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12 votes
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If you had to buy a car today, what would you buy?
Lots of details I've been driving a 2006 Honda Ridgeline for the last 13 years. The engine is still reliable, just change the oil and keep fluids topped up, but there is rust in the frame that...
Lots of details
I've been driving a 2006 Honda Ridgeline for the last 13 years. The engine is still reliable, just change the oil and keep fluids topped up, but there is rust in the frame that won't pass inspection. I'm going to take it in to get it looked at this week, but I am afraid it won't be worth repairing. If I have doubt that it can be safely repaired (I'm fairly risk averse), I would rather replace it.
This model Ridgeline is basically a Honda Pilot with a bed. I've often said it's the perfect amount of truck for a software engineer. I do think I'd like to have another truck, but I'd consider other options, like a smaller SUV or a larger hatchback.
The truck has been our go-to travel car for road trips. We tend to bring a ton of stuff, so the bed has been nice, but having interior cargo space might also be useful. We don't do as many big hauling / years things as we used to, so the truck bed is probably optional.
I was hoping that by the time I wore out the Ridgeline, there would be more plugin electric or real hybrid options, but it seems like there aren't many options. I wouldn't buy a Rivian or Tesla (not been around long enough). But I'd definitely be interested in peoples thoughts about hybrid options out there. If I'm looking at used hybrids, what kind of things should I worry about with the battery?
The conventional wisdom when I was growing up was that a used car lost half its value when you drove it off the lot, so it was better to buy used. But in recent years, I've been seeing something more like linear depreciation. Helping my dad buy a new truck last year, it seemed like the year-old or two-year-old used options were just a few thousand less than new.
Bottom line: I live in Western Pennsylvania in the US. I may shortly need to replace my aging Honda Ridgeline. I need a mid-sized truck/van/SUV that can be a good "road trip" car for a family of three that chronically overpacks.
What car do you like? What car buying or car selling wisdom do you have in the post-pandemic car market?
36 votes -
EV chargers that were once isolated to the back corners of gas station lots are steadily starting to dominate Norway's fuel stops
12 votes -
Waymo plans robotaxi launch in Washington, DC in 2026
15 votes -
Estonian ride-hailing unicorn Bolt has bought Danish taxi startup Viggo for an undisclosed sum in the company's first-ever acquisition
8 votes -
BYD unveils new super-charging EV tech, to build charging network in China
26 votes -
Norway will allow cities to introduce zero-emissions zones, as the number of electric cars on the road in the biggest urban centers passes 40%
22 votes -
Waymo is now offering 24/7 robotaxi rides in Silicon Valley
23 votes -
EV battery startup Northvolt files for bankruptcy in Sweden – firm unable to ‘secure the necessary financial conditions to continue in its current form’
9 votes -
Finland wants to build a bridge across the Baltic Sea to Sweden for better connections to Europe
19 votes -
Volkswagen ID.4 was the best-selling EV in Europe, top three in the US last month
20 votes -
Australia, with no auto industry to protect, is awash with Chinese EVs
19 votes -
A boutique German car customization house has given the Tesla Cybertruck a radical exterior and interior makeover
13 votes -
New EV batteries are making electric cars cheaper and safer
14 votes -
Stellantis introduces pop-up ads in vehicles, sparking outrage among owners
67 votes -
Installing an aftermarket radio in a old car
My partner has a old 2003 Ford Focus and I want to change the radio from stock to something that has bluetooth. Here's my understanding on aftermarket radio: Every car is different, depends on the...
My partner has a old 2003 Ford Focus and I want to change the radio from stock to something that has bluetooth.
Here's my understanding on aftermarket radio:- Every car is different, depends on the dashboard and the radio harness thing
- Finding out what what radio to buy/how to fit it is usually done by finding old YouTube videos from someone with 100 followers from 2008
- Sometimes it can be really easy and sometimes it can be really annoying to fit
Is my understanding correct?
I've tried this before with another car I had (a 2009 Mitsubishu Lancer) and it was such a nightmare I gave up. So I want to double check with any car nerds that I'm not missing anything obvious or there's no source of truth or something to go checkout/learn.Any help would be appreciated, otherwise I'm going to go and find some 180p videos from 2008 to watch.
