I love how corporate America is always ready with a list of externalities to shirk accountability for their own terrible decisions.

More than anything, this reminds me of the Ridgeline, and I remember that truck being disparaged by some. I suppose it’s done okay over its 16 year run, but even the Nissan Frontier has outsold it by a considerable margin, every single year. The Tacoma? Easily 7x.

There’s an infatuation with slim wheels? The last time thin wheels were in was the early 80s. Everyone’s gotten progressively thicker over the years, with BMW having a history of some of the most obnoxiously thick wheels on the market.

Regardless of personal preferences, a true car enthusiast should be able to appreciate almost anything.

Although the top trim of the US Corolla has grown on me, I think the international version looks better. It’s still got the big mouth, but it’s not quite as aggressive and shares a stronger connection to the Camry. I don’t understand why Toyota of America felt the need to alter the design.

The new Civic somehow simultaneously looks both better and worse than the current gen.

Of course there are exceptions, but serious riders tend to consider value and are not going to splurge on an exclusive bike they actually want to ride. These bikes tend to be aimed posers, especially in the current climate where any form of conspicuous consumption is justified as an investment. Those guys are the sort …

What I want to know is why you’re so upset that I’m critical Volvo?

I don’t particularly care about Tesla and wouldn’t buy one if I had the money to spend. However, I can respect what they’ve been able to accomplish. I find Tesla fanboys as annoying as Volvo fanboys, and there are way too many of them around here..

I’m sure panel gaps on current Volvos are great but that doesn’t make them any less unreliable. Given that this model just launched we’re a long way off from knowing if these EVs are going to fare any better.

Nothing new... Marketing teams are a constant source of embarrassment. Ignoring that, something about the black, red and white Opel is giving me Nissan IDx vibes and now I want to cry.

This is nothing but a bullshit puff piece. Volvo designs some very attractive cars, but there’s nothing particularly special about them, except that they’ve replaced Audi as the hot brand for yuppies. Volvo is coasting on a 40-year-old legacy of safety in an era where everyone’s building cars just as good, if not…

Polished surfaces stay clean longer and are easier to maintain. Brushed, satin finishes accumulate grime more easily and are harder to clean. Brushed surfaces also require additional steps to produce, adding cost. There’s a reason why a lot of stuff is chromed and it’s not just aesthetics.

Toyota seems to have been the only automaker smart enough to stockpile chips, which is interesting when you consider that they helped pioneer the just-in-time process. This demonstrates that they they have a better grasp of the concept, enabling them to be more flexible and are a lot more forward-looking in their…

Interestingly, over the past couple of years I’ve seen Harleys become increasingly popular in urban areas. Dirt bikes and ATVs are still king, but they’re definitely up there with sports bikes. I can’t explain the reason for their popularity other than the fact they’re loud and obnoxious. As if that isn’t enough, some…

I think you’ve got your dates mixed up. Audi introduced the big grille on a production car way back in 2005. Concepts incorporating that idea go back to at least 2000.

Voltswagen is an embarrassment and I predict that in 5-10 years they’ll be switching back. This is almost as lame as Ford leveraging the Mustang heritage with the Mach-E. Leaning that hard on gimmick marketing often means you don’t actually have the substance to back it up.

Let’s hope BMW can make electrics more reliable than their internal combustion engines. Assuming planned obsolescence isn’t part of the business model.

It turns that chip shortages in the auto industry are largely their own doing, and not necessarily related to the larger shortage, at least not directly. It was an eye opener when I learned that, but made total sense.

Must be nice having the kind of affluent lifestyle that makes owning an EV feasible. I guess all those chumps in apartments, with on street parking, or who simply can’t afford a $30,000 car are irrelevant. It’s also going to be interesting seeing rising utility rates because of increased demand on the grid.