Fiasko21

Whats your second car brand?

Posted by xdr01@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 94 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Yep, turbo Subarus.. haven't given me an issue in 20 years myself. But love a good Honda too, so tightly built, they run forever, the chassis are amazing.

Car & Driver and Motor Trend recently tested cars under $30k and their winners were way different

Posted by idkbruh653@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 333 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

The main probably with the NVH was the oem Goodyears, as soon as I got new tires.. it got so much better. My issue with the Golf was the room inside, it was very cramped.. plus the moonroof, it's known that the MK7 has cheap aluminum that cracks, also cheap plastic that cracks, and the drains are not very good.. leading to almost unnrepairable moonroofs unless you pay $4000 to replace the whole thing. I sold it, and then finally eventually Volkswagen acknowledged the problem and offered to pay for the fix.

Car & Driver and Motor Trend recently tested cars under $30k and their winners were way different

Posted by idkbruh653@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 333 comments

Car & Driver and Motor Trend recently tested cars under $30k and their winners were way different

Posted by idkbruh653@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 333 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

I definitely bought the Civic because the CHASSIS is truly amazing, the way it behaves cruising at 100mph is comparable to a sports car costing double (except for the power). It has a lot more room than the Corolla, and the Golf I used to have (the golf felt like a mitsubishi mirage inside). The built quality is TIGHT, and I was able to pickup a 2023 Sport in late 2024 for $20,500 (port injected 2.0 non turbo for longevity). At 75k miles, it has no issues.. just changed the oem tires, still has the oem pads, still looks and feels like it rolled off the showroom, and it's my daily beater.. IMO honda still builds good cars.

Car & Driver and Motor Trend recently tested cars under $30k and their winners were way different

Posted by idkbruh653@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 333 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Wouldn't say the non-hybrid Civic is one of the worst in class... it still has the same nice quality, it's still massive compared to the Golf, it's reliable, good on gas, and the chassis is amazing..

Penthouse Living at Ground Level: We Compare Large Luxury Sedans From 2000

Posted by lifegoeson2702@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 63 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

When I had a 2010 Suburban and it needed work done, my mechanic gave me a 96-97 Jag XJ to drive... I couldn't believe how bad the built quality was, it was embarrassing what they were trying to pass along. It was legitimately worse than the Suburban, and the suburban GMT900 is known for being CHEAP quality. My dad's 1997 Volvo S70 felt like a tight tank compared to the Jag. I traded that Suburban for a Lexus GX and I was in AWE at the quality..

Comparison Test: $30,000 Small Cars

Posted by Fearless_Neat_6654@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 154 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

I bought the Civic because the CHASSIS is truly amazing, the way it behaves cruising at 100mph is comparable to a sports car costing double (except for the power). It has a lot more room than the Corolla, and the Golf I used to have (the golf felt like a mitsubishi mirage inside). The built quality is TIGHT, and I was able to pickup a 2023 Sport in late 2024 for $20,500 (port injected 2.0 non turbo for longevity). At 75k miles, it has no issues.. just changed the oem tires, still has the oem pads, still looks and feels like it rolled off the showroom, and it's my daily beater.. IMO honda still builds good cars.

What Even Is Drivetrain Loss?

Posted by NISMO1968@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 77 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Pretty much my exact issue with the STI, it has a 20-23% drivetrain loss because the AWD system is so hefty, plus having a locking center diff, dual LSDs... At a loss of 20%, my 510hp crank HP translates to *only* 408awhp (what it dyno'd at)

[Throttle House] 2026 Audi RS3 Review

Posted by dustygator@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 217 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

nope, i'm only 145lbs. My dad used to have a CLA, and I regularly drive an A class overseas, and I also do not fit comfortably at all.., feel like I can't move, it's exactly the same issue as the A3/RS3 and Golf. I'm not even some American that's used to big vehicles, I was born and raised in Europe, and I have an STI and Civic.

[Throttle House] 2026 Audi RS3 Review

Posted by dustygator@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 217 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

I acknowledge how fast the darn thing is.. but I can't wrap my head around paying that much for a car that little, it's comically small. I'm only 5'7" and I cannot fit comfortably in the back of an RS3, a honda civic feels like two sizes bigger. Also, it's front biased so it requires bigger front tires to prevent understeer.. that's ridiculous for the money, when there's other AWD cars that are much cheaper and get tail happy with equal sized tires.

What hypothetical rebadges do you think would be a good idea, and why?

Posted by Derpy_Kirby@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 59 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

They don't need to have a partnership to rebadge the same car.. Mercedes sells a rebadged Nissan pickup, Honda sold a Land Rover, Chevy has sold rebadged Toyotas, Subarus, and even Daewoos, Suzuki sold a rebadged Nissan.

What hypothetical rebadges do you think would be a good idea, and why?

Posted by Derpy_Kirby@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 59 comments

Gaslit at the Pump: Many New York Drivers Pay Premium But Get Regular

Posted by pdp10@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 112 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

My car could tell you. 500hp+ from just a 2.5L 4 cylinder requires some monitoring.. I'd be able to tell the difference pretty dang quick after leaving the gas station.

Comparison Test: Honda Passport TrailSport vs. Subaru Outback Wilderness

Posted by NISMO1968@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 86 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

I have to disagree.. (Yes they had a winning formula) but the interior quality is not 2000s GM quality. Go sit in a 2000s GM car, it's like fisher price, horribly gaps, toy-like switches, the plastics crack with the sun, zero ergonomics.. it's trash. I just checked out this Outback because my girlfriend ordered one.. it objectively has better quality than her current Tesla (which is not a good start, but better than 2000s GM), the gaps are all consistent, the new switches are all Toyota, the stitching is nice, knobs feel nice...

Comparison Test: Honda Passport TrailSport vs. Subaru Outback Wilderness

Posted by NISMO1968@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 86 comments

Comparison Test: Honda Passport TrailSport vs. Subaru Outback Wilderness

Posted by NISMO1968@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 86 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

We just looked at these two for my girlfriend. I like both, I actually have a Subaru and a Honda. She's ordering the Outback because the Passport felt too sluggish for her (and hates the orange inside the trailsport). The Outback felt way quicker specially from low end.

Wagons North! 2001 AWD Wagon Comparison Test

Posted by lifegoeson2702@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 42 comments

Wagons North! 2001 AWD Wagon Comparison Test

Posted by lifegoeson2702@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 42 comments

The Most Reliable New Cars for the Money for 2026

Posted by hehechibby@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 14 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

That's why I picked the new Civic as my daily, I rack up 25k per year on my daily... and I'm actually glad I got it before they switched to direct injection. Mine is port injected, better long term.

Honda Civic remains Canada’s top-selling car for 2025

Posted by LimitedReach@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 65 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

The Civic is awesome, the chassis is comparable to cars costing 2-3x as much, how it's so stiff but still rides well. The built quality is as good as it gets for the price, and the feeling it has. It actually feels somewhat wide and low (sportier), while the Corolla feels skinnier, taller, flimsier..

From the Archive: 2003 Comparison Test of Car-Based SUVs

Posted by lifegoeson2702@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 12 comments

What’s everyone’s favourite car battery?

Posted by carbon_ape@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 94 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

That's what I just did with my STI. The oem-size Group 35 battery lasted 5 years, I just replaced it with an oversized AGM battery.. hoping to get at least 8 years.

2026 Subaru WRX base model returns, starting at $32,495 MSRP

Posted by rockycrab@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 279 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

DSG is definitely nicer than the cvt option in the wrx, but.. personally I only look at manuals in performance cars, and many other enthusiasts too. My daily is automatic though, totally get the need/want for the auto.

2026 Subaru WRX base model returns, starting at $32,495 MSRP

Posted by rockycrab@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 279 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

amazing value compared to the MK7/8 GTI. - More power stock - lower entry price - AWD - after owning BOTH.. the size difference is massive, it feels like the WRX is a midsize sedan and the VW is a subcompact (which the A3 is.. same car) - lower maintenance

One of These Cars Will Be Our 2026 Performance Car of the Year.

Posted by Dazzling-Rooster2103@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 75 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

I can't get over the fact that the RS3 needs bigger front tires than the rear, to fight understeer? But Audi claims to have the best AWD? Or is it a fwd car that sends just a bit of power to the back.. like the Golf R? The evo and sti never had staggered setups, and they were tail happy. (I had an 05 STI that was extremely tail happy, so is my 2015. My 08 was meh though)

When shopping for a vehicle, how do you narrow your options (and avoid cross shopping)?

Posted by CG_Ops@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 36 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Depends if I'm buying a daily or weekend car. When I buy a daily.. at this point it's Japanese only, I also want it to feel good at 90-100mph, not stressed, low maintenance, good resale, 25+mpg, safe, reliable, available in a nice blue. When I'm buying a weekend car.. feel good at 120+mph, not stressed, easy maintenance, good resale, safe, mostly reliable, available in a nice blue, good feeling leather/alcantara (not cheap vinyl), manual, and the ability to take over daily driver duty instantly if I needed. My options are typically pretty limited.

For the car enthusiasts that later became homeowners, did you de-prioritize cars?

Posted by DHN_95@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 354 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Had attainable goals. I didn't want an exotic car, I wanted an STI. At 24 I ordered my STI, bought my house, and then my STI got delivered. Daily drove it for 2 years while I paid it off quick. At 27 I built the STI and bought a daily. At 31 I had a new house built, and sold my daily, daily drove the STI again. At 32, once the house was done, closed, signed the papers.. I got another daily. Now I'm 35, continue to travel every summer, my STI is in excellent shape 11 years later, got a new daily (Civic), and money growing in the market. Staying away from fancy expensive cars has been a big thing, specially because they depreciate so fast, and maintaining attainable realistic [humble] goals.

The Average New Car Payment Is Up to Nearly $750 a Month As of Q3 2025, New Data Shows.

Posted by Dazzling-Rooster2103@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 165 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Was JUST discussing this stuff with my friends, they thought how ridiculous that is, and how people are being dumb and overspending, putting themselves in such vulnerable situations when the cost of everything is going up so quick. They asked me how I got my newer Civic (2023) for $263/m, (Good credit, a small down payment, and an old beater traded in). Turn around, and a couple months later BOTH of them get new vehicles (gas guzzlers) with payments over $900. One of them has no house yet, and wants a house.. the other one has zero money saved for retirement. I can't make this stuff up, they both make about the same as me.

Subaru Wants to Hear from You Before Committing to a New STI.

Posted by Dazzling-Rooster2103@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 173 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Don't make it tiny like the corolla and golf. Keep it about the size of the VB wrx and the civic. Keep the STI driveline, but take the FA24.. destroke it and beef it up, make it a 2.2 that can rev higher and handle way more boost (also pay homage to the 22B).

C8 Corvette ZR1 Flippers Are Raking It In

Posted by Sixteen-Cylinders@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 84 comments

The 2026 Nissan Sentra Isn't Enough of an Improvement

Posted by Anchor_Aways@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 98 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Realistically, This is a car with a cheap payment, almost anyone can get approved.. specially with Nissan's financing, and they can be pretty sure it's gonna give them 200k miles with cheap maintenance. It's gonna get 35mpg, and have the latest features.

Why do parents allow teens to buy fast cars?

Posted by SirCatsworthTheThird@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 130 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

I absolutely agree. I see parents not parenting all the time.. and coming from someone that has lived in 6 countries, and been to 34 countries (driven in most of them), the driver education in the U.S. is a joke... we definitely need to improve there.

Why do parents allow teens to buy fast cars?

Posted by SirCatsworthTheThird@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 130 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

I had a modified STI, which.. in 2006-2009, it was the fastest car in my school. Not an affluent school. Now I teach at an affluent school, and I have a couple students with pilot licenses, they are allowed to fly small planes. I've seen other students drive exotics and cars with 500+hp. I understand the concern, but I'd hate to live with more and more government control, it's a slippery slope.

Why do parents allow teens to buy fast cars?

Posted by SirCatsworthTheThird@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 130 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

I had a fast car in high school, probably the quickest in my school, I was fine and my parents didn't really have a choice... I paid for everything. I'm a teacher now and I have students with fast cars that they pay for, some of them do get parent help, some don't. The point is.. it's not always up to what parents "allow".

What car(s) do you think will become modern classics 20 years from now?

Posted by Vertrixz@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 519 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

The cars that will be classics, are already keeping their value really well. They're more analog, raw, nostalgic, hard to find clean examples.

What car(s) do you think will become modern classics 20 years from now?

Posted by Vertrixz@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 519 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Maybe manual super clean ones.. but I doubt it. Golf R buyers aren't like evo or sti buyers looking for an analog raw experience that can't be found anymore... Golf R buying care about tech, making power, and then moving on.

At what point does legendary reliability matter if the gas mileage is legendarily shitty

Posted by BullableGull@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 415 comments

At what point does legendary reliability matter if the gas mileage is legendarily shitty

Posted by BullableGull@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 415 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Same thing with the GX470 and GX460... they ask for premium but it's the same motor as the tundra, it runs happy with 87. It's funny how so many claim "you're gonna ruin your car, you think you know better than the engineers!"... meanwhile these people are also changing everything about their cars. There's tons of records of GX's going over 300k miles with 87 octane, no problem. I've towed up to 8000 pounds while using regular gas, and even took my GX460 to the track.. and it ran the same time as the magazine "premium gas" time.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI / R Is the 2026 MotorTrend Car of the Year

Posted by thedogthatmooed@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 611 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Great car, I miss the way my MK7 drove, but it's so small.. it made it unlivable for me. I know it's classified as a "compact", but in reality it's the same size as the A3.. which is a subcompact. I ended up having to trade for the Civic, it has SO much more room it's ridiculous, and the maintenance is about half the cost.

Which of your cars has gotten the most attention that surprised you the most?

Posted by PM_Me_Cool_Cars_@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 291 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

My STI gets a surprising amount of attention, it IS built, but it looks stock outside. Over 10 years owning it, I've seen countless people just taking pictures, and approaching to ask about it. Even found pictures online taken by strangers.

What are issues the internet said your car would have but never did?

Posted by 08legacygt@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 443 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Same thing with Subaru. 20 years driving modified STIs, 7 years at 400whp+.. no issues. No AOS, no warm ups, no babying any of them.

Unfair Fight? We Compare the 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX, Audi S4 Quattro, and BMW 330xi.

Posted by Dazzling-Rooster2103@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 103 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

WRX pls. The S4 was a nightmare of a car to live with, wouldn't even take a free one. The 330i/xi was a good car, you might have issues with the cooling system due to cheap CHEAP plastic/composite parts.. but if you take care of that, it's a good car. The WRX with the EJ205 is known to go 200k+ miles, I've even seen 300k+. Cheap and easy to maintain, practical, comfortable. Only issue with those was they'd rust easily.

American Customer Satisfaction index: Subaru, Buick top mainstream brands, Lexus, Cadillac top luxury

Posted by belvedere58@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 181 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

My family has owned Subarus for 32 years now, since 1993, and zero issues. No headgaskets, no blown anything, just decades of driving them hard. Our subaru dealer has been great too whenever we needed something like a windshield changed; they've even picked up our Ascent and brought it back later. I've personally owned Subaru STIs, modified.. for 20 years, and also no issues, heck my current one has had a bigger turbo for 7 years now. Definitely can attest to being satisfied.

Is there a reliability advantage for automatic cars normally being in a lower rev range compared to manual cars?

Posted by Dazzling-Rooster2103@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 139 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Low gears, it isn't as bad because there's more leverage. But with manual, you gotta either go down to 1st, or maintain enough speed to have some decent RPM in 2nd.

Is there a reliability advantage for automatic cars normally being in a lower rev range compared to manual cars?

Posted by Dazzling-Rooster2103@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 139 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

CLEARLY it doesn't mind. When I've done UOAs, they look good, it doesn't burn oil, been doing this for 20 years and seen dudes say i'm gonna blow my motor. What happen next? they blow their motor, and mine is still fine. Oil doesn't automatically go bad in the crankcase. It's more complicated than that.

Is there a reliability advantage for automatic cars normally being in a lower rev range compared to manual cars?

Posted by Dazzling-Rooster2103@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 139 comments

Is there a reliability advantage for automatic cars normally being in a lower rev range compared to manual cars?

Posted by Dazzling-Rooster2103@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 139 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

The possible reliability advantage that automatics *could* have is.... NO LUGGING, because the computer won't allow it. I've owned STIs for 20 years, with zero issues. I don't follow any of the advice, I change my oil once a year, no AOS, no warm ups, I drive it hard. These cars do not die from any of that... it's the damn lugging (and bad tuning). People are lazy and won't downshift, when you drive a manual.. your brain is the TCM.

What’s The Most Bit of Bias You’ve Seen in Automotive Journalism

Posted by Puzzled_Region_9376@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 550 comments

What’s The Most Bit of Bias You’ve Seen in Automotive Journalism

Posted by Puzzled_Region_9376@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 550 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

Yea so compare mile to mile. Europeans love to brag "my car already has 150,000 kilometers!" and that's only 92k miles. Labor is also way cheaper in Europe, cheaper to maintain these cars and get parts for them. Also, I just spent 2 months in Europe, 16 countries... most of my taxis were Toyota and Skoda.

What’s The Most Bit of Bias You’ve Seen in Automotive Journalism

Posted by Puzzled_Region_9376@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 550 comments

Fiasko21@reddit

I've lived all over Europe.. and it was the same BS as here. The main difference is that it takes longer to see issues because Europeans drive less.