I'm just guessing, but I doubt 4DRZ's budget gives a shaved beaver how much gas costs. He's just really into specs and metrics, and a car's MPG is just another data point.

I'm tuned for 93, so I pump 93. This is the way.

 

Best mod ever. My pre-arthritic hands thank me every time, lol.

 

I'm sure most of the time it's fine to run an 87 octane tune, but the reason I made my comment yesterday is because I view it as more peace of mind to run higher octane on a turbo vehicle to avoid pre-detonation. I am fine spending a few extra bucks per tank for that feeling as I feel it beats premature wear or possible early engine failure down the line.

 

I had to find a second car, I went to look at Lexus.

I tried the 2020 IS300 F Sport. I knew it was a compact car, but.......

It's small inside, like way too small. Everything on the car was tiny, it was the embodiment of a happy meal toy car. In my opinion it was an over-glorified Camry.

So I went back to Nissan.....

I test drove a 2021 Q50RS, it was very quick and nimble, but dealer wanted too much and it was trashed inside.

I waited a bit and a 2020 Q50 Sport AWD CPO came in, test drove it, negotiated and got it. It came with everything I wanted on the Q, 360 camera, Akebono BBK, etc. The wheels are 19x8.5 square with low profile run flats. For how little tire it gets, it rides extremely well, I honestly still can't believe it, the digital suspension on it is very impressive. 2020 models come with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, the in-touch system is much better on the newer cars, though nothing to write home about. While the steering feels very "disconnected" it turns super easy and the Sport gets the quicker steering ratio. All in all, I think the body design on the Q50/60, nothing really like it on the road, but that is just my opinion. Keeping my G, not going anywhere!

 

I could use some outside advice here regarding my "next car". Long story short, I'll have an opportunity to purchase my mom's 2021 Mercedes GLC300 at the end of her current lease for a discounted "family rate" It's been garage kept its entire life & is in fantastic shape with about 20k miles on it. My only hesitation(s) are that I will be responsible for brakes & tires when it's time (rightfully so) & German cars w/ turbos have not fared well with me in the past (ask me how I know). On the flip side, my 2015 Q40 has about 120k miles on it but has been running great & I truly love the car. I replaced both the front & rear brakes (calipers, pads, & rotors) this past summer along with the heater hose connector & hvac module just within the past 2 weeks. Do I sell my car while it's value is still rather high & use that to buy the Mercedes? Or do I hold onto it for as long as I can? Would love to hear your opinions!

 

I think you may have answered your own question here, but some people are suckers for punishment. Not like brakes and tires are super expensive but how big are the rears tires on that model of GLC? They can be pretty large and expensive and other parts for German cars are absurdly expensive, especially for someone who has a bad track record owning them. Who knows, maybe you had lemons in the past and this one is your true calling.

 

It's a square setup, 235/60/18 all around. To be fair, my bad experiences stem from Audi's. Before my first G37 (the Q40 is my second Infiniti), I had a TT coupe that suffered from numerous misfires, electrical glitches, oil consumption issues, etc. My second Audi was an A4 which blew a head gasket around 60k miles. Internal damage was bad enough that Audi actually replaced the engine. About a year or two later, the turbo went & they actually bought the car back from me.

This will be my mom's 4th Mercedes & I can honestly say that I don't remember any of them having a single issue except a burned out headlight bulb in an older C300 sedan. Granted, they've all been 3 year leases so I'm not sure how they hold up long-term. The GLC300 is absolutely beautiful inside & rides so smooth. All of the wind/ road noise is basically non-existent, however it's a bit "numb" to drive compared to my Q40.

 

If you were about to go on a 500 mile road trip and you had the GLC and Q40 sitting in the driveway, which one would you take?

Random thoughts.....if you're only driving 10-15K a year, I think the MB has a lot of runway before you have to really worry about expensive repairs. If you're driving 30K a year, I suspect it's going to depreciate like a rock and you'd be more likely to encounter an issue.

Being that it's not an AMG, I suspect any incremental cost of consumables will be minor, and probably offset by the MB being more fuel efficient.

 

I'd take the GLC each & every time! It's just so much more comfortable in terms of ride quality & noise isolation. I just have this "confidence" in the Q40 knowing that it'll get me where I want to go without breaking a sweat. To me, it's one of those cars that never seems to get "tired" no matter how far or how hard you drive it. It's a tough decision to make that I definitely need to think about some more. Thank you for offering a good perspective on the matter, hopefully I make the right choice!

 

You nailed it. The overwhelming majority of cars I have owned over the last 28 years have required 93 octane so the cost at the pump is not an issue. It's just an added bonus if I get to save $10 on gas each time I fill up.

Unfortunately, it looks like it might be longer than I thought before I can drive stick shift again due to the nerve pain in my left leg and heel caused by the torn disc in my back. I tried to drive a stick shift today for the first time in nearly 4 months and almost forgot how fun it was to drive. Unfortunately, it was quite painful for me and not do-able yet as a daily driver.

No kidding. It is at the top of the list of things I like about the GTI. I had it in my Jeep Gladiators and I miss that feature all winter.

 

I'm genuinely sorry to hear that. I know the manual transmission is a big component to your love for cars.

Pretty sure my G will be my last MT, but that's by choice... as limited as those choices may be.

 

Thanks. I would much rather have a manual right now, but that is just not in the cards. Definitely a bummer because I got new meds on Wednesday that seem to really help with the pain, just not enough to drive a manual regularly. I go in for an MRI next Wednesday to see if I need surgery or not. I am really hoping I don't, but afraid I might as there just has not been much improvement at all in the last 4 months.

Now on to more interesting car things. It looks like I might have an opportunity to order an Acura Integra Type S next month that would arrive this summer. (The MRI result next week will easily help me determine if that is a possibility.) If my leg improves I am seriously considering doing this. I tried out a regular Integra on Tuesday (A/T) and it handled really well and has an excellent stereo, but was pretty dull to drive in terms of acceleration. Every review I read of the Civic Type R makes it sound like the best driving car with the nicest interior on the market right now. Since the Acura version is so similar it should be pretty good.

Tempting, but as I have mentioned earlier in this thread it looks like an awful value proposition compared to a GTI 40th anniversary. Especially since I saw a youtube video of a dealership with a red one already in stock and it looks awesome! I was worried about the black wheels with the red stripe, but they actually look great on the red car.

In reviewing the GTI, I also saw lots of mentions of the Civic Si that I never considered before. That car is almost as hard to get as a Type R right now. Crazy! The reviews of the Civic Si are excellent and on paper the stats look great. In reality I think the styling looks way too plain from the outside, it lacks power, and I don't get any employee discount so the GTI is way more bang for the buck. I am 1st on the list for one at our Honda store so at least I can try one out when we finally get one this year, but my expectations are low. Who knows, maybe it will surprise me like the Jeep Gladiator did when I had very low expectations of it and I will buy a Civic Si.

Has anyone here driven a new Civic Si?

 

The SI would interest me if it had the 2.0L instead of 1.5L. I do like the toned-down looks actually compared to the previous gen.

 

I agree with you on the engine. I hear the car needs more power, but I will confirm that if I ever get to drive one. The styling is way better than the last generation and I am all for a sleeper, but this one just looks plain boring. It's just not sporty. The good news is that only takes a few subtle tweaks to change.

 

I forgot to post these pics from a few weeks ago. I think the new M2 is the only car that is actually uglier in person than in photos. It's a shame really as I am sure it is excellent to drive.