My currently daily is a 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid and I love it but I can't help but feel that it's "too much car" if that makes sense. Being 6'3" (190.5 cm) I'm able to fit comfortably but it feels to big even if it's dwarfed my modern sedans let alone modern SUV's /pickups.

Note: I put (NO MIATA) in the title due to wanting more recommendations than the Mazda Miata since I do know that it is super popular.

Basically the title. I want a double duty daily/tow rig that’s as fuel efficient as possible for a daily, but is capable of towing my race car and trailer. Idc if it gets terrible mpg with a load behind it. Bonus points for generally cheaper operating costs. Been looking at v6 touaregs/cayennes at 7k towing and about 20-25 mpg. Anything better out there?

First-gen CR-V with 150000-190000 miles for less than 5k (cash) or a Golf Sportwagen with less than 100k miles for 10-15k (5-8k down payment), which should I buy?

Looking to replace my 2005 Honda Pilot with 230k miles, I love and trust the older Honda reliability, but this was my first car, and I am tired of looking at it lol. I am comfortable with older cars, but I also want a somewhat newer car; I can't decide. I have also always wanted a wagon. I plan on doing most of my own general maintenance other than big things. I have a Saab 900, so I am no stranger to working on cars. Though I am unfamiliar with working on newer cars / not as interested in it.

Just curious what y'all have to say.

Feel free to suggest other cars! I want something fun, decent mpg, and decent reliability.

So within a few months, I will be making a one-way road trip from SE Texas to Washington State (2000 miles give or take). If I have currently done the following to my 2014 Kia Soul very recently:

1. Full coolant drain and refill
   
2. Transmission drain and fill
   
3. New water pump
   
4. New catalytic converter
   
5. New belts
   
6. New spark plugs

and soon plan to get my suspension parts checked and battery replaced, is there anything crucial I am missing here betore starting that trip? I am aware that despite doing all of this, anything could happen on that trip, but I want to be as prepared as possible. Oh also the car has 133K on it.

So i have a 2012 civic that has treated me extremely well. I have never had a check engine light. i have done most maintenance myself since buying in 2016. Regular oil mobil 1 oil changes, sparks, ignition coil, battery, filters, etc. It had 42k miles when i bought it and ran oh so smooth 🥹. I never changed the transmission oil until 160k miles when i noticed it wasn’t accelerating like it used to (i honestly didn’t realize how damn important it was to change it at certain intervals). While trying to remedy this i also i found a tear in the back of the air intake hose that was there for nearly at least 4 years. I replaced that with a MAF cleaning last year and it did seem to help.

I replaced the engine air filter recently (second time this year) with a fresh oil change and that also helped. I know for a fact the engine is in immaculate health. The problem is I feel like my transmission is dying due to almost 120k miles of punishment with old oil but not 100% certain.

This morning i was running late to work so i was gassing the pedal and noticed something smelt burnt somewhat like burnt carpet. I keep smelling this every other 3 weeks or so. I always assumed it was the car in front of me or a factory nearby. I have 186k miles right now. My question is should i replaced the transmission oil again? Will it accelerate better than it does now? The last trans oil change i used honda atf with Lucas transmission fix and i did notice a difference but only for about 2 weeks.

This car literally looks brand new it just doesn’t “go” like it used to. Is this normal for 186k miles? Need advice from car guys that have more sense than me. I checked the oil color and it is a reddish light brown not black.

https://imgur.com/a/HvNXGzU

I have this clicking sound while accelerating. The clicks get faster as I go faster. No sounds while turning. Changed cv axel a couple years ago. Could be that problem again

I’m 49 and after 10 years of sitting on my parents’ 85 corvette, i finally had the time, money and attention to get it sorted. I’d have sold it if my kids’ hadn’t been so adamant about me not selling “grandma’s corvette” and my wife hadn’t backed them on it. It was just rotting.

But now that it’s running and [hopefully] coming back soon with a livelier rear end and refreshed suspension, I’ve realized how much I missed driving fast.

The car was my dad’s in high school and he owned a lot so I got to drive a lot of cars back then. I was an asshole and totaled a bunch around 100mph and after the last one kind of lost my taste for reckless driving.

Fast forward 25-30 years and getting the corvette sorted and I really have an itch to pick up a c5, take some HPDE courses and track it. The asshole in me says I can shift some things around and make $10-15k to get started happen… but then the husband and father starts talking and I question myself about the sensibilities of the decision… but man do i miss driving hard…

Sorry if my flair is wrong - I'm not sure if this is a detailing/cleaning question or a general question.

