What You Said (8/2-8/8)

2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD: Wood A-Peel

Doh
By 300td on August 3, 2009 11:21 AM
My mercedesbenz just did that...but oh wait, its 27 years old.

2008 BMW 135i: How To Resist Temptation

We'd only have to move every 4 years
By benson2175 on August 4, 2009 12:26 PM
Another way to avoid getting speeding tickets is to move to an area that has an Olympics upcoming. All the cops are busy with security prep, they have one big building dedicated to it. I haven't seen a speed trap in months.

So true
By bkochuk on August 4, 2009 6:23 PM
for law-abiding citizens like myself, the 135 appeals because the REAL fun is going from 0 to the speed limit (ok, maybe 7 over) as fast as freakin' possible.
Doing 90 on the highway? what car can't muster that?

Funny one
By cbd22186 on August 4, 2009 12:28 PM
Oatmeal cookie chunk is delicious and totally underrated, thanks for finally posting about it

2009 Flex 750i Genesis Ram: Which One for Oregon?

Heh
By ckk2 on August 3, 2009 12:05 PM
The Flex? But what about the sunroof gap? How could you subject your family to that? I'm calling child protective services.

Nicely stated
By misterfusion on August 4, 2009 9:43 AM
The discussion is academic -- obviously the Flex is the most well-suited for your purpose. But if the goal is to test a vehicle that you have not used before, then the choice is not so easy (as you've discovered).

For pure cargo practicality, the Ram wins. The drawbacks are the open bed (I agree that you'd need a tonneau cover), the mileage and possibly passenger comfort. Yes, the Ram has coil springs and a fine interior, but if you have "sensitive" passengers, then it may still be too "trucky" for their comfort.

The 750 *would* have been my choice for sedan -- but I can't believe how small that trunk is!

This may mean that the Genesis is the best all-around choice -- but you said that it won't be available. It's enough to drive a man crazy! :P

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: It's Just a Sedan, Ma'am

Hatchbacks rule
By edarya on August 3, 2009 1:28 PM
I came to pick up a pair of medium size nightstands from a furniture store in my Acura RSX. The loading dock guy looked at me funny and said that there was no way I could fit the 2 boxes in the car. I proved him wrong without putting much effort. The boxes fit just fine and I had no trouble with closing the hatch at all.

Sounds like a new party game. Every time something doesn't fit in the Jetta...
By oscarmv on August 3, 2009 2:55 PM
I keep finding new and fun things that I can't put in my Jetta's trunk (2005.5, same trunk as this one) because they won't go through the opening even though the trunk itself is ginormous (at least for a car in its category).
Anyone can spare a few thousand so I can upgrade to the wagon?

Good advice
By stephen987 on August 3, 2009 4:05 PM
Show up with the Fit next time!

2009 Honda Fit Sport: Three Days, Three Scenarios, Five Thumbs

We agree
By stephen987 on August 3, 2009 4:03 PM
I just bought the same car, only without the silly NAV system. I agree with your "five thumbs" rating completely. Other than the ride over expansion strips, I haven't yet found anything to dislike.

It handles beautifully in a "hot-hatch" way--not really a sports car, per se, but great fun to toss through a set of esses. It almost demands to be driven more aggressively than the Civic EX that it replaced as my daily driver.

A road trip awaits, though. And that's sure to reveal a flaw or two.

2009 Dodge Challenger R/T: Simple Gauges Are Better Gauges

I happen to like white gauges but his was funny
By bimmerjay on August 4, 2009 12:46 PM
The '90's called and would like their white-faced gauges back...

Big List of Fuel Economy: July 2009

Not so Smart
By stingray454 on August 4, 2009 6:40 AM
Could someone please tell me what kind of deranged idiot would buy a Smart over a Jetta TDI?

By stephen987 on August 4, 2009 7:26 AM
One who has to pay for parking space by the foot? Other than that, I can't imagine who would.

2009 BMW M3: Comparison Drive, Part Two

Does this car make my butt look big?
By nosubstitute on August 4, 2009 3:07 PM
Speaking on behalf of old fat men everywhere (i.e. the people who actually buy new Corvettes), one of the best things about Corvettes is that they don't come with hard narrow seats fit only for the young and skinny (i.e. the people who test drive Corvettes for publications like this).

2008 Pontiac G8 GT: Sad Legacy

That's not what Gordon Gekko said
By bkochuk on August 4, 2009 6:19 PM
the idea of making the Pontiac brand the performance division was brilliant. but greed, incompetence, greed, shoddy workmanship, lack of vision (and plain ol' old-man corporate greed) killed the concept.

too bad. the G8 is awesome and could have been the turning point. even after all these years.

As Metallica once sang: Sad but TRUE!

You don't like my tat?
By wasaabi92 on August 4, 2009 7:07 PM
I usually think of fat chicks driving around in Sunfire droptops with ill-fitting tops. They're usually ashen white white with a shoulder tat, smoking and sipping a venti caramal frapp. At the same time. The car ... usually teal.

Also, wannabe "dude-bros" drive terrible Grand Am/Prix coupes. Disgusting cars.

I was born in '86, so I remember the Bonny SSEi with it's frenched fogs and Firebird T/A's with blue wheels. Oh. And the Aztek.

