Yeah, down where i live if it's summer time i can tell exactly whose AC is broken by who has their windows down. You don't just 'choose not to use it' when you hit triple digits OUTSIDE the car, let alone inside.
Yeah, down where i live if it's summer time i can tell exactly whose AC is broken by who has their windows down. You don't just 'choose not to use it' when you hit triple digits OUTSIDE the car, let alone inside.
The awd system in them isn't all that heavy. Hell, the axles look like they belong in a Justy, not a "truck". Plus it's part time, very part time, so maintenance is extremely low.
Let's reexamine this. I'm starting to consider one of these as a dog hauler.
The second generation covers model years 2002-2006. Within that time span, 2005 seems to be the year of semi-big changes; some good, some bad.
According to Wiki, 2005 brought some minor styling changes like a new grill and clear lights (I like the early ones better), but the biggest change was that the automatic transmission went from a four speed to five. Other mechanical changes include drive by wire throttle, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, traction control and Vehicle Stability Assist front seat-mounted side airbags, and side-curtain airbags.
I'd prefer five speed automatic, the added airbags and maybe the antilocks. I do not like drive by wire throttles and can do without all the other electronic assists.
I would imagine that the extra gear in the automatic makes a big difference, but I don't know this for sure. The AWD system was also changed, but I don't know what those changes were.
So my questions for those who might know the answers to such things:
Does the five speed automatic bring any negative issues along with it (driveability or reliability)?
Is the drive by wire throttle a sucky pain in the ass?
The ones i have driven feel normal. Good luck getting too far into modern safety features without DBW as it's integral to stability control which is now mandated by law.
Maybe we should go back to the old days when you had your throttle plate and the computer had its throttle plate and they had to fight it out for supremacy (the computer won anyway). So elegant! I'm trying to think when the last time i replaced an idle motor or diagnosed a cruise control servo problem on a DBW car was.. 
In reply to Vigo:
Point taken.
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