[raksrules]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

When I moved, I thought about this and then just took the car rental in weekends. Mainly because, I lived fairly close to the office and on weekdays I hardly needed a car - public transport was enough to get to office and back - and there were plenty of friends to hitch a ride from, for getting groceries etc. The too, I didn't get the car on all the weekends, only the ones when I actually needed one. This might change in your case depending on how many friends you have in the area.

Secondly - if you may take several months to buy the car you want: you might consider getting a used Corolla/Civic for around 3k and then selling it for almost the same price once you are done with it. Not sure which state/area you are moving to, but at least here in the bay area there are a lot of used Civics/Corollas/Altimas, get something around year 2000 with 100k miles for 3k to 4k, use it for a couple of months and then sell it, get the car you wanted. The purchase is usually not time consuming at all, just hand over money, get pink slip and go home. (you will need an address and SSN to register it at DMV and get insurance though - so do it after the first 2 weeks).

In my case, I will be with my wife and infant son. I want to have a car all the time as hitching ride with colleagues may not pan out. Also I personally don't really want to do that. I am pretty sure office won't be near and also public transport will be NIL.
I will be buying a used car only as my primary car. Last time I got a 1999 Honda Accord EX for around $4400 and it was 130K miles on it. I sold it for $3300 after 1 Year 4 months (back in 2012) with little more than 140K miles.
I will not take several months to buy a car as I want to buy used and budget will be limited (say less than $ 5K). That is the reason I said, I will ask car buying queries later in the thread once I am sorted with what rentals to go for initially.

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by raksrules

Not sure if it is appropriate to ask about Car Rentals here.

I now use only relayrides (www.relayrides.com) You get all the fun cars at a much cheaper cost.

Or normal cars way cheaper.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by Jomz

I now use only relayrides (www.relayrides.com) You get all the fun cars at a much cheaper cost.

Or normal cars way cheaper.

This is nice!
What about insurance though?

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by amitoj

This is nice!
What about insurance though?

You have the offer or taking an insurance from relayrides itself ( for peace of mind) and they would cover the damages to the rental car.

I usually don't take insurance with relay rides because my normal insurance would cover the car - this is like taking a friends car out. But not all insurances would cover peer to peer car sharing.

few link on the costs and what is covered

https://support.relayrides.com/hc/en...ion-provisions

https://support.relayrides.com/hc/en...packages-cost-

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by Jomz

You have the offer or taking an insurance from relayrides itself ( for peace of mind) and they would cover the damages to the rental car.

Sweet! I did not know about this.

Just for comparison sake, I see a 911 listed for $195 a day
https://relayrides.com/car-rental/au...sche-911/30835

Are you also getting similar rates over there?

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by acurafan

Atleast the Acura had buttons to shift gear opposed to this rotary dial madness in Chrysler.

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

Soon I expect Honda to get inspired by Acura and this whole thing would become super mainstream.

Wow dude. Can you predict whether I am going to get a raise this year?

This is the 2016 Honda Pilot's gear selector:

Source: Jalopnik who credit it to edmunds as well as carscoops

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Wow dude. Can you predict whether I am going to get a raise this year?

This is the 2016 Honda Pilot's gear selector:
Attachment 1339217
Source: Jalopnik who credit it to edmunds as well as carscoops

Haha! I wish I could predict a raise for myself! Was bound to happen - all this experiments coming down the Acura food chain to the Honda ones.

On the Pilot - it has lost its boxy quirkiness - looks like a CRV ++ and the side profile looks a lot like the Nissan Pathfinder or the Chevy Traverse (or, surprise, the Acura MDX!). I hope there is some powertrain innovation that will make this car standout.

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Sweet! I did not know about this.

Just for comparison sake, I see a 911 listed for $195 a day
https://relayrides.com/car-rental/au...sche-911/30835

Are you also getting similar rates over there?

Indianapolis has only a Corvette listed. I usually use this when I'm in big cities like Los Angels, Houston, Chicago etc.

The Corvette is for $200.

[kraft.wagen]

Originally Posted by raksrules

In my case, I will be with my wife and infant son. I want to have a car all the time as hitching ride with colleagues may not pan out. Also I personally don't really want to do that. I am pretty sure office won't be near and also public transport will be NIL.
I will be buying a used car only as my primary car. Last time I got a 1999 Honda Accord EX for around $4400 and it was 130K miles on it. I sold it for $3300 after 1 Year 4 months (back in 2012) with little more than 140K miles.
I will not take several months to buy a car as I want to buy used and budget will be limited (say less than $ 5K). That is the reason I said, I will ask car buying queries later in the thread once I am sorted with what rentals to go for initially.

Depending on where you are coming in the US, public transport could not be a option.
Rentals will surely cost your close to $1000 plus for a month including insurance. The other option would be to use your corporate rental policy, that way the insurance will be included in the cost of rental.