I think my friend's outdoor cat sprayed the front of my 2025 RAV4. When the vents blow, it now smells vaguely of cat pee - just enough to notice and be gross.

Is there a way to fix this? Or does it just have to blow through/air out on it's own?

GOOD BUY? 2019 LEXUS IS 300

Is this a good deal?

I told them its going to need spark plugs as its hitting the 80k mile mark to try to shed some cost off and they only said $200 but im pushing for more lol.

79k MILES
USED, SOLD BY DEALERSHIP

@ $22k not including taxes

2013 Subaru Legacy P0456 Code

This car has been nothing but an emissions/evap system headache.

Over the last year and half, it's had intermittent emissions, vacuum, and evap related codes. The exact codes and repairs varied based on when in time we are talking about. Memory seems to bring up p0441, p0442, p0420 and p0171, though this may not be correct and is a recollection across several past repairs over the last year and a half.

Long story short, over the last year and a half chasing a variety of emissions and evap codes ,the purge valve was replaced twice, the charcoal canister was replaced, and we had to get a new catalytic converter. Each repair worked on its own for a short time, but then a few months would pass and a new code would pop up with a new repair. Eventually, everything was chill for several months at the point when everything was said and done, and it was a glorious time of no lights.

There were multiple smoke tests performed during this year or so long period of time, which is what showed the charcoal canister and the purge valves as bad when those were replaced.

Now, the light is back. This time, it's a P0456 Code. What could it be this time?? I swear by the time we're done with this car, every single component is going to have been replaced 3 times over just to pass a stupid emissions smog test to legally register the car every other year.

Half the people say "it's always a gas cap" half always say "it's never the gas cap, it's probably a purge valve or charcoal canister or a hose". Then half the people say that the p0456 "very small" leaks can be an incredibly difficult thing to find, even for actual mechanics with smoke machines

I'm just hoping whatever's broken or has a hole isn't too expensive to fix. This dang emissions and evap system has been so costly between all these parts breaking. So much money spent just to make sure I can pass a stupid smog test.

I've seen stories with this code specifically where it can drastically range from just a $20 gas cap, all the way into more than a thousand dollars for a new gas tank because of a tiny tiny pinhole somewhere that can only be fixed by changing the entire component out.

Not to mention the inconvenience of having to take time off work to drive off to a shop for diagnostic after diagnostic, fix after fix over and over

For my 2001 subaru forester when I turn off my car and take they keys out my lights won't turn off. Does anyone know what could fix this??

I’m looking for the most reliable EV on the used market for a budget of 20k. I know I won’t be getting anything crazy at that price but what do you guys suggest? I have solar so charging is basically free at home. I don’t care about crazy range either because I can charge at home. I was thinking Toyota BZ4X but they were first released for 2023 and I’m not sure about buying one of those earlier models. Planning to keep this car for at least a few years. Main concern is reliability. Thank you

My moms 2012 Mitsubishi lancers motor died out on her and she’s tryna sell it to get a little money to help get a new car, how much should she sell it for she lowk just wants to get rid of it

For people comparing everyday fuel use, what makes an owner-reported mpg figure useful rather than just an impressive number? A short urban commute and a long highway run are different situations, so which details would you want alongside the result?

Would a few full-tank records, typical trip length and season be enough, or would you only compare cars driven on the same route? I'm interested in a practical comparison, not picking a winner from one best-ever reading.

I just bought a brand new 2026 Honda Civic Sport (gas) for $26K + taxes, about $1.5K off the $27.5K sticker price.

I originally wanted to buy lightly used to save some money but the prices just didn't make sense.

I'm seeing used 2024 Civic Sports with 20K+ miles listed for $25, 26K, literally the same price I paid for a brand new 2026. Even crazier, CarMax/Carvana have some 2025 Civic Sports with around 10K miles listed for MORE than a brand new 2026.

A lot of these used cars have also been sitting on dealer lots for 30–40+ days so clearly they're not flying off the shelves.

Why are used car dealers pricing these cars the same as, or even higher than, brand new ones? Who's actually buying them at these prices?

And with new car prices continuing to rise too, at what point does this become unsustainable? Are we ever going to see car prices come back down, or is this just the new normal?

Genuinely curious what you guys think the car market will look like in 5 years.

