Commuting - Auto's you drive

What kind of cars do you have /drive when you can't use your bike?

When I go somewwhere with my wife and /or kids I drive a '95 Neon and a '95 Saturn coupe.

My company has a relationship with a Peugot car leasing company, so I get a great deal on car rental. I hire whatever size model best suits my journey. It works out cheaper than owning a car and they deliver and collect from my office.

'96 Chevy S-10 extended cab pickup

or

'82 Suzuki GS650GL motorcycle

My wife and I have a pair of Geo Metros (1 each). I use mine mostly in the winter.

I also have a 1977 Honda Gold Wing motorcycle

I don´t drive, don´t even have a driving licence. I´m one of the lucky guys who get along and around without it. If sometimes I need a car I have to ask a friend for help, giving them a chance to feel useful, adding to theire positive karma:D

Anders K

93 dodge Caravan - I've got 3 kids
95 toyota corlla - Saves gas when we don't need the van
80 BMW R100R (with all the hot rod parts, it thinks it's a Ducati) vroom vroom (motorcycle)

1990 Crown Victoria. Cop brakes, cop shocks, cop engine, cop lighter.

Originally posted by Bikes-N-Drums
1990 Crown Victoria. Cop brakes, cop shocks, cop engine, cop lighter.

My FAVORITE movie of all time.

I own a 98 Jeep TJ. It's a little bit changed from how I bought it, but it gets me 'round.

Car
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/philandcandice/lst?.dir=/My+Photos/Cars/Prelude&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/


Bike
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/philandcandice/lst?.dir=/My+Photos/Bikes/Blue&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/


Hope this helps. I have a mechanical disorder.

'96 Toyota Corolla. Unfortunately, it's NOT the 'upgrade package version' with the fold down seat. If I want to fit my bike into it, I gotta take off both wheels. :( What a pain. But, the car is paid off and I'm not selling it any time soon. Only 50,000 miles on it!

Car? I don't need no stinkin car.

For the little woman (who isn't a cyclist yet) a '97 Chrysler Cirrus. Actually it's the family car.

For me, my mother-in-law's old piece of $H!t (did I say that?) '94 Oldsmobile. My wife wanted to buy it because of the low mileage and good care it had received. I hate it!!! The only things about it that I like are the bicycling bumper stickers (like "Share the Road") and the Yakima roof rack.

Increasingly lonely Chevy S-10. I am taking a long trip in it next week though so it shouldn't get too jealous of this new Bike commuting thing I've started.

1988 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, the boxy GM full-sized, rear-wheel-drive wagon. Tired and old, but it passes emissions fine and it's paid for.

I don't drive. I don't fit in most cars in the driver side and prefer walking or biking.

Originally posted by Bikes-N-Drums
1990 Crown Victoria. Cop brakes, cop shocks, cop engine, cop lighter.
That's certainly not the model before catalytic converters so it wouldn't run on regular gas.

Our family car is a '91 Ford Falcon.

You mean there are actually people in the world who have cars? Gee, I should get out more!

Or the cars have us... ;) "Help help, I'm being repressed!" :p

I just got rid of my Honda VFR 750 Ft (motorbike) as I didn't use it much last year (travelled less than half the distance I cycled)

But we have a Saab 9-5 Estate (Wagon) as we have 2 big dogs (well one big dog and a pup-soon to be big dog) It only gets used at weekends mostly to pick stuff up.

The bikes will fit in the back with the seat down and dog guard out, but my Rhode Gear Shuttle won't fit.

i think I may get a Smart (600cc microcar the most environmentally friendly internal combustion car -if there is such a thing) so we don't have to use the Saab except when we want to take the dogs a distance.

Originally posted by Bikes-N-Drums
1990 Crown Victoria. Cop brakes, cop shocks, cop engine, cop lighter.

Rock!

I haven't owned a car since 1997 and I to be honest I don't need one. I don't need a hot car to make up for any (ahem) shortcomings. heh!

I have a '85 AMC Eagle 4WD station wagon that sucks so much gas I keep waiting for it to sprout a hump to store the excess. It's one of the reasons I try to ride bike more...but, living 7 miles from the nearest small town and 20 miles from Green Bay, a car is a necessity. (Try to haul your laundry 40 miles on a bike, eh? Or the dog to the vet.)

On the good side, my bicycle and camping stuff fit nicely in the back for special trips.

2003 Toyota Matrix. Only used on weekends for trips out of town.

'95 Chevy S10 Blazer
'97 Nissan 240SX
'03 Nissan 350Z (well, not yet but soon)

'97 BMW 528i. Truly the Ultimate Driving Machine. Especially suited for the CA roads !!!

Landrover - Country Station Wagon - Long wheelbase - deisel. Record is 12 people and a bike, all inside

Parents cars (...) are a 1990 Dodge Caravan SE (short wheelbase) and a 1992 Hyundai Elantra. Two relativly efficient cars.

I had a pedal car as a kid if that counts ;)

'89 Fiat Uno. Cost me £500. If (when) I buy a new bike, it'll cost more than that! (Although obviously when you factor in insurance, petrol, maintenance etc the car sucks way more than the bike ever could...)