I won't miss Pontiac.

Voice of reason
By wrinklebump on August 5, 2009 4:31 AM
It's easy to make fun of Pontiac by cooking up funny jokes about the people that drive them, but I didn't find the cars themselves to be any worse than anything else you could buy from the General.

I grew up in an area with more Pontiacs per square foot foot than humans. I know a bunch of people that still drive one.

Make sure the cap is Aztek Yellow
By mrryte on August 5, 2009 7:20 AM
There are some that will remember when Pontiac offered REAL excitement in the form of the Trans Am. I can recall vividly how cool the KNIGHT RIDER Trans Am was and how bad I wanted to learn how to drive just to pretend I was Michael Knight. Silly, I know but hey....

That's why it's so sad to see what is happening to this once proud brand. And I'm still looking for the exec that OK'ed the AZTEC so I can send him a "dunce" cap.

Memories
By altimadude00 on August 5, 2009 1:16 PM
Growing up in the 80s, I'm not going to bother telling you what I think of Pontiac. I do know that a lot of people know and remember Pontiac from its heydays. And maybe that's how it should be remembered: A company that had a voice, lost it, and heard its echo on its deathbed.

Not many car companies have a renaissance when they die. Plymouth, Eagle, and Studebaker all faded out of memories.

The G8 burbles, "Remember me as I was."

2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe: Range

Are these the Pride and Prejudice zombies?
By crowb on August 5, 2009 7:28 AM
Bryn, you are wise to fear the zombie apocalypse. That's why I carry a sawed off shotgun and a katana sword with me everywhere that I go. Totally unrelated question, but why is it so hard to make friends?

Home on the range
By noflash1 on August 5, 2009 8:24 AM
400-450 miles from my 10-11 gallon tank in my Honda Civic Hybrid.

I have no idea why this great car isn't more popular.

2009 Mini E: Carries Lots of Batteries, Not Much Else

Beats the bus
By brn on August 4, 2009 6:17 PM
"I kind of like using it for my ridiculously short commute and whatever errands"

If I had a ridiculously short commute, I'd like such a vehicle too.

Yes
By nealibob on August 5, 2009 5:04 AM
Still better than the smart, no?

2009 Audi S5: Put My Start Button on the Dash

Erin loves the band Tool
By crowb on August 5, 2009 7:47 AM
carguy622 - Dude! Don't cover it with a rag. I have the same issue with the shifter on my Civic Si. I bought some leather driving gloves off of Amazon, and I wear them when its hot outside and my shifter is scalding. That way I look totally wicked AND I don't get fried. Its win-win. Sure my wife tells me I'm a tool everytime I put them on, but she doesn't get it. She doesn't know. Guys like us...we know. We know.

2009 BMW 750i: You Owe Chris Bangle an Apology

Susanna Hoffs agrees
By scorp76 on August 5, 2009 11:53 PM
It may have been the cool thing to hate Bangle and his designs, but I certainly didn't hang with that group; I love everything from the 7 down to the 3. To this day I see nothing ugly about any of them, most certainly not the E60 or the E65.

The F01 may be toned down compared to the previous gen, but it still has a sexiness the awkward s-class, the conservative A8 don't possess. It'll be interesting to see how much is copied by the competition.

Challenger vs. Camaro

I think we'll hear more of this when we get our long-term Camaro
By arm51 on August 5, 2009 12:52 PM
Camaro, hands down.

By desmolicious on August 5, 2009 12:57 PM
Challenger, hands down.

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR: Unloved Without A Cause

Reality bites
By louiswei on August 5, 2009 1:55 PM
And you wonder why?

It's call the REALITY CHECK.

Yeah everyone wants to drive a sports car once a while but sometime, if not all the time, we all give into the reality of the A-to-B commute we (at least for those of us who have jobs...) all have to take every single day.

If I am facing an hour-long drive sitting in the I405 traffic do I want to take the Evo with a stiff clutch, a taut ride and a juvenile exhaust note or do I want to take that comfortable Genesis but at the same time isn't as lifeless as grandpa's Buick.

Looks to me the question has been answered with Sadlier's latest blog entry...

Automotive publications like the Edmunds can keep whining about more cars become "soul-less" these days but the reality is that "soul" doesn't sell.

Bring it into Focus
By stovt001 on August 6, 2009 11:54 AM
I can see why the other staffers might pass these cars up in favor of something more sedate. I imagine when your job involves testing some really high performance cars on a track, your excitement quota is filled for the day and you're looking for something to unwind a bit.

And you can do a lot worse than the Focus. It is efficient, simple, reliable, and competent.

2009 Dodge Ram 1500: The Inconvenient Cupholder

Big gulp
By alman08 on August 5, 2009 5:08 PM
maybe there is a 4' long straw hidden in the glove box...

lol imho ;)
By wobbly_ears on August 6, 2009 7:58 AM
Seriously, why do Americans NEED all those gigantic cupholders? Isn't driving exciting enough for people? Do they need to have a drink/eat/text/update Fcebook/Twitter while driving???

Good idea
By thejohnp on August 6, 2009 10:25 AM
Or if you're outside of the truck loading/unloading/working/etc, having a drink in the door might be more advantageous than having to climb back into the cab to grab it from the center console. Just a thought.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor