Impractical vehicles

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Originally Posted By: sciphi
Impractical as it may be, I still want a Miata...


Impractical? On the contrary. A Miata is a more reasonable choice for a single driver than is a pickup truck, or for that matter any number of SUVs. A Miata is: 1. Reliable. 2. Economical to operate. 3. Easy to care for. 4. Durable. 5. Fun. 6. Cheap to buy in good condition as a used car. 7. An excellent second or third car when you buy a seemingly more practical car. You could do way worse, and most people do.

What more do you ask for? I see people tooling around Phoenix, Arizona, a city the size of Philadelphia, in 4x4 pickup trucks. They don't go off-road. They don't see snow, either. What's with that? How about all these moms driving their kids around in 4x4 SUVs instead of a mini-van or station wagon? I guess they don't want to look like dweebs. So they look stupid, instead.

At least a Jeep doesn't have any pretentions of being anything but a toy or a basic car for someone uninterested in comfort.
 
Originally Posted By: jimbrewer
Originally Posted By: sciphi
Impractical as it may be, I still want a Miata...


Impractical? On the contrary. A Miata is a more reasonable choice for a single driver than is a pickup truck, or for that matter any number of SUVs. A Miata is: 1. Reliable. 2. Economical to operate. 3. Easy to care for. 4. Durable. 5. Fun. 6. Cheap to buy in good condition as a used car. 7. An excellent second or third car when you buy a seemingly more practical car. You could do way worse, and most people do.

What more do you ask for? I see people tooling around Phoenix, Arizona, a city the size of Philadelphia, in 4x4 pickup trucks. They don't go off-road. They don't see snow, either. What's with that? How about all these moms driving their kids around in 4x4 SUVs instead of a mini-van or station wagon? I guess they don't want to look like dweebs. So they look stupid, instead.

At least a Jeep doesn't have any pretentions of being anything but a toy or a basic car for someone uninterested in comfort.


Until it snows...Judge much?
The Miata is about as practical as my WS6. At least I can get the kids in the back of that and can still pull down over 26 mpg highway, with lots of mods.
The Miata is a good toy, no more no less. As a daily driver? Eh, if you are one person who never needs more than say 4 grocery bags. Go for it.
 
I knew a guy who commuted in a miata. It was a perfect commuter, when the weather was nice. He had a tahoe for the winter and doing anything else.

As a regular cab compact pickup owner, I can say they are pretty impractical because the cab is small as is the bed. We have learned how to make it work for even stuff like drywall sheets. But taking more than two people, and even two folks' cargo (even with a cap or tonneau)?

But yet a miata, vette, compact regular cab pickup, etc. can be extremely practical if used as designed.
 
Originally Posted By: jimbrewer


What more do you ask for? I see people tooling around Phoenix, Arizona, a city the size of Philadelphia, in 4x4 pickup trucks. They don't go off-road. They don't see snow, either. What's with that? How about all these moms driving their kids around in 4x4 SUVs instead of a mini-van or station wagon? I guess they don't want to look like dweebs. So they look stupid, instead.

Maybe they haul stuff for work or home, or tow things on the weekend. I hope you don't do anything that would make other people judge you the way you judge them.
 
From the looks of some of these trucks, well, they aren't headed to the job site. I think a Jeep Wrangler in the hands of the right owner---basically a young man who doesn't have a big commute and doesn't mind the ride and is into adventure sports and values either the low depreciation or the long term durability, makes more sense than the silly SUVs that i see supposedly sensible people drive.
 
I may consider the stretch wrangler when the Tracker dies. The stubby one is too small and I won't use it's extra off road capabilities.
 
Growing up, our family car was always a CJ or a TJ. Probably not the most practical.

I have a Cherokee and it's just so darn practical, I can't get rid of it. I can haul a lot of stuff in it ... and if I can't haul it in the back, I can tow pretty much anything I can imagine needing to.

With it's 3'' lift and taller, skinny tires, I'm prepared for the snow storms we get here. It's also just as capable as a Wrangler off road - stock/stock or modified/modified.

A Wrangler, on the other hand, would probably be a bit more fun in the summer with drop top, more availability with manual trans. However, dropping $6000 for a 1997 TJ Wrangler with frame rot, holes in the fender and floors ... just doesn't seem worth it.

My Cherokee is truely a "general purpose" vehicle that one can live with every day (as long as paying for gas is not a concern)
 
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