The first leg of this trip was going to be a drag. I knew that much from the start. Southern California up through Vegas, the north western tip of Arizona and then into Utah-- it all looks pretty much the same until you get to Arizona, by then though the drive has started to take its toll. But the Flex is, so far, a willing partner in this adventure and I was feeling pretty fresh. When I hit Salina, Utah-- only 590 miles from my departure point-- the sun had set and route 70 through Utah is a bendy, four-lane highway with a surprisingly high 75-mph speed limit. The highway is also, as the signs indicate, chock full of deer, elk and eagles. I was willing, but the Flex's headlights were not. We paid extra for these HIDs but they simply are not up to the task of illuminating an unlit desert road at 75mph. Maybe it was a good thing, had I been able to "make time" through Spotted Wolf Canyon, I would have missed some of the best sights I've seen to date.
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 3,044 miles
mlevere1992 says:
08:33 AM, 09/29/08
How do I get a job like yours? I would love to be able to drive across country for a couple of weeks and report on a car at the same time. AND get paid for it!
I wouldn't care if it was the GT-R, Ford FLEX or the Camry, although I would prefer the GT-R or the M3.
vvk says:
08:34 AM, 09/29/08
Should have taken the Mercedes...
chavis10 says:
08:38 AM, 09/29/08
What was wrong with the lights? Low beams are only gonna reach so far down the road.
jriz says:
08:51 AM, 09/29/08
"How do I get a job like yours?"
Mike is the grandson of company founder Ludwig von Edmundsson. Although woefully underqualified, he managed to weasel his way in here thanks to grandpa. He spends most of his days playing Batman pinball up in the game room. We just write his name on the odd maintenance blog so grandpa thinks he's doing something. So unless you descend from the great von Edmundsson dynasty, good luck.
comp386 says:
09:01 AM, 09/29/08
That's what the high beam is for.
sammin says:
09:09 AM, 09/29/08
How are the fog lights? Are they HID also?
dougtheeng says:
09:25 AM, 09/29/08
That third picture is amazing, I'd love to take my MC through there.
jahfakin says:
09:40 AM, 09/29/08
HIDs don't have high/low beam options? I only see a single projector lens on that Flex. my car a a projector lens for (low beam) and a reflective lens (for high beam). I thought HIDs were setup the same way.
altimadude00 says:
09:51 AM, 09/29/08
I recommend that Jriz gets a promotion. Awesome!
sddoc07 says:
10:22 AM, 09/29/08
that side profile pic in the semi-dark sealed it for me...I can think of a few things I'd rather spend 35k+ on then a car that looks a funeral hearse. Yeeeech - back to the drawing board Fordiots.
blankfocus says:
10:34 AM, 09/29/08
i like hearses.
mikeolan says:
10:57 AM, 09/29/08
This doesn't look like a hearse to me, I think it just looks cool.
brn says:
10:59 AM, 09/29/08
jriz, so you're saying that Mike is The Mechanic?
audisport says:
11:09 AM, 09/29/08
They are bi-xenon. Low beams and high beams in single projector. One would assume that at least the highs should illuminate fairly well at 75mph.??????
michaell says:
02:05 PM, 09/29/08
I see you decided to take a more northern route (I-70) rather than the route shown on the nav system (I-40, I-44, I-70).
Living in Colorado and having family in both Utah and California means I drive I-70 and I-15 quite a bit. I never get tired of the scenery, especially in Utah.
In May, while returning from St. George, we stopped at the same rest stop portrayed in the middle picture. We have similar pictures of the road looking east. What the photo doesn't show is that at the edge of the rest stop is about a 500 foot drop. My wife wouldn't get within 10 feet of it.
Keep up the great posts!
uncanny_man says:
10:59 PM, 09/29/08
Can you post a higher resolution image of the third picture? That landscape is beautiful!
subytrojan says:
01:11 AM, 09/30/08
Nice photos, Mike! I think Jriz already got a promotion this year. One more and he'll be calling all the shots! :o)
actualsize says:
09:41 AM, 09/30/08
Mike + The Mechanics? Now there was a sucky 80's band. "All I need is a miracle..."