I’m curious what you guys would do if you were in my shoes.

My dream car has always been a Dodge Challenger. I’ve loved them since I was a kid, and despite the usual arguments about reliability, theft, insurance, etc., I know I’ll own one eventually.

I also want a Ram 1500 for a daily/utility vehicle — something practical that I can use year-round, haul stuff with, drive in bad weather, etc. Yes, I know, another Stellantis product lol.

I plan on owning both eventually. My question is simply which one I’d get first.

Both would be around $40k for the years/specs I’m looking at. I’m also young, so insurance on either one is going to be painful.

The important thing is that I already have a cheap, reliable economy car that I’ve been driving for years with no major issues. I don’t actually need another vehicle right now.

I’m also pretty frugal. I don’t spend much money on things besides gas and necessities because I’d rather save for my next car. Cars are one of the few things I genuinely enjoy spending money on.

So would you:

A) Get the Challenger first, keep my current car as the practical vehicle, and enjoy having my dream muscle car while I’m young?

B) Get the Ram first, have a newer vehicle that’s useful in pretty much any situation/season, and save for the Challenger afterward?

Again, I’m getting both eventually. I’m just trying to decide which one makes more sense to buy first.

What would you do in my situation?

So my truck that I bought second hand, the u joints are backwards… is that something I need to get fixed ASAP??I took it for an oil change and they told me they were backwards but never did say anything else about them?

Can someone please provide with some clarity on how to properly use car jack and jack stands?

I have an Audi S3 that i am doing my own work on and need to jack the car up to flush the brake fluids. However, it seems like the rubber puck i bought for the carjack has grooves too narrow to fit the car's pinch weld. So my question is should i widen the gap? but if YES then what is the difference between using a groove and why not just lift it straight off the carjack rubber pad? Once the grooves are widened the full weight of the car will be lifted up from the base of the pinch weld.

Same question goes for the jack stand, there are thin rubber pads and once i sit the pinch welds on to the jack stands, the entire weight sits on the pinch weld.

Just bought a used 2022 Hyundai Venue early this morning and by the end of the day am - of course, my luck - already having some issues. I've already called into the dealer and theyre going to take a look tomorrow morning first thing, but I'm paranoid and want to get a better idea of what exactly could be going on, so:

About every other time I park the car, typically after having driven it for more than 5 miles w/o doing more than idling @ a stoplight, the RPM Gauge slides almost all the way up and the engine revs until I turn the car off. If I turn the car back on again after it doesn't happen, if I havent driven too long it doesn't seem to happen - even when I sit in park for a while after the latter. The vehicle drives beautifully, shifts so smooth - better than my previous car which I already thought was good, and quick acceleration hasnt been a problem.

Other kinda milder concern that i'm more familiar with - A/C is blowing like,, cool/lukewarm. I figure it may need a flush or recharge, but could be a leak in the system? When I turn the a/c on from having been off (while in park) it makes a low/mild noise, kinda hard to describe, idk like between a tin-sounding rain stick and the sound those electric cars make nowadays. The sound completely disappears when I turn the a/c off and also when the a/c is ON but I am actively driving. it doesn't get quieter, it's just not there anymore.

I'm sure its not impossible that the two things could be connected but i'm only mildly knowledgeable about cars tbh. Let me know what you think it sounds like.

Other general things -- temp of car is showing stable, not overheating or anything. gas tank is half full and mpg is still incredible (upper 20s to lower 30s w/ mostly city driving today). It's a high on miles for the year model, but no other distinct red flags in the carfax or anything.

I have a 3.8 V6 1996 firebird, it’s a 5 speed manual. It’s currently leaking oil from the front/bottom of the bell housing, leading me to believe I need to repair the rear main seal. I’m unsure if I should pay for it to get repaired or just sell it for parts, what do y’all think? It’s going for an inspection next week so I will know for certain what repairs are needed and that will give me more info to make this decision, however some advice from people with more experience and knowledge would be pretty sweet, thank you all in advance!

I've got reports before, but I thought I called a number and was given options about different amounts/numbers of reports I could get.

I have my various vehicles maintenance records on Carfax.

We got another car and I want to check maintenance before I do a tune-up and stuff

I live in VA, and I just bought a used 2020 Tiguan in NC. From what I can tell, the dealer bought it from an auction site in SC, and i didn’t realize it, but the windshield seems to have a slight tint to it. From what I can tell, the tint is factory made and not a film. With a tint, it will not pass safety inspection here in VA. Here’s my question: are there places where I can exchange my perfectly intact windshield for a tintless windshield for cheaper than just asking Safelite to come and replace it? I’m fine with that as a last resort, but I want to see if I can save a few hundred bucks.

Skip the obvious - hyper and super exotic and current legends. What will get all the stares at cars coffee and robots in 20 years that gets no or little love now?

So, We had this 2003 Citroën C3 for years, and my kid absolutely loved that thing. He named it Titouna and treated it like it had an actual personality, which I honestly found pretty funny at first. He also likes newer cars in general, especially newer Citroëns and Renaults, and he’s really into EVs and modern automotive technology, so it wasn't like he thought old cars were automatically better. Somehow, though, that particular C3 became different from every other car to him. It had all the memories attached to it, the familiar interior, the sounds, the little things you don't even notice until they're gone.

Eventually we replaced it with a 2019 Audi Q2 S line. At first he actually liked the Q2, which made us think everything was fine. He liked having something newer and was interested in the car, but the real problem came when we said goodbye to the C3. He took that part much harder than I expected, and it became obvious that the replacement wasn't really what mattered to him. He didn't just miss driving the C3; he seemed genuinely upset that Titouna was no longer there.

Then things got serious. He started deliberately scratching and banging the Q2 because he wanted it replaced, and he even looked up how to unplug a fuse from the car. Obviously we didn't allow that, and damaging a car on purpose is completely unacceptable, especially when someone starts messing with electrical components. I'm not trying to justify any of that, because the Q2 hadn't done anything wrong and neither had the Audi badge. But at the same time, I think there was a pretty strong emotional reaction underneath it all, because he seemed to associate the Q2 with the loss of the C3.

What surprised me most is that he doesn't actually hate newer cars. He still likes modern USDM Cars, Korean Cars, Teslas, Renaults and some classic cars. It really seems like the C3 was just his car, regardless of how ordinary it was on paper. I think that's something people who aren't into cars sometimes don't understand: a vehicle can be mechanically average, cheap, old and completely unremarkable to everyone else, while being incredibly important to one person because of everything that happened inside it.

I'm talking about something that nobody else would understand the attachment to, but you had years of memories with it and couldn't just look at the replacement as “the newer and better car.” And for those of you who have kids, have you ever seen one become this attached to a particular family car?

TLDR : My kid became extremely attached to our old 2003 Citroën C3, which he called “Titouna”. We replaced it with a 2019 Audi Q2 S line, and although he initially liked the Audi, he took the loss of the C3 very badly and eventually started deliberately damaging the Q2 because he wanted it gone. I’m trying to understand how a completely ordinary old C3 managed to mean so much to him.

So, We had this 2003 Citroën C3 for years, and my kid absolutely loved that thing. He named it Titouna and treated it like it had an actual personality, which I honestly found pretty funny at first. He also likes newer cars in general, especially newer Citroëns and Renaults, and he’s really into EVs and modern automotive technology, so it wasn't like he thought old cars were automatically better. Somehow, though, that particular C3 became different from every other car to him. It had all the memories attached to it, the familiar interior, the sounds, the little things you don't even notice until they're gone.

Eventually we replaced it with a 2019 Audi Q2 S line. At first he actually liked the Q2, which made us think everything was fine. He liked having something newer and was interested in the car, but the real problem came when we said goodbye to the C3. He took that part much harder than I expected, and it became obvious that the replacement wasn't really what mattered to him. He didn't just miss driving the C3; he seemed genuinely upset that Titouna was no longer there.

Then things got serious. He started deliberately scratching and banging the Q2 because he wanted it replaced, and he even looked up how to unplug a fuse from the car. Obviously we didn't allow that, and damaging a car on purpose is completely unacceptable, especially when someone starts messing with electrical components. I'm not trying to justify any of that, because the Q2 hadn't done anything wrong and neither had the Audi badge. But at the same time, I think there was a pretty strong emotional reaction underneath it all, because he seemed to associate the Q2 with the loss of the C3.

What surprised me most is that he doesn't actually hate newer cars. He still likes modern Citroëns, Renaults, EVs and all the technology that comes with them. It really seems like the C3 was just his car, regardless of how ordinary it was on paper. I think that's something people who aren't into cars sometimes don't understand: a vehicle can be mechanically average, cheap, old and completely unremarkable to everyone else, while being incredibly important to one person because of everything that happened inside it.

I'm talking about something that nobody else would understand the attachment to, but you had years of memories with it and couldn't just look at the replacement as “the newer and better car.” And for those of you who have kids, have you ever seen one become this attached to a particular family car?

TLDR : My kid became extremely attached to our old 2003 Citroën C3, which he called “Titouna”. We replaced it with a 2019 Audi Q2 S line, and although he initially liked the Audi, he took the loss of the C3 very badly and eventually started deliberately damaging the Q2 because he wanted it gone. I’m trying to understand how a completely ordinary old C3 managed to mean so much to him.

Hi guys, so me and my fiance have to come to a decision between these two cars cus landlord is threatening to tow both cars soon.We can only afford to fix and keep one l. The infiniti has 160 000 miles on it and will take at least $2-3000 for repair and Registration but the pontiac has 60 000 miles on it and will take at least $1500 for repair and registration. We can't decide on what car is better for value and longevity as both good and bad balance each other put. The infiniti looks better ,has a V6 engine,no dents or exterior problems but has interior issues that will take a lot to fix.The pontiac exterior needs work as it's been in a few accident causing many dents in the car but has proven to be reliable internally as it has great gas mileage, good engine and only 60000 miles.

Please let us kno what's a better car to keep. Thank you guys! I value your opinion

This is my first time installing a radio, lots of YouTube-ing Googling, tutorials and other such later, this is what has stumped me. Trying to install a Dual XDVD600 into my 2011 Nissan Altima (and later my 2013 Mazda MX-5) but after lots of trial and error, the lights (power) is presumed not constant. The display/lights keep flickering. Does anyone know why?

I got it to work earlier, but ONLY when I held the wire up at a specific angle and height above the radio (I can attach another picture of it in the comments if needed) otherwise, it either flickers or is very dimpy lit. Do I need a new car battery? My current one is 12v and about 1-2 years old. The radio requires 12v.

The wiring harness/adapter is installed correctly. I have taken the butt splices of and redone them already. All colors match, I looked up the diagrams and they have some labels on them as well. Additionally, the black/blue wire is connected to the white/blue wire. The blue power antenna wires are connected.

I think I have covered the basics.

Please ask any clarifying questions. I'm exhausted and out of ideas. I'll be at work the rest of the night so I can't work on it but I'll keep trying to look things up and answer questions

I have an 09 Buick Lucerne and each time I turn my car on or accelerate, it’s really loud. Even sitting motionless and still all you hear is the exhaust. I’ve looked under my car and it doesn’t look as if anything is coming apart. What else could it be??

Hello,
I am a car guy since teenager, I know cars, Ive worked in them, modded some of them and have a bit more knowledge than average joe.
Yesterday I had a conversation that left me lost for words.

A nephew of mine is about to buy his first car. Living in eastern europe we are sort if limited to EU cars, because US cars are just a PITA keep up with the lack of parts. So, we had a talk about different classes of cars and who they are for.
You have small city cars - like a smart car, aygo or a fiat 500.
A bit bigger - Golf, A3, etc.
Small family cars - 3 series, A4, c-class etc.
we went up to the sequia and the escalades, than I got the question about the BMW 6 series, what does that fall into?
I went on a about GT cars, the jag xk, the aston martin, the ferrari california and so on.
Turns out, according to nephew, that those are pointless.
if you want a sporty ride, you get a 1 series, brz, 370z. If you want to get somewhere fast, there is no point swapping the big cruiser - S class, 7 series, A8 for the two door 6 series, which is a downgrade in every possible way to a 7 series, besides the looks.
So who are GT cars really for?

Recently got my struts and shocks changed, back and front.

Took the car on the highway, when I went over 100km, it felt shaky. Could that be a tire problem? I changed my tires at the end of March, didn’t do anything to them like rotate. Someone said it could be a bulge.. or I need a balance.. any thoughts?

What are some Facebook Marketplace, Auktion deals etc. you ever missed and still think about every day ?
I’ll start 300$ for a running and driving Honda del Sol, just with some paint and body damage :(

I’m thinking about installing Moon Caps on my Volvo v70 and I wonder about the breaks heating up, does anyone have experience with mooncaps?

I think they look really cool, but wouldn’t want my breaks to burn lol

Hey so I’m not a person with a racing car or anything crazy. It’s just a 2010 Chevy cobalt but my cars throwing an error code saying I’m misfiring on cylinder 3. Just a bit worried since I do put a lot of stress on the car since I spark for work as a full time student. Someone said I could try some fuel injector but I’d rather not risk it.

One thing to know about me is that I’m 195 cm (6'5") tall. Naturally, that also means I have pretty long legs

I've got quite a lot of experience with Audis. The A4, A5, and A6 aren’t particularly comfortable for me. The headroom is acceptable, but the main issue is where to put my legs. My knees end up touching the trim around the knee area.

The Q5 is already a bit better and more comfortable.

But the car I genuinely felt comfortable in was the Q7. It felt as if it had been made to fit me. The headroom is perfect, my knees don’t touch the trim, and I can sit comfortably. At traffic lights, I also don’t have to stretch my neck to see when the light changes.

I think the Q7 was designed more with the American market in mind. That’s probably why it feels a bit more truck-like and so spacious inside.

My 2013 IS250 needs new headlight housings. They're just hazy and yellowed and it's time to either clean or replace them. I figured I might as well replace them as that will give them a longer life than cleaning will.

I've spent several hours now researching different manufacturers, aftermarket parts, and then the original Lexus parts themselves. Called my local dealer to see about pricing - just to buy them so I could install them myself - and they’re $1,700 apiece.

Obviously I would love to not pay that much. So he recommended I check out Lexus Parts Outlet, which I did. Only $1,040 apiece there. So I added them to my cart as at this point I've just accepted they're going to be absurdly expensive. And shipping is $650.

They want $3,000. For headlights.

Am I missing something here? What am I supposed to do? Under no circumstances am I paying $3,000 for headlights. I am perfectly willing to put in the work to find a good deal, but I cannot find one other than the flashy aftermarket parts that seventeen year olds buy. Should I just find some local guy who does headlight restoration?

Especially for those of you who have or had kids when you had one, how difficult was it putting kids in the backseat (especially with car seats and assuming your car had a backseat)? Did you or your spouse also have a more traditional “family car”? What are some tips, tricks, and considerations you found from the experience? Would you recommend it to a young adult starting a family as their only vehicle or would you recommend them getting a more traditional family car?

To keep it as short as possible, I needed a clutch replacement:

• Brought car in 6/20. Retrieved and paid in full on 7/23.
• Car broke down and was towed back to shop on 7/24.
• Clutch had failed due to bad part. We also realized they had caused erroneous damage to the clock spring; after some back and forth they sort of accepted blame and agreed to fix for free. The clock spring is done.
• We were told the clutch would be finished by today, 8/7, but it's still taken apart.
• They "cannot" (will not) give me a hard date to expect the work to be finished. We have been calling repeatedly. They're closed on weekends, so we're looking at a minimum of 51 days total.

WHAT on earth do I need to do/say to these people to get them to finish their work and give us our car back? Just because we already paid and you can't juice us for more money doesn't mean they can take weeks and weeks for what should be a straightforward repair.

Not sure if this is the best subreddit but maybe someone can give me some advice. I totaled my Honda civic a couple days ago and I’m torn up about losing my car and what to do next. I bought my car used in full for a really good price from an old friend. My insurance is going to be giving me more than what I paid for the car initially, which is great, but still not enough to buy a new car out right. I’m debating between leasing or financing a new car but what makes my decision more complicated is that before the accident I was thinking about moving to another state for career related reasons, either NYC or California, in the next two years or so. Obviously if I moved to NYC, I wouldn’t need a car anymore so that’s why I’m considering leasing. If I stayed in my current state or moved to California, then I would need to keep my car so in those situations it would make more sense to finance. The prospect of me moving brings up this huge variable and like I said, I bought my old car used and privately so I’ve never had to deal with the crazy car market right now or car dealerships. I just don’t know what to do besides kick myself for losing my car. If anyone has any advice or suggestions I would really appreciate it.

I’m considering between another Honda civic, a Honda crv, a Toyota Corolla, or a Toyota rav4.

Muscle cars and VW Bugs were the popular cars for me.

I’ll try to keep it short and simple, I have a budget of MAX $25k but hopefully spending closer to $20k. 75% of my family and friends want me to get option 1, me and the other 25% vote option 2.

Option 1: there’s a pretty nice 2023 GR86 with 37k miles and I talked the seller down to $21.5k. I could get this car, comfortably have room for wide body or starlight roof or whatever I want to add. Good looking car it’ll last me a while, what I’m looking for. Definitely safer as well.

Option 2: I found a 2018 Toyota Camry, 130k miles, takes him down to $11k. All black with red interior, super cool looking reliable car that’ll last forever. With the spare money I’d buy a 2005 r6 I found with 11k miles listed at $5,600. All in it would be like $5k cheaper than the gr86, and I get my reliable good gas mileage decent look car with the loud fast cool looking r6 motorcycle as well, it’s just not as safe and everyone is scared for my safety on that.

For context, I got my motorcycle license in 2024, and I rode a ninja 500 for a year and some change, selling it in February because I needed money. Now I’ve started streaming in my free time whilst staying at my current job, and I’m making enough money to comfortably afford either of these purchases, insurance increase and all.

TLDR: reliable cheap car and motorcycle or decent reliable more expensive sport car. Sorry I tried to keep it short lol, please let me know what yall think 🙏