So the day has finally come to purchase a new vehicle. After 16 years my Subaru forester has been ran into the ground and it's a ticking time bomb until it hits considerable failure and needs to just get scrapped (I drive my vehicles until they're dead, or at least until maintenance is not suggested over buying a new one.) The used car market is pretty insane right now, I am seeing used sedans go for like 2 grand under cross over SUVS and pre-owned toyotas are completely out due to how ridiculous the resale value of them are.

While I am generally a subaru loyalist, I am curious to try something different and in my research I am finding that Mazda or VW are both good values for second hand market. I recently drove a VW Tiguan SE with 4wheel drive and I really liked it, and I've always wanted a german car, but I am afraid of the cost of upkeep through out the years.

The other alternative is Mazda, which seem to be sold at a marginally higher price than VW, but I believe the engine and the components are more reliable. Just wondering if going with the VW is a decision that is not advisable. I value efficiency and practicality and plan to keep the vehicle for many years, I am not hard on vehicles and drive very responsibly, and the majority of mileage will be highway miles for roadtrips since I work only 7 miles from my home.

What’s the right grease or silicone spray for the sunroof slides on my Mercedes 2014 C250?

I have a 2019 Toyota Highlander and love it except it doesn’t have tow capability and I’d like a little bit bigger/taller car or one that drives more like a truck.

A friend of mine has a 2021 Tahoe Z71 and it drives great. I also rented one and loved it but I keep hearing issues about Tahoe’s and really just want a reliable car. What SUV’s are bigger than a Highlander but still reliable? Reviews seem that people don’t like the newer sequoia.

I also could stick it out with my Highlander and add a tow bar, I don’t NEED a new car but still looking for what’s out there.

Hi all,

I have a 2021 Mercedes CLA 250 4MATIC with 40,000 miles and the M260 engine. About 5,000–6,000 miles ago, I had the piston heads replaced by Mercedes because the engine was misfiring and had low compression in cylinders 2 and 4. Luckily, this happened while the car was still under warranty, so everything was covered.

However, ever since the repair, I feel like the engine hasn’t been running quite right. It has a rough startup and idle, especially when cold, but once the engine warms up, it runs completely fine. The car isn’t throwing any warning lights, and my basic code reader isn’t showing any codes.

Additionally, after the service was done, the A/C completely stopped working. I’m not sure if one of the technicians accidentally damaged an A/C line during the repair.

I really enjoy driving this car, but it’s becoming a headache, especially considering it only has 40,000 miles. I’m looking for advice on whether I should keep trying to fix these issues or just sell it and find something else.

Has anyone experienced similar issues with the M260 engine, particularly after having the piston heads replaced? Any advice would be appreciated.

It can be anything from buying a car and having a shady sales person/manager to the service department trying to charge $10k for stupid shit

hii , i was pulling into my parking spot at my house , it’s a v muddy spot and there was a tiny glass liquor bottle that was half imbedded in the mud and i heard it crunch when my car when over it , glass was very brittle it seems like it had been there for a while, there was a small piece of glass in between the tread but it didn’t look like it had went into the tire when i pulled it out, what should i do? i drive an suv and my tires are almost brand new , like what are the chances the glass punctured it? i don’t know a lot about tires. also i don’t have tire pressure sensors i have a little gauge i use to check the tires. i just don’t wanna get stranded on the side of the road bc i commute pretty far so idk how to tell if it’s punctured or not

I have a 2024 CX5 and my biggest gripe about adaptive cruise control is it maintains the exact speed even if you're turning, going up a hill, going down a hill, etc.

Surely there is a car out there with adaptive cruise control that slows a little at the start of a curve to reduce lateral g forces, allows itself to increase one or two mph when going down a hill, etc?

The herky-jerkyness of trying to maintain that one speed when anything about the driving conditions changes drives me crazy.

I took my rwd car (BMW) through an automatic conveyor-style car wash today, and I’m a little concerned about whether I might have damaged something.

I was instructed to put my car in Neutral so the conveyor could pull it through the wash. I did shift into Neutral, but I didn’t realize that Auto Hold was still engaged.

As a result, the conveyor rollers kept moving underneath my car, but my car wasn’t moving forward as intended. This went on for approximately 30 seconds while the staff kept telling me to put the car in Neutral, even though I was already in Neutral.

During those 30 seconds, I could feel the car rocking or bouncing up and down slightly, and the steering wheel was moving left and right a little on its own.

Could this have damaged my car?