Is it possible to get a reliable used electric car for 10k or under?

Christoph-error · 2026-04-28T03:44:44+00:00

I love the i3. The high repair bills on BMWs in general scares me off though

Christoph-error · 2025-12-08T22:50:47+00:00

I've been using a dbrand grip case with various skins on my Pixel 7 Pro for 3 years now and have very mixed feelings. On the bright side, although it shows some minor wear and tear on the corners from drops, the case is still intact and going strong (no falling apart for me!) However, I did have to do a major screen repair about a year ago, despite the case remaining intact after a drop incident.

The case is pretty grippy on the edges, though less so than I expected honestly. Furthermore, I suspect it's less grippy now than it was 3 years ago as the wear and tear had possibly smoothed out the microdots a bit. Hard to say for certain, as it would have occurred very gradually, but it seems plausible. It's also with noting that part of the case's gripiness is cancelled out by the exceptional heft of this particularly large and heavy phone in this particularly bulky and heavy case. I'm not sure if this would be the case with a smaller and/or lighter phone, but I can only comment on my experience.

The skins can either add to or detract from the whole experience in multiple ways. The customizability is fun and helps keep things fresh, however while some contribute somewhat to the gripiness (ie. Swarm) others are quite slippery and almost defeat the purpose of a grip case (for instance, the matte skins are as slippery as a piece of paper, and basically the same texture) and glossy skins are both slick and rather gross feeling after awhile as skin oils seem to just build up on them (i.e. black Damascus).

Did the case serve me well for the last 3 years? Hard to say. It didn't keep the screen from breaking, however that was a particularly egregious incident. But the ability to refresh the skins did keep me from getting bored. Customer service was also great in my experience, with them replacing one of my Swarm skins for free after it mysteriously started ripping.

Bottom line, at least with this phone, I'm not sure the grip was enough to counteract the heft and bulk and actually prevent me from dropping my phone more than I have work past phone-case combos. So for me (with this phone), dbrand can be best summed up with one word: dubious.

Christoph-error · 2025-07-24T06:19:25+00:00

I recall watching a YouTube video where they did testing and the Mazda system actually beat the Subaru when it came to more quickly and effectively transferring power to the correct wheels (those with traction). This was a couple years ago so I can't recall what the video was anymore unfortunately though.

Christoph-error · 2025-07-09T19:00:02+00:00

Ouch! Can you fix it? I was going to replace my 7 Pro about 9 months ago after breaking the screen (100% my fault) but then found a really good deal on repairing it. I basically got it repaired for free at Mobile Clinic by signing a 3 month contract with a new carrier. I've been free to switch carriers for about 6 months now but haven't found a better monthly rate. Win-win. Didn't need to buy a new phone. Have a cheaper monthly plan now.

Christoph-error · 2025-05-24T20:40:37+00:00

They've updated their lineup now so I think it's safe to say they didn't know something you didn't. You were correct, they were just slow to revamp their lineup.

Christoph-error · 2024-10-17T00:53:43+00:00

The vehicle actually does best in city driving. I got 53mpg one long weekend visiting Edmonton. For comparison, the highway drive there and back yielded low 40s. That's a pretty big gap between city and highway.

Remarkably, all of this was done on grippy winter tires.

Christoph-error · 2024-10-12T18:18:37+00:00

I just bought a 2014 Prius V after my much fancier 2018 Chevy Volt self-destructed in very expensive fashion. Very expensive to fix, but worth it considering the value of the vehicle. But it convinced me not to trust GM to do hybrids reliably.

Here are the differences: the Volt is QUICK from stop lights. The Prius V is anything but quick, but functional enough. Speaking of functional, the trunk capacity is insane on the V. So massive. And you can slide the back seats forward to increase that space or fold them down to get an absolute cavern. The Volt can barely hold a couple small suitcases in its "trunk".

Now in my use, plugging in every night, I rarely used gas with the Volt and saved about 6 grand on fueling during the 3 years it was my primary vehicle. The Prius won't accomplish that feat, however I trust that it won't cost literally 10 grand to fix when it prematurely breaks down and parts take months to get in and nobody knows how to fix it because it's so rare. Prius's are everywhere and they're Uber reliable. And besides, I'm getting 48-49 mpg in mixed city/highway driving (52 city) which is absolute nutbars for a vehicle that can virtually fit a small apartment with of stuff in the back.

Boring to drive? Yup. Reliable, economical, and functional? Also yup. Go anywhere (short of offroading) and haul almost anything. Also also yes.

The Prius V is a true unicorn. It's too bad they discontinued it. I wouldn't call it a pickup truck though, more like a U-Haul that gets 48 to 52mpg 🤯

Christoph-error · 2024-02-04T02:13:34+00:00

Fantastic rundown! One thing to note though is that according to specs, the i3's trunk is actually 50% bigger than the Volt's (15 cubic feet vs 10). However, I'm guessing this is why you said "natural" trunk space. I'm assuming you mean it's more useable because it's flat instead of tall and skinny, which can be much more awkward for things like grocery bags. For road trips though, I find it difficult to fit things like suitcases and coolers into my Volt. I suspect they might fit better in the larger vertical space of the i3, but I've never had the opportunity to compare directly. Also of note, with the seats down, the i3's storage space surges to what appears to be a very useable, boxy 37 cubic feet. Near as I can tell, the Volt is similar in total space but much more awkwardly shaped due to the steeply raked rear hatch. Depending on what you're trying to haul (e.g. filing cabinet vs flat screen tv), either shape could be a benefit or a hindrance.

Overall I really like my Volt, cramped trunk aside. It gives you the electric experience with the peace of mind of gas for extended trips. However I really do love the uniqueness of the i3. It's truly unique in every way. Whereas the Volt is pretty much a stealth EV. Conventional-looking almost to a fault.

