I supervise hiring at my office, so I know roughly how much people make, and there are people earning 40k driving new Tahoes and Acadia Denalis. I have no idea how anyone affords anything. I have an 8 year old V6 accord with a stick and it’s a comfortable, reliable daily driver.

Once you start optioning out a fusion, for example, you can get within spitting distance of an MKZ. I can understand cross-shopping them.

laugh at the reliability of four-year-old Land Rovers.

This reminds me of an family story — in the early 90s, my dad had a plumber come out to fix something, snake out a clogged drain, something like that. The plumber’s helper was admiring the ‘79 chevy monza rusting in the driveway, and told my dad he was saving his money to buy a car for his family, in similar…

A gorgeous body hampered by that front end. She’s a butterface, all right.

Talk to me. The 944 has been my dream car for decades.

I can only imagine that the sense of impending doom and fragility of life so often illustrated is what makes the party atmosphere of Louisiana so palpable.

Honda wants too much for the civic right now.

Flex.

The V6 makes 290, so if they put it on a diet and swap in one of those glorious honda manuals for the 9 speed pushbutton monstrosity. . . now we’re talking.

I’m 6'2" and I’ve had fun driving a miata for an afternoon, but I get what you’re saying. If the seat would have gone back another two inches it would have been a lot more comfortable.

2005 S4 has ~50 more HP and they’re roughly the same weight. Quattro definitely handles better than whatever system the Acura has, but they both have too much weight to be really nimble. It’s just that the S4 is confident through curves and the TLX is more hesitant - if you lay off the power it understeers, if you…

Yeah, but none of those other sports make you teach your horse how to swim!

My dad just traded in mom’s 2005 Audi S4 for a fully loaded V6 TLX AWD. Mom used to shred her way through tires on the audi, but as she’s gotten older she’s wanted a little softer ride and more comfort features, a slushbox, and a bigger backseat so she can take the grandkids.

How do you like the 350Z? I’m looking for a convertible weekend car.

I’m looking for a convertible for a weekend car, and unless you want a miata, the options are slim. That new buick is way too heavy and doesn’t have enough pedals. I don’t want a mustang or camaro. I don’t want a german car.

My dad just bought an Acura TLX, which I found baffling because it has such strange interior design choices.

Hooooly shit. I knew FCA cars were trouble (ZF 8 and 9 speed transmissions, anyone?) but I never would have guessed they’re worse than a VAG.

When I bought my wife’s flex a couple of years ago, I got a screaming deal on it because it was a highly optioned, relatively unpopular car that had been sitting on the lot for a while, and it was a 2014 model which we bought in December 2014.