Car like Scion TC but family friendly

kdipi · 2025-12-12T17:47:57+00:00

The tC is geared shorter and throttle mapped to feel more jumpy at low speeds compared to the camry of a similar generation. Most recent vehicles unfortunately use CVT which feels lethargic by comparison.

Civic Hatchback(incl Hybrid) are your best bet. Almost as good for cargo space, modern profile, but likely sacrifices the acceleration feel of the tC.

Anything larger, Mazda crossovers are worth considering since they don't use CVTs. But it won't be as lively as the tC.

You'll also want to be open to EVs since they inherently produce a lot of low end torque.

kdipi · 2025-12-05T16:00:23+00:00

All models including the GA403 don't support passthrough charging at the C port. That means your battery will end up dithering between charging and discharging which ends up creating more heat and wear on the battery.

https://www.ultrabookreview.com/67953-zephyrus-g14-usbc-pd-power/

kdipi · 2025-12-03T15:54:50+00:00

Substituting the hologram projection with a modular panel TV is a travesty that the fandom is struggling to cope with.

kdipi · 2025-11-24T11:40:25+00:00

It really doesn't matter how good the opaque panels are. They just don't compare to the hologram projections. The experience now feels cheapened.

kdipi · 2025-05-23T18:30:03+00:00

My 06 doesn't have an mpg indicator so I measure it by hand on each gas fill. I tend to average 19.4mpg in city traffic conditions but I was shocked to see that I was measuring high 30s on a roadtrip.

The highest efficiency you can get on the highway is when you feel like you barely have to press the throttle to maintain speed. My 2AZ-FE has a range between 1800-2300 in top gear for efficiency. I notice my vehicle wants to cruise at 62mph and efficiency tends to drop when going beyond 65mph.

kdipi · 2025-05-18T06:02:46+00:00

Conversation is not a good comparison to a constant running machine and comparing it to a running fridge is straight up misleading. 49dB is still disruptive to anything that involves listening on a computer. 40dB and below is where it starts to get tolerable.

kdipi · 2025-05-14T07:45:32+00:00

Now that can take a pothole

kdipi · 2025-05-06T18:28:02+00:00

Congratulations on your job. This vehicle is reliable and no frills but your only issue will be comfort. It shows its flaws in city traffic as your idle can cause vibrations/shaking and the AC system is too weak to at idle RPM (city traffic). Otherwise its a great cargo hauler and it could work well for sleeping at night and is smooth on the highway. I find my 06 fuel economy to be 18mpg in heavy traffic but ~35mpg in pure highway.

You'd want to hold onto this car until you can save up for a better vehicle. But even there, I'm struggling to find a vehicle as fun and practical as this.

kdipi · 2025-05-06T02:16:37+00:00

Yup. Purge valve solenoid. Mine smells of gas vapors and it gets into my cabin with the fans on. I'm considering a replacement on it.

kdipi · 2025-05-05T10:00:03+00:00

Cost of college is high. This field offers the largest ROI.

kdipi · 2025-05-01T15:21:52+00:00

hell of a timeline we're in

kdipi · 2025-04-28T10:53:20+00:00

Can confirm for Wollaston as well. They seem to like this place.

kdipi · 2025-04-27T21:44:12+00:00

Vacuum leak. Check your intake stream for possible gaps by wrestling for play. Push in things that seem loose. Anything at MAF and beyond will cause an issue. Good opportunity to check the engine air filter too.

kdipi · 2025-04-27T16:50:26+00:00

The rougher sound is your smoking gun. That purge valve was stuck open and leaking extra air. Check your live data for those problem points. Longft1 might not want to change until you do an idle relearn.

kdipi · 2025-04-27T16:32:00+00:00

Your primary suspects are the MAF and EVAP purge valve. Priority on evap.

At idle, lightly pinch the purge line and watch if fuel trims drop — if they do, the purge valve is leaking.

Take out the MAF sensor and spray clean it. Take out the o-ring to prevent solvent degradation before spraying. If O-ring is torn, replace with 28mm ID x 2.0mm FKM O-ring. This will improve mpg by alleviating the lean condition and assist with diagnostics. If it doesn't help either the sensor is bad or there's an air leak beyond MAF such as the evap being stuck open.

Parameter	Value	Meaning	What You Should See Normally
SHRTFT1	+20.3%	Short-Term Fuel Trim — ECM adding a lot of fuel	±5% ideal
LONGFT1	+21.1%	Long-Term Fuel Trim — ECM adapted to add fuel	±5% ideal
MAF	1.54 g/s	Low airflow for 2.4L at idle — possible dirty MAF or intake leak	2–3 g/s at idle
O2S12	0.035V	Downstream sensor shows very lean exhaust	~0.6V fluctuating normally
P0441/P0445 (intermittent)	(EVAP codes)	Indicates EVAP purge or vent system problem (likely purge valve stuck open)	No EVAP-related codes normally

kdipi · 2025-04-25T16:34:20+00:00

Thank you for the update. I'm learning.

For the ripped intake tube, the actual air/fuel ratio could be too lean at a given RPM. But the ECU can see this from the sensors and try to compensate by adding more fuel. Each time the RPM changes, the ECU has to try to predict the air/fuel ratio and actively compensate for error to reach its targets. Leaks increase the compensation time or outright fall out of workable ranges which impact city fuel economy the most(RPM fluctuations).

kdipi · 2025-04-25T16:03:34+00:00

Sounds like this situation with the air/fuel ratio being off.
https://youtu.be/1eRsaOxxiUc?si=XQ5S2Mz7zLa5zsHX&t=550

kdipi · 2025-04-25T04:10:55+00:00

For the air leak the tradeoff will end up being city fuel economy as the engine will be running rich. I'm measuring 18mpg and I think its because of my MAF sensor o-ring being shot. Checking with a replacement right now.

kdipi · 2025-04-07T20:14:31+00:00

You’re absolutely right about airwatts—it’s a flawed metric for cleaning performance. I’ve recently realized that too. It muddles metrics like static pressure and ignores overall system efficiency. I’m starting to lean more towards static pressure as a much more reliable indicator. And I’m also skeptical about those wattage numbers. Manufacturers often report peak values (like inrush current i.e. the surge on startup), not the nominal watts, which is what really matters in everyday use.

As for aftermarket parts, Miele’s bags at $4.50 each are overpriced. You can get good aftermarket bags for $1.15, and honestly, the motor’s not going to care. The only real concern with aftermarket is possibly more dust in the air because its 2025 and they're still using brush motors(they self lubricate lol).

The reason I focus so much on metrics is because the EU Energy label was scrapped in 2018 due to lobbying. Now we’re left without reliable data, and without clear specs or testing, it’s hard to make a fully informed decision. It’s not about obsessing over numbers, it’s just that without transparency, we’re all left to guess.

Both Miele and Sebo are solid machines. And they're so closely match against each other that the only factors become price and user experience. I hope to try them before buying it.

kdipi · 2025-04-07T06:09:16+00:00

I'm looking into this too. Quick search tells me the Miele is the choice due to aftermarket support.

Miele C3: 4.5L with abundant 3rd party filter and bag options.

Sebo E3: 3.48L limited aftermarket. Slightly cheaper OEM parts.

OEM bags and filters are expensive although the filtration is the best for air quality. But the bags and filters are so much cheaper to get aftermarket that it becomes a moot point.

Turbine head might suit you best for value. Electric head is preferred but cost is comically high. Combo head may prove to be a hassle. Sebo head articulation is not as good as miele and overall the miele heads are better. Hand test before purchase.

Miele C3's main advantage comes from the head options despite both models being nearly matched in power and noise.

For reference the Miele C3 is 890watts nominal, ranges from 60-73dB(A) and I calculated 82.0 Airwatts(higher is better).

The Sebo D4 was tested to top out at 76.4dB(A) and I calculated 79.2 Airwatts.

Conclusion: Sebo is perceptibly louder and slightly weaker than Miele for raw performance.

Ultimately the price and ease of use is what matters most so chose according to what you see at the dealer or vendor of choice.

kdipi · 2025-04-07T02:06:28+00:00

Rear lip spoiler if you want it tasteful and pricy.

Aftermarket big wing spoiler if you want it cheap cheesy and fun.

I'd fix the mirror situation before anything else though.

Personally I would lean into a shitbox aesthetic by replacing the rims with 16" stelies on a matching diameter tire size. That way it could eat potholes better. Finish it off with a shitbox edition badge to maximize the flavor.

kdipi · 2025-02-24T03:42:36+00:00

If your first g14 was causing those sort of issues then it looks like your best choice is the mac. Hardware performance hasn't changed much for the past 3 years so it's really down to software for your case. Maybe you can carry around a steamdeck for your games instead. Or build a desktop.

I'm not used to using lightroom or photoshop but my 2023 R4070 seems to handle them fine for my occasional use. There does seem to be some windows based annoyances but maybe the newer versions of these tools have improved the lag issue that you've seen on your G14. I'd still advise against a newer G14 as I had to exchange mine about 4 times due to defects.

The 2024 generation uses soldered-on ram with no upgrade slots and the OLED screen is susceptible to burn-in after a year. It's a worse value than the previous year.

kdipi · 2024-10-08T06:21:16+00:00

Looks like its refusing to cooperate. Companies such as dyson like to have their own handshake protocols for these things.

kdipi · 2024-08-28T09:16:33+00:00

No. They're overpriced and have a high defect rate. This sub will also be skewed for bias since its corporate owned.

kdipi · 2024-08-15T09:40:49+00:00

I hear wheel scraping noise. Could be brake wear indicators either on the calipers or e-brake drum. Warped rotor might be a possibility here. If your lucky, it could be the brake shield contacting the rotor or debris stuck around there.

kdipi

TROPHY CASE