Meanwhile you can start looking for cars in the area you are coming. You never know when a good deal comesby

Originally Posted by Jomz

Indianapolis has only a Corvette listed. I usually use this when I'm in big cities like Los Angels, Houston, Chicago etc.

The Corvette is for $200.

Thanks looks like I will get to try some machines soon

[Technocrat]

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

On the Pilot - it has lost its boxy quirkiness - looks like a CRV ++ and the side profile looks a lot like the Nissan Pathfinder or the Chevy Traverse (or, surprise, the Acura MDX!). I hope there is some powertrain innovation that will make this car standout.

Seems to be proper refresh for the almost decade old Boxy design & yes looks like lot of design cues from previous gen MDX (the one I have) have been taken. Frankly earlier Pilot had only practical aspect to it but now it looks good too.

I do agree though that it looks more like the other large SUVs on road than before when it was a little unique.

[vineethvazhayil]

Off to the Chicago auto show in 2 hours. Anyone there today? Any special photo requests? PM me if you have any.

I'm looking forward to the new Ford GT and a couple of the CUV debuts. Also, many cars that have carried over from Detroit, a good chance to see them up close.

[DieselAddikt]

Guys, I need help.

I have been driving a 2010 Altima 2.5 for the past 3 yrs. Did 30K miles on it and would like to change to something better. I will be the only person using the car and will mostly be the only one in the car 90% of the time. I was looking at a few 2014 C Classes and then I stumbled upon this beauty called GLA. Took a test drive and later realized that the rear seats are not comfortable at all.

The C feels like a proper Mercedes sedan while the GLA is an impractical wanna be SUV. The only thing going for it is the fresh design and the brand name. But the fact that I will be the only one in the car most of the time, makes me wonder if I should go for it. Please help me decide.

By the way, I was looking at 2014 C300 4MATICs and new GLA250 4MATICs

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by DieselAddikt

Guys, I need help.

I have been driving a 2010 Altima 2.5 for the past 3 yrs. Did 30K miles on it and would like to change to something better. I will be the only person using the car and will mostly be the only one in the car 90% of the time. I was looking at a few 2014 C Classes and then I stumbled upon this beauty called GLA. Took a test drive and later realized that the rear seats are not comfortable at all.

The C feels like a proper Mercedes sedan while the GLA is an impractical wanna be SUV. The only thing going for it is the fresh design and the brand name. But the fact that I will be the only one in the car most of the time, makes me wonder if I should go for it. Please help me decide.

By the way, I was looking at 2014 C300 4MATICs and new GLA250 4MATICs

Are you talking about the CLA or the GLA? The GLA is the wannabe SUV whereas the CLA is a sedan on the same platform.

Are you sold on the Mercedes idea or are you open to shopping elsewhere? In the German trio, the A3 is the most luxurious in that segment, and the 2 series is the most fun (the only RWD based car in the sub compact luxury segment). If you are considering Japs, the new ILX with the 2.4 DI and dual clutch autobox would also be a ton of fun. Only the ILX has a rear seat of good dimensions amongst the three. I'm not sure what your requirements are, there are choices plenty. Even if you are the only one driving, the C class is head and shoulders above the CLA which doesn't even feel like a real Mercedes, so you should look at it from that angle too.

[DieselAddikt]

Yes, I am talking about the wanna be SUV, the GLA.

I somehow do not like BMWs. The ride is really harsh for long trips. WRX is the only thing more stiffer. :P I usually drive all alone for days together. So I prefer more comfort than razor sharp handling.

I can drive anything that is AWD. (AWD because of the bad weather these days) No particular requirements. Just need a change from the usual ride. And I thought I should try a German this time. I can definitely take a look at the A3, which is a good suggestion. I am not interested in the CLA because of the same reason you mentioned above. I know it applies to the GLA as well, but I found it beautiful. But I can get over this "infatuation" in a few days.

One more question: Which of these would be easier to live with after, say, 3 years ? Audi or Merc ? Which one is more prone to niggles ?

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by DieselAddikt

One more question: Which of these would be easier to live with after, say, 3 years ? Audi or Merc ? Which one is more prone to niggles ?

That will be a tough question to answer given both of those cars are fairly new. I would like to think Audi, just because MQB is being used everywhere in the VW family and has sort of settled down. But I may be completely wrong - Mercedes may have invested a ton of research and cash on the CLA/ GLA platform. Your best bet could be reading what JD Power/ Consumer Reports have to say about the initial quality and 5 year cost of ownership etc. I have driven both the CLA and A3 - my personal preference is the A3, the CLA is too cramped for me, even in the front seats. Maybe the GLA with the added height and taller roofline is better. You can also look at Volvo S60 - tidy little cars they are. But yeah you need to agree to the semi quirkish looks and infotainment system etc.

If the easier to live with (upkeep $$ ) part is very important, I must state again - you are probably better off with the Acura ILX 2016. However, that is based purely on the assumption that the excellent base powerplant of the TLX is going to be available on a car that is 10% lighter - making it potentially a total fun car.