Recent content by SportWest

The first gen interior is what sold me on the Bronco Sport, even if the interior materials are cheap-o. It was so refreshing to have an "optional" touch screen and plenty of physical buttons/knobs. So many other vehicles I test drove had garbage interior layouts, too many screens, etc.

100% agreed. I'll take it a step further and say that the interior layout and UI is exceptional, but Ford fumbled at the 1 yard line with the cheap-o materials that I'm increasingly convinced won't last under normal usage and sun exposure.

Makes sense. Even we accept 10% savings, I find auto start-stop an annoyance given the general power delay* (see that thread) I experience driving around town in the 30-50 mph range (i.e. when auto start-stop is most active). The last thing I need is an additional delay as the engine goes from...

Something similar happened to my 2021 Big Bend. Here's my original post about it. Based on what the service manager told me, good thing you're taking it in ASAP.

The 5k is for the limited "First Edition" trim, not all trims. Not that I'm buying a first-year run again, but I think crazy markups for base trims will be gone by 2024 thanks to interest rates and supply chains recovering. FWIW, dealers in my region have decent inventory and aren't adding crazy...

Yeah, I'm leaning in that direction. I doubt my Sport will last like my 2004 Corolla, which has zero problems after 240k miles. Just routine maintenance and replacing the starter at 190k miles lol. In that light, the Sport's cheapo interior materials make sense. Why use ultra-durable...

Not a bad color, but I'd pick Cactus Grey or Eruption Green first. Desert Sand reminds me of The Dude's car, but without the rust...coloration.

I'm curious how the LC's alleged 27 combined MPG will hold up in real-world driving. My biggest complaints with the Badlands B.S. are a) power hesitation even with 93 fuel [see the megathread about it] and b) low quality interior materials that may or may not hold up. The Land Cruiser will also...

The last LC model sold in the USA was so expensive that it's anchored this as a "deal" in comparison. :crackup: If the 24 LC was mid-40's, I'd put down a deposit tomorrow. Otherwise it'll have to really impress me starting in the mid-50's.

Hah, that's a great description of those things. Otherwise I like what I see on the new Land Cruiser and can't wait to test drive one next year.

The lower trims were always expected to be high volume before the pandemic disrupted everything. This is one reason why I sold my old Big Bend near the market top: I knew at some point Ford would churn out a ton of these and their value would crater, especially when the rental ones inevitably...

'What's your thoughts on the 1.5L?' Pretty good for a 1.5L three-banger. But at the end of the day, it is a 1.5L three-banger. So I think it's a cool piece of engineering to get the performance that it does, but I still prefer the sportiness of the 2.0L running premium fuel.

All fair points, but there's a "nontechnical" benefit I get from adhering to a ~5k mile oil change "regimen": I just do it. The extra cost is minimal over the lifespan of the vehicle, and I know I won't procrastinate or miss an interval. Different calculus if you go to a crappy shop, though, as...

The advice to change out the turbo oil filters is great, never would've considered that myself.

summary: change the oil every 5k miles if not sooner, do not rely on the oil life display. Also insist on changing the turbo filters if you ever have any turbo work done.