about 50 miles on it a day due to my job being 25 miles away, but it handles it with aplomb.

Overall it's been MUCH better to me than my last car, which was a 1992 Chrysler LeBaron which imploded on itself spectacularly about three or four years ago.

I love driving. It's one of my favorite things in the world. I drove from Montana to Washington recently when I moved, and I wasn't bored for a second.

[Shorty]

I strongly believe that the Neon is the Yugo of the Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler world. I haven't been proven wrong yet.

I'll contest that theory with the Plymouth Breeze.

I currently drive a 2003 white chevy blazer, but god I want this.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Yep, the check engine light is always on. The area around the exhaust seems fine, but the problem here is, I can't afford to get the car fixed currently. I'm doing my damnedest to save to get it fixed though. And yeah, the car is pretty sluggish. I have to push the pedal down to the floor to even begin to get the car over a hill.

Two of my friends have much newer Neons (one has an '08, the other an '09) with some pretty bad problems akin to the ones mine is having. It's just strange and funny to see.

Well, with out knowing what engine code/codes the thing is giving you it's all speculation, but my guess is that you have a faulty o2 sensor. The o2 sensor monitors exhaust emissions, and among other things, helps the engine computer maintain a proper air/fuel mixture for the engine. If the o2 is malfunctioning, the ECU (engine computer) might be telling the car to burn way more fuel than it really needs. This would obviously harm gas mileage, cause the car to become sluggish, and since it's no longer burning a clean mixture possibly cause the catalytic converter to fail.

Once the catalytic converter fails, the exhaust gases aren't cleaned properly, the o2 sensor gets an even MORE erroneous exhaust gas reading, and the ECU gives an even more improper air/fuel mixture. Plus a failed catalytic converter obstructs the flow of exhaust which makes the car lose power, and you guessed it, lose mpg's. It's like a perfect circle of crap.

But car's are complex little beasts, and it could be something completely different. A place like Advance Auto will read your engine code for free. While that won't give you a definite idea for a fix, it will at least get you pointed in the right direction. Free is good.

[NorthernChaosGod]

I strongly believe that the Neon is the Yugo of the Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler world. I haven't been proven wrong yet.

I'll contest that theory with the Plymouth Breeze.

I currently drive a 2003 white chevy blazer, but god I want this.

It looks like a partially aborted SUV.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

I strongly believe that the Neon is the Yugo of the Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler world. I haven't been proven wrong yet.

I'll contest that theory with the Plymouth Breeze.

I currently drive a 2003 white chevy blazer, but god I want this.

While those are all great candidates terrible cars, one of my favorites is the Plymouth PT Cruiser. It's built off of a Dodge Neon with bigger heavier body work making the cabin space a little more cramped, the car heavier and slower, and generally making it harder and more expensive to work on.

It's the greatest.....

[Polnareff]

Yep, the check engine light is always on. The area around the exhaust seems fine, but the problem here is, I can't afford to get the car fixed currently. I'm doing my damnedest to save to get it fixed though. And yeah, the car is pretty sluggish. I have to push the pedal down to the floor to even begin to get the car over a hill.

Two of my friends have much newer Neons (one has an '08, the other an '09) with some pretty bad problems akin to the ones mine is having. It's just strange and funny to see.

Well, with out knowing what engine code/codes the thing is giving you it's all speculation, but my guess is that you have a faulty o2 sensor. The o2 sensor monitors exhaust emissions, and among other things, helps the engine computer maintain a proper air/fuel mixture for the engine. If the o2 is malfunctioning, the ECU (engine computer) might be telling the car to burn way more fuel than it really needs. This would obviously harm gas mileage, cause the car to become sluggish, and since it's no longer burning a clean mixture possibly cause the catalytic converter to fail.

Once the catalytic converter fails, the exhaust gases aren't cleaned properly, the o2 sensor gets an even MORE erroneous exhaust gas reading, and the ECU gives an even more improper air/fuel mixture. Plus a failed catalytic converter obstructs the flow of exhaust which makes the car lose power, and you guessed it, lose mpg's. It's like a perfect circle of crap.

But car's are complex little beasts, and it could be something completely different. A place like Advance Auto will read your engine code for free. While that won't give you a definite idea for a fix, it will at least get you pointed in the right direction. Free is good.

Shoot, thanks for even taking the time to tell me any of this.

It sucks trying to keep gas in the car. I just filled it up two days ago and it's already down to half, and I haven't really been anywhere other than Hilliard which is only 3 miles away from here.

This problem could have been avoided if the dopes where we got the Taurus from 4 years ago would have allowed us to refinance the car. Could have sold the Neon and just kept the Taurus and there would have been no problems. I only got the Neon in the first place because I didn't feel right driving my dad's car (plus if I would have been in an accident in it, even if it wasn't my fault, both my parents would have held that over my head, so.....). But then things changed only a week after getting it, and I decided to try to keep the Taurus, but it didn't work out.

Also, I'd never be caught dead driving a PT Cruiser.