I can throw my bike in the back with the seats down, I don't really care about scratches, and I'm pretty sure no-one will want to go to the effort to nick it if I have a steering lock on. Ideal!

Ellie

Quality of life index:
you spend more on your bike than your car.
You spend more on food than housing rent
You spend more time drinking with friends than watching TV

Originally posted by MichaelW
Quality of life index:
you spend more on your bike than your car.
You spend more on food than housing rent
You spend more time drinking with friends than watching TV

Well, I think my rent is still more than my food... :D

Life is good at the minute.

Ellie

Cars I drive:
98 Honda Civic Ex - environmentally conscientious, also cheap to run
91 Chev Lumina - big, ugly, never liked it but it runs well - cheap purchase from in-laws

Quality of Life:

I spend more money drinking with friends than watching TV - Does that count for something??? :D

A 1990 Nissan Maxima that I drive maybe twice a month (just finally turned over 50k miles). Heck, I just had it inspected and the sticker expired in, I think, April..

Hubby has a Chrysler van with the rear seat in the living room - the better to haul bicycles, thank you! :D

I saw a Smart in Italy last year, and that's what I want (if they ever decide to import them). A cute little two-seater, very economical with just enough cargo space for those things that won't fit in my bike basket or on the rear rack with the bungee cords..

'01 Honda ACE 750 (still on 2 wheels)
'99 Subaru Legacy Outback wagon (with bike rack of course)

:)

98 Ford F150 w/ a radio that goes boom boom :)

99 Dodge Caravan w/ a radio that usually plays a tune like this...
The wheels on the bus go round and round...

A 94 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a 95 Tbird.

When I'm in my car I always drive topless.... in my 1999 Jeep Wrangler that is! :D

'01 a4, but only to take us up to the mountains for snowboarding... i swear!

bt

I drive a 1993 (I think) Ford Festiva. :) It makes me look poor, oh wait, I am poor. :D

1986 Ford Ranger 4x4, bought it for 500 bucks last year it was my first vehicle since 1987. Got it because my lady moved 100 miles away even though I am a century rider I wanted to save my energy for other things ;) I haven't driven it in a month! I hate driving, no change that I hate driving around car drivers they have such a selfish and bad attitude. Don't the realize those 4 wheeled metal boxes cause just way to much stress?

bt_: We have the exact same car, although I bet yours has a black interior. We searched the whole west coast to find one with a gray interior because we 1) have a light colored dog, and 2) live in Sacramento.

I'll look for you on I-80 and give you a wave.

Originally posted by caloso
bt_: We have the exact same car, although I bet yours has a black interior.

hey caloso, actually we have the "onyx" interior as well! we bought it towards the end of the season just before the '02's started rolling in and bought what was on the lot. we like the lighter interior color anyways.

i distinctly remember telling my wife that morning, "we're just going to DRIVE then we'll negotiate at the dealerships the next week." unfortunately she was no help because she was just as hooked as i was! :rolleyes:

funny, something similar happened when i bought my bike as well...

we usually stop by friends in davis on the way to tahoe; if we see another silver a4 (there's a ton in SF) we'll give a wave as well! is yours chipped yet?

bt

Not chipped yet but that fate awaits, I'm sure. Oh, and mine has a Yakima rack on it. I'll see you on the road!

92 Festiva. It's small, gets 40+ mpg (in town no less), safe (5 star crash test), almost doesn't register at emissions, 500 bucks purchase price, and I can fit anything I own in it.
Still runs me around 70-80 bucks a month, with insurance, maintenance, and gas. And I do all my own work! That's about as cheap as cars get, I guess.
John

'02 Holden Astra SRi 2.2
...and its quick, well a lot quicker the the Barina I had.:)

The yanks probably wouldn't even know of these cars. :p

hi

I own a 1994 saab 900s (being a little bit of a saab fan), its done 134,000 miles! Still going strong (no breakdowns, passes all MOTS). Since i started biking to work (about 4 weeks ago) i've used it twice!

Good car for lugging large things around, i've had a washing machine in the back, the laminated flooring for my lounge, and if u fold the seats down, u can get your bike in without removing the wheels.

1984 Nissan 300ZX Anniversary Edition..original owner w/ 90,000kms..MINT car production number 20
1993 Honda Civic Si (Ex in US)...rice-mobile w/ 3grand sound system
1983 Honda Shadow 750
hopefully a Yamaha R6 soon..hehehhe:D

VW Bus. Gotta be able to take 5 people, one counterpoint, one addams ultimate tandem, and a burley trailer.

I feel guilty about it, but I rationalize it away by putting in more mileage in to my bikes than the car.

I have a neon too! except mine is a '97, not a '95. And I hope to get rid of it soon and be car-free.

82GT Mustang slightly modified with 1970 302 bored .30 over (balanced and blueprinted), 1969 heads ported and polished, a 1966 Shelby intake, a mild cam upgrade, a T5 transmission, and 16" wheels with 255/50/16 BF Goodrich Comp TA's.

I've had this car for 12 years and put MAYBE 500 miles on it a year. It is strictly a summer toy only and I find most days my favorite toy is still my bike! ;)

And yes I tune up both my car and my bike myself! :D I've never been afraid of a little dirt under my nails. Oh wait....maybe that's why I don't have any hehehehe.