The "What I Love About My Car" thread inspired this - What's your daily driver? What do you like and dislike about it? Example:

Daily Driver: 2010 Nissan Xterra Off Road

Likes:

~ A four-wheeled Swiss Army Knife - three folding seats, two hidden compartments, and a beefy roof rack with a (now) locking roof bin allow for a surprising amount of cargo/passenger carrying versatility.

~ Torquey V6 gives family sedan acceleration which makes freeway access and passing on two-lane roads very easy. Engine sounds pretty refined at higher RPM.

~ Five speed automatic has well-spaced gearing, and is set up to automatically blip the throttle for smooth RPM-matched manual downshifts.

~ Body-on-frame design makes for a good strong towing platform.

~ Interior composed of easy to clean materials.

~ Strong 4-wheel disc brakes give this 4,400 lb SUV very respectable and repeatable stopping distances.

~ Great ground clearance (for a stock vehicle) and a selectable locking rear differential make this a respectable bad-road/deep snow vehicle.

~ Very good visibility from the driver's seat. It's a pretty upright design with relatively narrow B and C pillars keeping encroaching vehicles from becoming an unpleasant surprise, and you have a fighting chance of backing up in a wooded area without eating a tree. I can weave through midtown Manhattan traffic without much of a sweat. When I was looking at the X, I cross-compared it against one of its competitors, a Toyota FJ Cruiser. The comparison lasted for about 30 seconds after I sat in the Toyota and noticed blind spots over my right shoulder big enough to hide an oncoming F-250 crew and a spare tire placement that would have made driving in Reverse a periodically expensive proposition.

~ Good highway cruiser. Quiet, tracks well, precise steering, ride smooths out at speed. I have to pay attention to the speedo if I want to keep it under 80 on the interstate.

Dislikes:

~ It's no 2011 Toyota Prius. 4,400 lb curb weight + the highway aero signature of a barn in a Kansas tornado keep me on a first name basis with most local convenience store clerks. But I knew this when I bought it.

~ It's no 1974 Buick Electra 225. Off-road tuned shocks, shortish wheelbase and a leaf-spring rear suspension, combined with recently-purchased BF Goodrich All-Terrains (I burned through the OEM BF Goodrich Rugged Trails after 16k) keeps me on a first-name basis with every around-town pothole and tar strip. But I knew this when I bought it.

~ OEM skid plates are well-sized and placed to offer some protection, but appear to have been made from the same guage of steel used to make Chinese WalMart baking pans. I've had a few close calls recently and the aftermarket has a few solutions that I'm pondering.

~ Plastic fantastic interior - the main reason it's so easy to clean is because gray plastic is EVERYWHERE. It's decent plastic and well-fitted, but think big 1990 Cavalier, and you get a sense of the ambience.

Would I buy again? I think so. It's just the right size/capability for what I need/want, and the Luddite in me likes some of the old-school elements of the design.

85 MB 300TD--dead reliable. Decent fuel economy. Can carry a load appropriate for a landlord. Hydropneumatic suspension is without equal. Looks like John Lennon's but has a turbo.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

great idea for a thread Paul !!

I have 2 daily drives;
250TD 1987 MB ~ good all rounder, economical, comfortable, handles well, great for general private use. cruses well at the speed limit. It was a private import from England. Probably the only 250TD in Australia.

Jeep XJ sport 2.5 turbo Diesel ~ & it has a Daimler Chrysler ID plate, I think it makes it a MB of sorts.
Made in Toledo Ohio but never sold in the USA.
The motor is a VM, made in Italy, well known diesel manufacturer.
It is IDI but computer controlled IP, drive by wire.
The injectors are the same style as the MB ones except #1 has an electronic sensor to determine when it pops so that the computer can adjust the timing.
It has individual heads for each cylinder like the old 1418 MB trucks have. Has the same thermostat as a MB diesel.
The jeep has a combination of metric, torx & AF (imperial) nuts & bolts depending on what you are working on.
Its very difficult to work on some parts of the motor as there is no room. Some jobs can be like replacing the bypass hose on an old mini without removing the head.
Mainly used for work, often tows a fuel tank trailer. Plenty of grunt, quite well put together. A good work horse.
Uses about as much fuel as a 300D w123.
Very capable off road. Havent got it stuck yet but not for lack of trying.
5 speed manual is good on the highway.
I will make more comments in a 100k miles from now.

