Cars/trucks

Random or Off Topic
#1

Just curious, what do you guys drive? Anyone had anything that is just dead reliable and isn’t $500 in repairs every time they do anything with it?

I have an 05 Ford Escape Hybrid and before that had a 2001 Nissan maxima. The escape has had an engine replacement (at 95,000 miles!) and various other repairs done. The maxima was just a total money pit. Now I find myself in an annoying situation where my escape blue books at $3k (body length scratches don’t help resale value) while I have somewhere around $10k into it and I probably have another costly repair tomorrow.

I would absolutely love to buy a small truck (ranger, colorado, canyon, etc.) but anything near what I can get out of the escape (or even a couple thousand more) is just going to be a money pit too.

#2

Not what you’re looking for, but you did ask on a digital fabrication forum.

Flat pack truck!

#3

That is awesome! I wish the article had more specs for the truck. I would totally drive that if it was cheap enough and did OK on the highway. Super easy to get dirt bikes, mountain bikes, and other stuff around.

#4

Here you go:

http://oxgvt.com/specs-ox-all-terrain-vehicle/

By the way, it wades through 1m of water too :smiley:

#5

Wow, they are claiming that it will do a lot with just that 2.2L 4 cylinder. I guess throwing big v8 engines into trucks is an American thing anyway. I wonder if it is turbocharged or anything. My dad’s F150 is a 2.7L ecoboost but it is also twin turbo.

#6

No, it’s not a turbo. The design ethos of this vehicle is, make it as reliable as possible, with as few things to go wrong as possible.

Turbos give amazing efficiency and performance boosts, but you need a lab to repair them (or $$$ to replace), and turbo engines go into limp mode when the spinny thing dies.

Power wise, it’s a lowly 100 BHP vs the F150’s 280 BHP, so it’s way under-powered by comparison. Dry weights are OX: 1600Kg, F150: 2200Kg, so it is carrying a fair bit less weight with that power. Of course dry weights are not that informative because it is expected to be loaded, but if you’re just throwing dirt bikes in the back, I expect it will zip along fine.

In terms of bed area/volume, the Ox beats the F150, and just about edges it out on payload too (ox 1900Kg vs F150 800-1600kg depending on features - $$$)

Price-wise, it’s $45k (bare minimum) vs $17k. If the middle window breaks in the jungle, no problem, swap out either side window. If your suspension gets damaged, you only need to carry one spare as left and right are the same fit. etc, etc.

If you damage a body work panel, fire up your MPCNC and cut a new one. However according to the testing they’ve done, the panels they use are more or less indestructible.

If you want something with the lowest possible repair cost, this is it. I actually want one. Not available yet though :frowning:

#7

I don’t disagree with you at all. If I had the money I would totally buy one. Of course having a nice car would be cool, but I love being able to throw things in the bed of a truck and just not care after years of carefully loading stuff into customers’ suvs (and my own to a point).

The only point that I find a little off is your pricing on the F150. My dad got his (a 2015) new for around $33k, but it was off the lot with nothing changed from how it was ordered by the dealership, though I have no doubt that an F150 can soar past costing $33k if you add enough options.

#8

Poor research by me! I found prices from here.

Actually I’m impressed you can get that vehicle for $33k.

Given that you have to build the Ox yourself, I actually believe it is over priced. They have to cover their £3M r&d bill I suppose.

Hopefully the concept of modular self build vehicles will take root and prices will fall.

#9

Well, his was a 2015 on the lot when the 2016s had already been out for a few months.

I would totally get an Ox if I wasn’t a college student that only has a job 4 months out of the year. Plus if something happens to break you already know how to replace it because you put it in.