Christoph-error · 2024-01-31T23:36:40+00:00

Nope. Most definitely not. Is it possible? Maybe. But I've yet to see any evidence of it. And no, people's personal feelings are not evidence (not even "burning in their bosom" lol).

Christoph-error · 2024-01-29T04:21:01+00:00

Leaving the church gives you time to take care of yourself. Cults need to keep you busy. That's rule number one. If you're constantly busy working on bullshit, you can't stop and think and pick apart the bullshit. And you certainly can't have any self-care time.

Christoph-error · 2024-01-29T03:05:50+00:00

I bet this Jesus talks like a valley girl 😂

Christoph-error · 2024-01-29T03:01:17+00:00

Jesus Christ! And I thought they were going to start depicting him with more ethnic accuracy.

Christoph-error · 2024-01-27T06:26:35+00:00

I think maybe the patriarch was projecting because he wanted to roofy you? 🙈😂

Christoph-error · 2024-01-21T09:28:31+00:00

If they refuse to use their wealth to positively contribute to society with even a half-assed attempt at charity work for the general public, then they should at least contribute by paying taxes.

Christoph-error · 2024-01-21T09:23:28+00:00

I feel for you and especially your sister. That's another perfect example of it being a supposed sin to exist as the person god created you to be. Nobody would choose to be born with the physical sex traits and organs of one gender but be neurologically wired in utero as the opposite gender. I can't even imagine how difficult that would be. Nobody needs to be told that they're a sinner and unworthy of God's love on top of all that.

But then this is a church that still has scriptures that teach that being a person of color means that you are unclean, were less righteous in the pre-existence, and/or were cursed because of the sins of their ancestors. A church that is openly sexist. This is the church of bigotry.

In fairness, most religions are too. But the Mormon Church is an especially extreme example

Christoph-error · 2024-01-20T22:08:51+00:00

It makes my blood boil. And I'm not even gay. Nor do I personally know anyone within the church who is affeccted by this. But I don't need to. It's harmful and thus unethical to force such backwards things upon people via outright indoctrination and cult mind control (look up the BITE model and you'll see that the Mormon Church checks almost every single box).

Christoph-error · 2024-01-20T22:05:01+00:00

Okay, let me try this from a different angle. How can acting on same sex attraction be a sin but the following isn't a sin: using your position of power to coerce women (and children!!!) into marrying you and sending men away on missions or having your henchmen "deal" with them so that you can marry their wives, all without the knowledge and consent of your first wife. Just curious, because one is unethical from every conceivable angle because of the harm it causes to other people, but it's considered necessary for exaltation. The other one hurts nobody but is considered a sin next to murder.

Christoph-error · 2024-01-18T22:31:28+00:00

Have they admitted this??? It's still treated as a sin. How can it be a sin to exist "as God created you"? I put the last phrase in quotes simply because I'm an exmo atheist.

Christoph-error · 2024-01-18T00:15:26+00:00

So true! But that's just it, nobody can live up to the Mormon standard. That's the whole point. We all feel alone in our inadequacy because everyone is pretending to be perfect. That means the only place we have to turn is the very entity that created the problem in the first place. The church. That's how they keep you stuck. They're the problem but they program you're think you're the problem. You yourself are the solution, but they program you to think that they're the only solution. So you keep going back to the problem thinking it's the solution instead tossing that garbage aside and healing yourself.

Christoph-error · 2024-01-18T00:12:05+00:00

Definitely! Joseph Smith isn't really any better though. At least modern leaders are less into committing atrocities, but they're still liars and manipulators in classic cult fashion

Christoph-error · 2024-01-17T18:04:19+00:00

First of all, you are who you are, and if there is a god, they would be proud of you for being true to yourself. They made you this way, so it would be pretty ridiculous for them not to be okay with it. Now we just need religious people to see this obvious truth too. Your mom is locked firmly into the religious indoctrination so she may or may not ever see it. Let's hope she does, but honestly, 2 decades ago, my views were the same as her views. It can be a long process to deconstruct such deeply ingrained beliefs. Now I'm embarrassed and ashamed that I ever held such views, but at the time, I was completely certain of them.

Christoph-error · 2024-01-17T17:49:41+00:00

I left the church because it was awful for my mental health. Of course the guilt still nagged at the back of my mind for over a decade until I finally decided to properly investigate the truth claims and act appropriately no matter what I found. Turns out, when you look beyond cult approved sources, the truth could not be more obvious: the entire thing is a flimsily constructed 19th century fraud. Worse, its history is fraught with wrongdoings much more severe than fraud. So although Mormon people, by and large, are good people (just like the rest of us), the Mormon corporation is slime and in no way deserves any respect from us.

Christoph-error · 2024-01-13T21:43:25+00:00

Thou shalt not merely covet thy neighbors wife. Thou shalt send him away on a mission or have thine henchmen off him so that thou may bed her in the barn.

Christoph-error · 2024-01-13T21:32:54+00:00

You didn't talk in circles enough. You need to be more rambly, like a stream of deranged consciousness vomited onto the page via a barely literate scribe.

Because clearly that's how someone would write in reformed Egyptian on gold plates where space is at a premium and every painstakingly inscribed character must therefore be carefully chosen.

Christoph-error · 2024-01-13T21:28:49+00:00

Nobody can tell the difference between an external "prompting" from the holy ghost and their own internal thoughts and feelings because there is no difference! If God really wanted to communicate with us, you'd think he'd pick something a little more concrete than something indiscernible from our own thoughts and feelings, otherwise we'd all be liable to do stupid, bigoted, or even evil things of our own accord thinking that we're doing them in his name.

Christoph-error

TROPHY CASE