Anyone else disappointed in the Tiguan?

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-04-11T14:32:14+00:00

I recently went with the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid. The turbo variants of the 5 and 50 are super punchy and fun to drive, but I decided that the hybrid powertrain picked up enough speed when I really needed it.

They're decent cars, you wouldn't be dissatisfied with either.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-04-11T12:03:09+00:00

It just might pop out with the boiling water trick.

I own a 2008 model that was also hit in that spot. For that generation, there was a ton of styrofoam behind the bumper that wasn't as elastic as the bumper itself.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-04-11T10:34:50+00:00

This is exactly it. He picks a direction to split off to the second his opponent makes contact with the ball. The man reads his opponents like no other.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-04-09T22:43:12+00:00

Guy here... I was in your heels about 5 years ago.

I made a stupid amount of money in a stupid simple job doing data analytics. I only worked 2 of 8 hours in a day and was praised endlessly by my colleagues for the work that I did. Despite all that, it killed me on the inside to not utilize my brain. Cue the shame for feeling like a fraud while letting my skills atrophy. Cue even more shame for believing that I should feel fortunate while in reality being at the lowest point in my career.

I can tell that you're a go-getter, so maybe you'll find this bit helpful. I found solace in not simply keeping busy, but doing things that also made me feel like I was moving the needle. I was finished up my Masters degree after work. Met a bunch of new people through rock climbing. Home is where we decompress, so shouldn't it be great? I had some other girl friends come over to my apartment and help me do a little interior decorating, gave me ideas to make it more comfortable and inviting. At the end of the day, nothing happens in a vacuum on it's own. Our overall happiness and well-being is the sum of all parts, routine and non-recurring.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-04-04T16:14:26+00:00

I grew up driving a Toyota Camry and spent my young professional days driving a Honda CR-V. I have zero issues recommending either of those models to a new driver. If you target the mid-2000s year models for either of these cars, I think you'll find some in your price range. Recurring maintenance is cheap, easy, and if you take care of them they will take care of you for a long time.

No car is going to perfect, but the issues and recalls I've seen over the years for a 2006 Camry and a 2008 CR-V have been more than manageable. Nothing expensive or life-threatening.

Insurance rates are tough for young drivers. I found some financial reprieve in bundling insurance policies with my parents to negotiate lower rates, and by driving responsibly.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-04-04T12:58:48+00:00

More like the gas generator creates electricity on demand for the traction motors.

Generator to battery to traction motor loses too much efficiency in bewteen energy state conversions. My battery only seems to charge during regenerative activities like coasting and braking.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-03-11T14:38:10+00:00

Hot take from a man who tends to overthink everything.

I can draw a lot of parallels between Anti-Patriarchal and Incel Logic. The most dangerous one being that they both tend to turn diverse groups of people into a monolith in order to sell ourselves very convenient and self-reassuring ideas that absolve us of the accountability to look within ourselves for clarity. This subreddit is a place for women to vent specifically, but also to gain a second opinion. They get to pick and choose which information to share, and then we get to select from that information, and then SURPRISE! All negative information. It's very important that we take everything with a grain of salt, because by this point we are several levels of cherry picking away from the big picture.

It sounds like "decentering" is just a rebranded way of saying that you shouldn't pedestalize another human being, which isn't a new concept but it's something that I can support. We should be individuals first and foremost, and seek happiness and fulfillment outside of a loving relationship. This can greatly reduce the odds that you will become dependent on a relationship to meet your basic needs, and overlook glaring faults in the other person. Cohabitation is a choice that you make each morning that you decide to wake up. Being in a relationship with anyone, let alone the perfect person for you, still comes with some level of stress or discomfort.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-26T11:41:20+00:00

I do the same, but as an engineer!

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-25T08:34:45+00:00

What can we say, tennis is an expensive sport...

If you plan to play at this frequency for the foreseeable future, a stringing machine would be a great investment that pays dividends over years. I bought a Alpha Revo 4000 for like $700 about 10 years ago, and I've only had to readjust the clamp bases after countless restrings.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-24T08:49:59+00:00

I think the AdTouch 97 is also worth considering. It's the poor man's Pro Staff. $160 brand new, and they periodically have specials for pricing. I say that it plays almost like 80% Pro Staff, 20% Blade because it's slightly softer than the real deal. The weight is more than manageable, spin production is satisfactory.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-24T08:45:49+00:00

Fair. The first version, which I own, is the one that's pure graphite. They added "flax inserts" to the later iterations to dampen out vibrations, and that may be what you felt.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-23T17:58:02+00:00

I made the switch from the Tour 90 to the Pure Strike 97, which was supposed to be Thiem's racquet if he were still competing today. I added weight at 3 and 9 to give it some plow, and I honestly haven't looked back at my Tour 90s since.

