The family has a new whip...
Background; Mrs. Shipo closed her small business in our town due to the crappy economy, and now that she’s managed to land a new job she needs a new car (we've milked the old minivan far too long).
The short list:
Sunday morning we set off to do the rounds (in my 2009 Mazda3 i TVE 5-Speed); first up was a Ford dealership where she drove a Focus SE 5-Speed. She liked the looks of the car, the fit and finish, the ride and handling, and the feel of the gearbox; unfortunately she didn't like the space (or lack thereof) in the back seat. A quick afterthought look at the Fusion SE 5-Speed sitting next to it and she said, "Nope, too big." Next on the list was a combination Chevy and VW dealership. All it took was a walk past a Cruze for her to say "No." I should mention that she's in the fashion industry, and no matter how good the attributes of an item is, if it doesn't look good, she doesn't want it. Across the lot to the VW side of the house, and before we'd even opened the door to a black 2-Door GTI she said, "Yup, this is the one!" After the test drive she dug her heels in and refused to even look at another car; she wanted the GTI, period, full stop, the end. We now have a new 2012 2-Door VW GTI 6-Speed done up in black metallic paint sitting in the garage bay which has been occupied by a minivan since we moved here in 2002. It's kind of amazing how much space there is left over in the garage. A couple of squawks about the GTI:
Driving impressions:
As for my wife (remember, it's her car), after nearly fourteen years of driving a minivan, she's having a difficult time wiping the silly grin off of her face. :D |
Congrats on the new ride, keep us up on the MPG's... and don't make me laugh at you if you get a speeding ticket ;)
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First of all, Congratulations to "Mrs. Shipo" on the new ride!! I wish her, and you by extension, the best of luck with it and many happy years. And of course pictures are a necessity... since you've never posted any of your own Mazda. ;) Is premium fuel still required in the GTI? I think its interesting she refused the Focus for rear seat room, then settled on a 2 dr? And Golf's/GTI's were never really known for a lot of seat room either. And I'm guessing that the salesman knew from the start he/she had a sale and that you're wife if not the most patient negotiator. Mine is the same. I still blame her for blowing the deal I was trying to make on my Mazda. We ended up paying more for the car than we should have because of her impatience. She sometimes speaks when she shouldn't... :rolleyes: A few more minutes of negotiations could have saved us hundreds on the car. 4 drs are infinitely more practical in so many ways, true. I love that I can strap in my lunch pack and thermos in the back seat, then easily retrieve them when I get to work. But a GTI w/4 drs is nearly sacrilege. Call me a traditionalist, but 2 drs is they way they were born and conceived, and if you want a GTI it should be a 2 dr. The GTI was never intended to be a practical, family car. And VW shifters must have come a long way for you to be touting them. They used to be pretty sloppy and unfeeling... rubbery is often how they were described, and having owned a few Rabbits and one Golf myself I can attest to that. The last VW I had, after my Civic got too bad to drive any more, was a low mileage '89 Golf, IIRC. It wasn't a very memorable car. It was a 2dr, white over a very deep blue interior, for all intents and purposes, it was black. It had a sunroof (the best part of the car,) a 5 speed (of course) but frankly it didn't do anything well!! The handling was scary. The acceleration, slow. The mileage low, and the braking was also scary. More than once I overshot my mark in it. I didn't have it for very long. It had the optional "passive restraint" system. I had had an earlier Rabbit with this so I was familiar with its workings, but most passengers didn't care for it. |
Originally Posted by virgin1
(Post 123388)
First of all, Congratulations to "Mrs. Shipo" on the new ride!! I wish her, and you by extension, the best of luck with it and many happy years. And of course pictures are a necessity... since you've never posted any of your own Mazda. ;)
Originally Posted by virgin1
(Post 123388)
Is premium fuel still required in the GTI?
Originally Posted by virgin1
(Post 123388)
I think its interesting she refused the Focus for rear seat room, then settled on a 2 dr? And Golf's/GTI's were never really known for a lot of seat room either.
Originally Posted by virgin1
(Post 123388)
And I'm guessing that the salesman knew from the start he/she had a sale and that you're wife if not the most patient negotiator. Mine is the same. I still blame her for blowing the deal I was trying to make on my Mazda. We ended up paying more for the car than we should have because of her impatience. She sometimes speaks when she shouldn't... :rolleyes: A few more minutes of negotiations could have saved us hundreds on the car. "Yeah," I responded, "and I would have been sleeping in the attic until after New Years." :eek:
Originally Posted by virgin1
(Post 123388)
4 drs are infinitely more practical in so many ways, true. I love that I can strap in my lunch pack and thermos in the back seat, then easily retrieve them when I get to work. But a GTI w/4 drs is nearly sacrilege. Call me a traditionalist, but 2 drs is they way they were born and conceived, and if you want a GTI it should be a 2 dr. The GTI was never intended to be a practical, family car.
Originally Posted by virgin1
(Post 123388)
And VW shifters must have come a long way for you to be touting them. They used to be pretty sloppy and unfeeling... rubbery is often how they were described, and having owned a few Rabbits and one Golf myself I can attest to that.
Originally Posted by virgin1
(Post 123388)
The last VW I had, after my Civic got too bad to drive any more, was a low mileage '89 Golf, IIRC. It wasn't a very memorable car. It was a 2dr, white over a very deep blue interior, for all intents and purposes, it was black. It had a sunroof (the best part of the car,) a 5 speed (of course) but frankly it didn't do anything well!! The handling was scary. The acceleration, slow. The mileage low, and the braking was also scary. More than once I overshot my mark in it. I didn't have it for very long. It had the optional "passive restraint" system. I had had an earlier Rabbit with this so I was familiar with its workings, but most passengers didn't care for it. |
Pictures (finally):
With the 18" Detroit OEM wheels (soon to be sold): http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6116/6...4540bd11_b.jpg With the new 17" Enkei Tuning Fujin wheels: http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6043/6...aabeddbf_b.jpg |
Nice... i like the Enkie's better as well.
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Certainly a bit more traditional. And with more sidewall, the ride should improve also. The question is, how does Mrs. Shipo like them? And my last comment: FINALLY on his 1188th post we get a few pictures from Mr. Shipo, even if they aren't the Mazda!! :D :D :D |
Originally Posted by virgin1
(Post 123427)
Certainly a bit more traditional. And with more sidewall, the ride should improve also. The question is, how does Mrs. Shipo like them? And my last comment: FINALLY on his 1188th post we get a few pictures from Mr. Shipo, even if they aren't the Mazda!! :D :D :D Mrs. Shipo likes the new wheels a lot. :) The best news here is that I've found that some folks are getting over $1,000 for a new set of Detroits with new rubber (the factory wheels were yanked after 276 miles); I only spent about $1,275 for the Enkeis delivered. |
I pray that I one day marry a woman as cool as your wife, Shipo.
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Originally Posted by VB
(Post 123498)
I pray that I one day marry a woman as cool as your wife, Shipo.
|
Originally Posted by shipo
(Post 123499)
A few comments:
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Dale,
You and I are approximately the same age. Things have changed a whole lot since we were "kids" dating other kids. I don't know if either of us can speak intelligently about dating in this century. :D :D :D |
Originally Posted by virgin1
(Post 123575)
Dale,
You and I are approximately the same age. Things have changed a whole lot since we were "kids" dating other kids. I don't know if either of us can speak intelligently about dating in this century. :D :D :D Funny thing; dating in this day and age seems to be much more akin to what it was like when I was a young adult than the dating scene my younger brother (fourteen years my junior) went through in the early 1990s. |
Yes, I thought about you having teenaged children and that you must be experiencing dating through their eyes now. But it seems to me that for the most part, kids don't date!! They hang out. They get on a computer or "phone" and talk and talk and talk about nothing. Or play video games, or online games together. They don't suggest a movie or a meal... go to school functions (how I met my first GF.) They party with their friends and whatever happens, happens. Yes? Or am I wrong? |
Originally Posted by virgin1
(Post 123583)
Yes, I thought about you having teenaged children and that you must be experiencing dating through their eyes now. But it seems to me that for the most part, kids don't date!! They hang out. They get on a computer or "phone" and talk and talk and talk about nothing. Or play video games, or online games together. They don't suggest a movie or a meal... go to school functions (how I met my first GF.) They party with their friends and whatever happens, happens. Yes? Or am I wrong? |
Ah. But what are trhey doing when they are "out?" |
I could tell you but then I'd have to waste you. :D
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Oh sure. That's what you say now, but I've got you thinking, don't I? Of course teenagers are always going out. At that age most think they know more than their parents and are exploring their options in the world. Post #1200, Dale!! |
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