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Saw a low-slung Acura today, had to be newer (LED tails with the light-pipe treatment) that looked pretty hot. Guessing an Integra or something like it due to the three tailpipes. Didn't get close enough to see the badging (if there was any - was lightly modded).
I know when we were shopping to replace the CX-5, the Acura RDX was briefly in the running but we didn't like the tech included nor the driving dynamics.
FWIW, I'm in a CX-30 rental after my fleet car '23 Escape had the transmission nuke itself. Do not like. Driving dynamics OK but otherwise- nah.
Saw a low-slung Acura today, had to be newer (LED tails with the light-pipe treatment) that looked pretty hot. Guessing an Integra or something like it due to the three tailpipes. Didn't get close enough to see the badging (if there was any - was lightly modded).
I know when we were shopping to replace the CX-5, the Acura RDX was briefly in the running but we didn't like the tech included nor the driving dynamics.
FWIW, I'm in a CX-30 rental after my fleet car '23 Escape had the transmission nuke itself. Do not like. Driving dynamics OK but otherwise- nah.
New Integra Type S? Not a fan of the triple tailpipe look, but I love the rest of the car (despite the inherent FWD nature of the vehicle)
Many have reviewed the car and stated its the best RWD biased AWD car they've driven, but I'm like you...Inherent FWD, pass.
Not a fan of the Korean makes.
Don't trust Domestics anymore.
German cars don't match my 10+ ownership pattern.
Don't want a tiny little RWD sports car.
Hesitant to move back to truck ownership as I spend the first part of my life driving trucks
I'm pretty screwed for RWD Sport Sedans (or larger coupe) and have the Lexus IS or Infiniti/Nissan (Q/Z) left.
First saw the ITS out in the wild two summers ago, Out East on Long Island. Same deep blue color.
Shortly after, went to go test drive one. Folks at the dealership were obnoxious, had to jump through hoops to get into the driver seat. Was off-putting enough that I gave up on the car entirely. Are all dealership like this these days?
Some time after, a low-mile B8.5 S4 popped up on my radar and the rest is history. But I do like the Honda over Audi for long-term ownership.
I think 50K or higher is the cost of admission for anything new and remotely exciting to drive.
This is the problem with the logic which assumes why would one invest x in a car that is only worth y.
Essentially, to replace that car, it would require 5(y), and even then, would you may end up with something that is a series of compromises and financing at 7%.
Average car payment in 2026 is $749.
Yuck.
Last edited by socketz67; Feb 9, 2026 at 08:54 PM.
Purchase price of my 6mt G sedan is the equivalent of about $51,000 today.
I would’ve had to come to terms with the fact that car prices are yay-high these days. But 1) there are basically no brand new cars that I’d like to buy, and 2) since buying my car, I’ve moved to the middle of a major metro area and have stumbled into a line of work that is commonly remote. In other words, barbel need to drive.
Average car payments (and loan periods) are absolutely bananas these days. Who’’s shorting auto loan companies? (but I get it, people’s needs and/or wants inflate while wages plateau, recipe for disaster).
The issue is that there was a period of more than a decade where inflation was almost nonexistent. We then took all the inflation from that period and crammed it into 4-5 years. So a mathematical model plotting the inflation of car prices over 15 years somewhat justifies the pricing today, but in reality it feels much more extreme, especially with wage stagnation, dealer mark ups, interest rates and decreased reliability with less focus on performance and greater emphasis on technology
The issue is that there was a period of more than a decade where inflation was almost nonexistent. We then took all the inflation from that period and crammed it into 4-5 years. So a mathematical model plotting the inflation of car prices over 15 years somewhat justifies the pricing today, but in reality it feels much more extreme, especially with wage stagnation, dealer mark ups, interest rates and decreased reliability with less focus on performance and greater emphasis on technology
Correct! If inflation were less flat from 2009 up to Covid, we would still be where we are today, but our financial fee fees wouldn't be as bruised. And of course, Covid through a HUGE monkey wrench into the economics.
It's human nature for people to get "stuck" on something, like the cost of things, or music. I feel like my financial awareness is somewhat stuck between 1990 and 2010, and my music never evolved beyond the 80's. I blame rap music, LOL.
I blame rap music, LOL.