Edit @smithsonian, @Weldawadyathink, @scottc
Thabks for your replies, the site looks great for what I'm looking for. I'm not US but they do ship internationally. Plus it will at least help me work out what parts I might need!
Glad something like this exists, thank god.10 votes -
Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan offers bleak assessment of year ahead for motor industry – shares his views on tariffs and the development of electric vehicle sales
7 votes -
Cruise announces US layoffs as GM acquires defunct robotaxi company
10 votes -
Is Colorado's EV incentive worth it?
8 votes -
Canoo files bankruptcy, claiming funding shortfalls
21 votes -
Toyota reduces price of new hydrogen car in California to just over $15,000 — with $15,000 of free fuel
34 votes -
BYD's self-driving U9 jumps over obstacles
23 votes -
What robotaxis brought San Francisco
13 votes -
These two cities used to be the same - London, ON vs Utrecht and difference between their infrastructural development
12 votes -
Massachusetts bill could fully legalize kei cars and override RMV ban
58 votes -
Subsidies and incentives have helped Norway become the trailblazer for electric vehicles. What can others learn?
5 votes -
Strikes against Tesla Sweden leave over 100 charging stalls waiting for power – IF Metall has been lodging strike efforts against Tesla for over a year now
20 votes -
In Norway, 90% of new car registrations are electric. In 2025, that number might be 100%.
18 votes -
Honda and Nissan announce plans to merge, creating world's third-largest automaker
57 votes -
US President Joe Biden administration grants California waiver to ban gas car sales in 2035
48 votes -
Chrysler only sells a minivan. The iconic American brand’s days could be numbered.
20 votes -
More riders than expected have used Oklahoma City's RAPID NW bus line
11 votes -
Honda confirms new Prelude hybrid coupe is coming to the US in late 2025
8 votes -
In the real world, existing EV batteries may last up to 40% longer than expected from lab tests
33 votes -
$10 billion in government loans announced for United States EV charging network, battery production
13 votes -
Waymo to begin testing in Tokyo, its first international destination
14 votes -
GM exits robotaxi market, will bring Cruise operations in house
11 votes -
Is the Cybertruck really that bad?
These past few days I went through the rabbit hole of people complaining about the Cybertruck, main the subreddit /r/cyberstuck. From my standpoint it really seems like this car has no redeeming...
These past few days I went through the rabbit hole of people complaining about the Cybertruck, main the subreddit /r/cyberstuck. From my standpoint it really seems like this car has no redeeming qualities and is basically that car Homer Simpson designed once. That said, internet forums are not known for their restraint. This is just a curiosity, I couldn't buy this car even if I wanted to. Objectively speaking, is the Cybertruck a complete failure?
37 votes -
Inside the war against excessive headlight brightness
73 votes -
How China became the world’s largest car exporter
7 votes -
Waymo outsources fleet operations to African fintech Moove in Phoenix and, soon, Miami
14 votes -
Zipcar tech glitch strands US customers in random places for hours - prevents cancelling or ending ride booking
11 votes -
Porsche Macan gets recalled for exessively bright headlights in US
21 votes -
Car maintenance/replacement advice
I have a 2014 CRV, it loses oil horribly and I'm going to have to check it a couple times a week or risk my engine. The mechanic was hesitant to even help me limp it along and said basically...
I have a 2014 CRV, it loses oil horribly and I'm going to have to check it a couple times a week or risk my engine. The mechanic was hesitant to even help me limp it along and said basically there's no fix besides replacing the engine. He put 3 quarts in that day. I didn't have a warning it was low other than the loud start.
I'm trying to decide if it's worth continuing maintenance on this car or worth trading in now while the engine is still kicking (and switching to an electric used car probably) or nursing this along for another year or so. We have a car loan on a wheelchair van we're trying to refinance which means I'll be looking at cars that are about equivalent in value to the CRV.
Thoughts? Advice? Besides keeping oil in my car because I didn't know it was this bad. Ó╭╮Ò
19 votes -
Automatic braking systems save lives. Now they’ll need to work at 62 MPH.
29 votes -
Scrapped policy to charge London’s drivers by the mile
4 votes -
Swedish battery cell maker Northvolt, which produces cells for electric vehicles, has announced that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US
6 votes -
New York Governor Kathy Hochul to relaunch congestion pricing with $9 base toll, sources say
15 votes -
How self-driving cars will destroy cities
41 votes