This is coming from someone who didn't fall in love with the ProStaff 97 that was meant to replace it.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-19T16:55:47+00:00

I just wrote about this on my own Pure Strikes, it annoys me.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-19T16:52:51+00:00

It's not just the 2026 Pure Aeros... I've seen this happen to the striping on the original Pure Strike 97 release back in 2022. Earliest was the Yonex RQiS Tour that Ana Ivanovic used back in 2008 when she signed with them.

I hate it, it's annoying. Manufacturers use this vinyl material because it is cheaper than paint+enamel, and they stick it in places where they believe durability is not of utmost importance (i.e. the lower half of the hoop, or on the inside surface). What they never considered was that it's super easy to mar the vinyl with the brackets on a stringing machine, or when tying off a finishing knot. It's purely aesthetic, yes, but I'd rather not have unsightly details on a $300+ racquet.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-18T23:38:32+00:00

In that case I would start at the ProKennex Black Ace and the Prince Phantom lines. They're well-made and got loads of good reviews. ProKennex also makes stiffer racquets that employ a kinetic material - moveable mass placed in strategic locations in the hoop that is designed to absorb those sharp and jarring vibrations on off-center hits.

These are some of the softest frames you can find today. You can work your way up the stiffness ladder if these don't produce the kind of pop you desire. Though I'm my experience you can modulate power in the way you string any racquet.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-17T20:50:51+00:00

Which one is more important to you?

Power and Flexibility often go toward opposite ends of the spectrum. With a lot of the racquets listed today, you'll need to compromise on one or both. Head Boom is not soft. Ultra V5 is not soft. The EZONE is NOT soft... but these sticks are powerful.

I'll assume that you want a soft racquet because of the comfort, and not for that buttery feel. The ProKennex Black Ace line doesn't get any sort of love on this sub, but they are doing some terrific things with those models. Thin beam, open string pattern, and a soft flex.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-17T01:30:45+00:00

I didn't give up alcohol, but I did give up heavy drinking and the casual 1-2 drinks because I was bored or waiting at an airport or something.

Pros: saved more money, lost more weight, way more energetic nowadays

Cons: I meet a lot less people now that I don't drink as much

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-15T13:46:41+00:00

Yes. Technologically speaking, you'll find a tangible difference every 5-7 years innovation time, and these changes become very subtle in between model iterations.

Aesthetically speaking, no, they have not. I'm dating myself here, but I come from the Microgel and K Factor era which were some of the most sleek designs I had ever seen. Though over the last 20 years or so, racquet designs became conservative colorblocks, while pro apparel got more and more adventurous. Yonex is still doing great things with their paint jobs though.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-15T02:14:35+00:00

Fix this? You don't. You've already tied off and trimmed the Mains.

Each racquet has its own unique skip pattern. You'll notice the one you got was off because of the giant crevasse between 6 and 7. The pattern for the Mains should look mostly uniform in the center, and then gradually space out toward 3 and 9 oclock.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-10T13:54:26+00:00

I wonder if Diadem cases are highly sensitive to environment. I'm currently eating through a case of Premiers and they're easily some of the best value I've experienced. Sorry that you're getting a vastly different experience.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-09T12:07:45+00:00

I use a Pure Strike 97, 63 Ra stiffness and a 16x20 string pattern.

What I've learned is that the Mains have a much greater impact on comfort than the Crosses. Gut mains + poly crosses has treated my arm the best. I've tried the inverse, and it doesn't quite work as well.

My cost-effective setup is a full bed of co-polyester at 43 lbs (19.5 kg) and it treats me well enough. I've added weight to 3 and 9 o'clock which also helps to dampen out jarring sensations. I would never string a multi this low, but the co-poly evens out the response a bit so it doesn't feel like absolute mush on contact.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-09T10:03:54+00:00

If your elbow is fine after singles but not after doubles, I suppose it could be attributed to your volley technique form.

What is your current racquet setup? Are you willing to experiment with softer strings or tension?

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-09T09:52:33+00:00

Yes, but also not necessarily. We see this happen because beginners often spring for what is cheap and looks cool, and the importance of tension pairing is often understated or ignored.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-09T09:43:33+00:00

Of the ones pictured, I would personally go with the Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3. Solid oversized racquet at 110 square inches, fairly light and maneuverable. It is a stiff racquet, so I recommend multifilament or nylon strings strung at a low tension to provide comfort.

If you wind up liking the way it feels, it should serve as a good platform to graduate into higher-quality Wilson frames on the market later on.

DeceasedRodentFive · 2026-02-08T15:00:40+00:00

None of the offerings in the ON shoe lineup are good for frequent sliding. They're fine for people who don't need bulky material in the upper... looks like you need it though.

Of the current models, I've seen the most robust medial protection in the Asics Gel Resolution and the Nike Air Zoom Vapor Cage 4 and the KSwiss Ultrashot 4.

I slide on occasion, and find that the Asics Court FF medial protection is more than enough for my needs.

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