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

1987 300TD-T Over 300,000 miles

Likes:
Fuel Economy despite poorly functioning turbo

Can fold down all the seats down and have a bed in the back if I see fit

Reliable

Dislikes

Poor working turbo

Dead seats (replacing them)

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hum.....
1987 300TD 311,000M Stolen. Presumed destroyed

1991 VW Jetta diesel IDI-

dislikes- the obvious- gutless- noisy-slow-smallish. Needs paint (clearcoat burned up)

likes- cost me $125. I can field strip it blindfolded (including the injection pump). Gets 50 mpg on my usual 65 mile backroads commute. I have almost two complete cars worth of spare parts. Bad thing about buying it so cheap is that all the possible upgrades are measured against the initial purchase price. (Radio? Spend $100 in a $100 car?)

Big incentive to retire. When that happens, I can actually drive cars I want rather than this boneshaker that makes economic sense.

This car backs up my '82 VW Diesel Pickup which I drive to the junkyards and the occasional Friday to work. Talk about a boneshaker- that's what this is. The MkI motor mounts are terrible.

I will probably put the 240D stick back on the road after the first of the year. We bought a 380SL for SWMBO and it made sense to borrow the tag from this car as in Florida they make you buy a plate ($225!) for cars that are younger than 30 . As the 240D turns 30 next year, it gets a free plate.

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

2009 Jetta TDI

Likes: Just about everything. When I compare it to the E420 it replaced, I like it better, with the possible exception of the accelleration (which is quite good for a TDI... I have left behind precious rubber on more than just 1 or 2 occasions )

Dislikes: The dealer claiming that my A/C is working fine, when in fact it takes up to 4 mins. to come on after being parked for more than 8 hrs. 4 mins. is a looong time when it's 90F out.

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

No-name aliminum frame road bike 27 gears, good activity, burns fat, work from home.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

Was my E300D until my youngest plowed that sucker head-on into buried concrete. Kid is okay. Car is scrap.

Now I have a 2006 Subie Forester. Nice car. Also a 1998 F150. Nice truck. My next road warrior will be a diesel MB from this century.

1987 300D Turbo

I like everything about it. great fuel economy, decent performance for a diesel, easy to work on, rides great.

dislike

none?

Hey, I'm selling my 300E if you're interested....safe car, but slow as its an m103. Seems like the perfect "youngest" car. Shameless plug.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

'74 280C. Supposed to be "my" restoration "toy" but financials got in the way. Butt ugly, body is 7 different shades of faded Anthracite Gray metallic, Interior has some nasty slumpy seats, mechanically perfect, no rust, dents or dings, danged thing starts and runs like a top, well, make that a Swiss watch ('cause of the ticking from the DOHC), glass is perfect and drives like a new one.

The W126 is just sitting because I don't want to ruin the leather seats (I'm a truck maintenance mechanic). Dang it! I miss its stereo on the way to work and its ice-cold A /C on the ride home. We do use it on the weekend when the wife and I get out. Can't beat that car for cruising. I just love the "Russian Mafia-mobile" for the swinging into hang-out joints impression.

LOL I know exactly how you feel!

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

None other than my 1987 560SEL!

I love pretty much everything about it; the classic styling is still eye catching and has performance on the interstates to boot. Seats are well designed for the long haul-- I have no issue taking it on my regular 35 mile commute to work, and even less hesitation taking the 260 mile drive to school.

The only things I don't like about the car is that my antenna doesn't work, my wood trim is sun faded and it doesn't have an ECE engine

Plus, being a broke highschool, now college student, I had to learn how to repair this beast, which led me to this great community in the first place! TO think it all started with fixing my rear power seat cable... Time flies.

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1987 560SEL (210,000 miles)

98 C55 AMG.


Likes: Its fast as fawk and loud as fawk. Excellent brakes. Looks good parked next to a Honda or next to a Ferrari. Modern, quiet, smooth, fantastic car to drive. Low key rocketship. Good fuel mileage too.


Dislikes: A few. Brake by wire leaves a little to be desired, as does throttle by wire.

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

Chrysler 300C AWD

Likes:
Lots of Mercedes parts
Iconic body style - people love it or hate it
Bought used and it was CHEAP
HEMI
Tight turning circle
Goes good in snow
No claustrophobia in the cabin


Dislike:
City gas mileage sucks
Hard to see out sometimes
Ghetto reputation / some horrible over the top mods

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma