Otsuka Kagu

[Takechanpoo]

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sofaa made by mazda

[Coligny]

I wanted to take a cheap dump on Mazda...

Then...

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I found that stfu was a better option...

[Samurai_Jerk]

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sofaa made by mazda

Pair that with a glass coffee table and you get the stereotypical look of the living room of a single guy the first time he makes a little money or the the guy who just got his mid-life crisis divorce. I've always hated that look.

[Wage Slave]

It's a very good looking car. Do I feel the slightest urge to go out and buy one? No.

But that's probably just me. I couldn't care less about cars and don't really understand why people sacrifice so much for them or think they are important life's work symbols.

[Russell]

It's a very good looking car. Do I feel the slightest urge to go out and buy one? No.

But that's probably just me. I couldn't care less about cars and don't really understand why people sacrifice so much for them or think they are important life's work symbols.

Completely agree.

The only thing I demand of a car is that it be practical.

My van is 17 years old, and going strong.

Suspension started to groan recently, but Autobags discovered that it was just the sound from a spring, so should be fine.

All scratches and bumps are ignored by me, but the Missus is somewhat unhappy, since it does not look very distinguished. Well, I guess, that befits me then...

[Coligny]

Bushings also tend to squeak over time when the rubber starts to dry. Cheap part, super long to replace. Try to generously use silicone spray and grease. And regular chassis grease on the spring mounts (but here start a week before with some wd40 so if it's a "rubbing on rust" it have a little time to clear up.

The 'beautifull' car issue is not all about ownership and penis compensation. It's also about quality of life. With cars being a major element in the landscape i take Nagoya's population of krauters and historical cars over Paris endless stream of beat up Twingos anyday... A bit like new york (or chicago)? ) no broken window policy.

[Wage Slave]

A man after my own heart Russell. I drive a 13 year old Fit that can transform into a little van when needed. I do make a little effort with dings, dents and scratches but just enough. All the more money available for house, education, trips to Europe and tinkering eh?

[Russell]

A man after my own heart Russell. I drive a 13 year old Fit that can transform into a little van when needed. I do make a little effort with dings, dents and scratches but just enough. All the more money available for house, education, trips to Europe and tinkering eh?

Yep.

Or a second car.

A keijidousha...

[Yokohammer]

I was going to join the automotive derailment earlier, but since it is (was?) a furniture thread I did my best to exercise restraint. But now that it's gone completely off the rails why the heck not ...

I'm going to conclude that Russell and Wage Slave see a car primarily as a means of getting from A to B. Nothing wrong with that. But, and not even bringing the car-as-status guys into it, there are also people who enjoy driving. I fall into the latter group. I will often choose to drive even in cases where it would be faster and cheaper to take a train, for example, simply because I enjoy it. Contradictorily though, as much of a geek as I am I don't have much interest in automotive mechanics, just the driving experience. That involves feel, response, comfort, and of course appearance.

So cleverly coming back to the original topic ... it's like furniture. Enjoyable furniture is furniture that offers a well-balanced experience, from comfort through the feel of the materials used to visual appeal.

Ta-daa!

[Samurai_Jerk]

A man after my own heart Russell. I drive a 13 year old Fit that can transform into a little van when needed. I do make a little effort with dings, dents and scratches but just enough. All the more money available for house, education, trips to Europe and tinkering eh?

One of the reasons I like living in a big city is I don't need to own a car. Never understood the obsession.

[Yokohammer]

Yep.

Or a second car.

A keijidousha...

Ugh ... NEVER!

Those things are the polar opposite of enjoyable driving.

Blech ... barf ...

On the other hand, if you just need to go 2 kilometres down to the supermarket and back every day, then a kei is OK.

[Coligny]

A man after my own heart Russell. I drive a 13 year old Fit that can transform into a little van when needed. I do make a little effort with dings, dents and scratches but just enough. All the more money available for house, education, trips to Europe and tinkering eh?

One of the reasons I like living in a big city is I don't need to own a car. Never understood the obsession.

-porking in the back seat !?
-going to the airfield with flying gears and toolboxes
-bringing home the rebars and steel sheet for the cat castles...

[Russell]

Yep.

Or a second car.

A keijidousha...

Ugh ... NEVER!

Those things are the polar opposite of enjoyable driving.

Blech ... barf ...

On the other hand, if you just need to go 2 kilometres down to the supermarket and back every day, then a kei is OK.

A kei is convenient in a city, especially for parking.

And to be honest, driving my van is quite enjoyable for me. I do not deny that going fast through curves is easier in a sports car, but that makes the challenge of trying it in a van even better...

[Samurai_Jerk]

A man after my own heart Russell. I drive a 13 year old Fit that can transform into a little van when needed. I do make a little effort with dings, dents and scratches but just enough. All the more money available for house, education, trips to Europe and tinkering eh?

One of the reasons I like living in a big city is I don't need to own a car. Never understood the obsession.

-porking in the back seat !?
-going to the airfield with flying gears and toolboxes
-bringing home the rebars and steel sheet for the cat castles...

-I prefer to do it outside.
-I'm not an otaku.
-I hate DIY.

[Coligny]

MOST kei have technical aberations as far as suspension and chassis design goes ( panhard bars... In 2014...)
But there's few little coupe like the Copen and older Hondas that were more fitted for fun quick driving

(And the samurai/minipajero/Nissan kix for offroad fun, what's missing is a kei van on top of a 4wd minipajero chassis)

[Yokohammer]

A kei is convenient in a city, especially for parking.

And to be honest, driving my van is quite enjoyable for me. I do not deny that going fast through curves is easier in a sports car, but that makes the challenge of trying it in a van even better...

That's why there are different types of cars, eh? Different people want different things.

One thing though: "enjoyable driving" doesn't necessarily equate to "fast." "Nimble" is something I do enjoy, but that has to be balanced with stability and comfort for long distance driving too. Finding a car with the right balance of characteristics is quite a challenge, but of course my perfect car might be anathema to someone else. I even find that interesting.

Yeah, so very much like furniture.

[Russell]

A kei is convenient in a city, especially for parking.

And to be honest, driving my van is quite enjoyable for me. I do not deny that going fast through curves is easier in a sports car, but that makes the challenge of trying it in a van even better...

That's why there are different types of cars, eh? Different people want different things.

One thing though: "enjoyable driving" doesn't necessarily equate to "fast." "Nimble" is something I do enjoy, but that has to be balanced with stability and comfort for long distance driving too. Finding a car with the right balance of characteristics is quite a challenge, but of course my perfect car might be anathema to someone else. I even find that interesting.

Yeah, so very much like furniture.

I will not deny that different people want different cars.

But expensive does not necessarily equate good quality. Just like furniture.

BTW, I have two Hondas...

[Takechanpoo]

2015 Suzuki alto turboRS, now i only have a roadbike after said gooy bye to subaru forester but i am seriously thinking to buy...

[Coligny]

Honestly, i think the new alto is the ugliest of the new gen of Keis.
The Honda N series are super kyooot... And the Suzuki Hustler is adorb' plus she even have a hill descent mode for the 4wd version.

Have yet to see the new S660 in the flesh. Looks a lot like the Renault Wind... Without the smart roof.
(But, rear/mid engine, Rwd, McPherson front, multilink McPherson rear)

[legion]

I'm going to conclude that Russell and Wage Slave see a car primarily as a means of getting from A to B. Nothing wrong with that. But, and not even bringing the car-as-status guys into it, there are also people who enjoy driving. I fall into the latter group. I will often choose to drive even in cases where it would be faster and cheaper to take a train, for example, simply because I enjoy it.

I'm in the kei club too, Vamos for me, like the space in the back. However as the kids get bigger I might have to get a bigger box, but I'll probably still get a van, 4 wheels are for humping stuff primarily, people second. For me 2 wheels are for enjoyment.

I think the horrible irony of Tokyo is you can buy a Ferrari but a 50cc scooter is faster from A to B. Worse still, you look like a total dick when your sports car sounds like it is doing a ton, but you are being overtaken by some messenger guy on a bicycle.

I call the expensive cars I see around Aoyama "Abenomosha", cos I figure they are all being paid for by free money from the BOJ. I think one of the signs of Abe's failure to deliver real growth is the way the loose money is being poured into expensive foreign cars & furniture, ie, mostly out of the country. Worst still, the new money is being squandered on renting overpriced apartments in central Tokyo, so the tenant is paying off the loans of the old money, and when the bubble bursts they will be left with nothing of value.

[Coligny]

The only thing i find missing on kei van is that except for the subaru sambar. They are not 'van' but mini van. In a real van these days, all the chassis lenght is used and the driver seats are over or forward of the front wheels. Kei vans have most of the time the luxury/waste of a bonnet accessible engine.

[Yokohammer]

I will not deny that different people want different cars.

But expensive does not necessarily equate good quality. Just like furniture.

BTW, I have two Hondas...

Well that was a sharp left turn into more-money-than-sense territory. The Bentley is a status car, pure and simple. Not interested, and couldn't afford one even if I was. That'd be like spending around 10 million yen on a sofa (and yes, people do that, but not me matey).

I assume that you have two Hondas (I know that one of 'em is a Stepwagon) because more than one person in your household drives? That'd make sense. My daily driver and people/stuff mover is a Honda Stream, which I bought new, and my second fun car is a BMW Z4 Roadster, which I bought second-hand for considerably less than I paid for the Honda. Two totally different cars with totally different purposes, otherwise it'd be silly to have both. I even thought about doing the Harley-Davidson thing, but for general safety and comfort reasons, and the fact that the wife could enjoy it with me, I went with the roadster. I think that was a good decision. It is a great driving car for my purposes, and enough of a middle-of-the-road performer that it's good for long trips too.

However ... if I was in Tokyo I probably wouldn't even bother. In fact, I never once owned a car while I was in Tokyo or Yokohama, although I can understand that a kei could be useful, depending on where you live. But that wouldn't be enjoyable driving, just practicality.

[Russell]

I will not deny that different people want different cars.

But expensive does not necessarily equate good quality. Just like furniture.

BTW, I have two Hondas...

Well that was a sharp left turn into more-money-than-sense territory. The Bentley is a status car, pure and simple. Not interested, and couldn't afford one even if I was. That'd be like spending around 10 million yen on a sofa (and yes, people do that, but not me matey).

I assume that you have two Hondas (I know that one of 'em is a Stepwagon) because more than one person in your household drives?

Yep, two at present.

And it's about time for my son to start taking driving lessons.

[Yokohammer]

Yep, two at present.

And it's about time for my son to start taking driving lessons.

Right, so that'll be about 300,000 for driving school, then the car, and the insurance, etc ... better get to work dad!

It's like up here. Just about every household has two or more cars. Wheels are a necessity.


~ Tapatalking ~

[Russell]

Yep, two at present.

And it's about time for my son to start taking driving lessons.

Right, so that'll be about 300,000 for driving school, then the car, and the insurance, etc ... better get to work dad!

It's like up here. Just about every household has two or more cars. Wheels are a necessity.

He won't get a car, but would be able to use ours'. And it would be convenient if he could drop me or other family members off on some occasions.

Insurance we have to figure out. Probably not too much of an increase on our current insurance.

[kurogane]

I have always suspected that the fact that Kei rhymes with gay is no coincidence, but I totally get the convenience and cost argument, even as I snicker when foreigners drive by looking like they are carryng the car rather than the car carrying them. It's like seeing a man drinking a Bacardi Breezer or a Zima. I always had at least a 2 litre engine 4WD van but that was pretty much needed for rural fieldwork and because I am still a sad enough git that I need to not drive a Kei simply on principle. I salute the emboldened emasculation of anybody that is not a woman or elderly that can drive a Kei and not feel like they have had a compulsory sex change.

Next time I am buying a Lexus (not new). I don't drive enough for the cost to be prohibitive and I am with Yokohammer: driving a nice rig feels nice.

[Wage Slave]

Have yet to see the new S660 in the flesh. Looks a lot like the Renault Wind... Without the smart roof.
(But, rear/mid engine, Rwd, McPherson front, multilink McPherson rear)

You could be waiting a while I hear. Honda have an unexpected hit on their hands. They gave production of this car to a small long standing family owned partner factory in Yokkaichi expecting it would be a niche product. Capacity is only around 600 a month and there's already a huge backlog. If you order today, delivery is November 2016.

[kurogane]

If you order today, delivery is November 2016.

That should be enough time to get the full Bruce Jenner treatment so he can drive it like it should be driven:

by a girl...............

[legion]

I have always suspected that the fact that Kei rhymes with gay is no coincidence, but I totally get the convenience and cost argument, even as I snicker when foreigners drive by looking like they are carryng the car rather than the car carrying them. It's like seeing a man drinking a Bacardi Breezer or a Zima. I always had at least a 2 litre engine 4WD van but that was pretty much needed for rural fieldwork and because I am still a sad enough git that I need to not drive a Kei simply on principle. I salute the emboldened emasculation of anybody that is not a woman or elderly that can drive a Kei and not feel like they have had a compulsory sex change.

Next time I am buying a Lexus (not new). I don't drive enough for the cost to be prohibitive and I am with Yokohammer: driving a nice rig feels nice.

Why are you so concerned about it? A car is not a reflection of your masculinity, it's a box with wheels. Paying some money for assembled metal, plastic, glass and rubber some how reflects who you are says only one thing, you took out a loan.


This is a real man's machine

[kurogane]

Hee Hee. Is that The Childcatcher????

I'm not actually concerned, I was just F'in around. I looked into Kei's the first time I bought a car in Japan but back then they were too small for me to drive them safely, and I am not even all that tall. I have heard they fixed that problem. I assume they are still meant as local runabouts, not distance drivers.

I also never take out loans; I just buy a used car I can afford, which these days means a 2 or 3 year old car with a bit of warranty and low mileage.

But at least somebody bothered to get bothered enough to shoot me down