Every time I think about taking the class, getting the cycle endorsement, and finally learning to ride (at the ripe old age of 42), my mind immediately brings up every instance when an inattentive motorist driving a CUV/SUV/Pickup has nearly hit me while I’m driving a compact car, and I quickly talk myself out of it.

Thirty years ago, someone in their early/mid 20s purchasing a car would be looking at a Mitsubishi Eclipse, Ford Probe, Honda CRX, etc. Today, they’re probably comparing the Escape, RAV4, CRV, Equinox, and whatever other dull compact crossovers are available. This was at a time when people in that age range could…

I wonder if this question entered the heads of the people at Jaguar when they decided to build and sell those lightweight D-Types from the 1960s, for which they only had registered VINs for cars they never actually built in the first place.

My dad has leased several of those wretched things over the years. I don’t understand how or why they could make a vehicle whose exterior dimensions are that large, and yet feels cramped on the inside, while having a cargo area which is hardly larger than a VW Golf.

The points you’ve made (most of which are valid) speak to an interesting question: at what point did we collectively decide that practicality was the end-all-be-all trait for a vehicle. It wasn’t that long ago (Ok more like 30 years ago but whatever) when the choice of small “sporty” coupes was just as wide as the…

It wasn’t quite as complex as that. It was a long, thorough checklist to ensure proper function of every single moving part on the vehicle, changing all the fluids, the filters, the spark plugs... And the big one, checking and adjusting the valves. As you’d expect, routine maintenance costs on an BMW M-car are…

Most of my clients loved the extended warranty in situations like that. $4000 coolant leak? $50 deductible.

As is always the case, people confuse “extended warranty” with “extended service contract,” which in BMW’s case is an extension of maintenance coverage which comes with every new BMW, and thusly includes all wear items covered under said plan.

Fun fact about those trucks: they were custom-designed for the Labatt brewery as rolling billboards, due to restrictions on beer advertisements at the time. 18 were built, and by 1939, they were delivering beer all over Ontario. The drivers wore tailored uniforms and were tested on their mechanical knowledge and…

VERY FEW Republicans at the top have denounced either the failed coup or Qanon, so there’s also that.

Man, some white people are just desperate to feel like victims...

I would have loved to have a wagon with the GTI engine and DSG (FWD or AWD), and I don’t even have kids or a dog; I just love wagons. But, since I knew I wouldn’t remain satisfied with the factory performance of a GTI for very long, making more power than than from the 1.8t wasn’t an attractive proposition. It can be…

I almost went that route with a 4Motion Sportwagon, but I ended up with a GTI since I didn’t really need the extra cargo space or AWD.

It’s hard to believe that such a scenario could occur, when the executive branch of the federal government is run by sane, even-handed person who has only hired the most qualified people to


You know what? I can’t even joke about it. The Covid pandemic was never going to be easy, but the people put in charge of…

Along those lines, if those drain tubes or the ones for the sunroof become clogged, the water they’re meant to drain will often find its way into the cabin, where it will be soaked up by the padding beneath the carpet, causing excessive condensation on the interior windows. On BMW (and probably Mini) vehicles, the…

He’s talking about the opposite end of the system from the condenser, wherein the air passing over some tubes (or a coil if referring to a home A/C system) is cooled by the refrigerant converting from liquid to gas within those tubes. In a car, this part of the system is indeed found in the cabin, in the same box…

I have a mask with a flap that keeps your glasses from fogging. I was a bit skeptical, but for $12.99, I figured it was worth a punt. Turns out, it does keep my glasses from steaming up when I walk outside.

Well, I wouldn’t call it “prime,” but in the early-mid 2000s, it was you average small-town bar decorated with Bud and Nascar stuff on the walls, and a large outdoor area with a stage for the bands they wouldn’t pay.

I had one for a while because I couldn’t be bothered to remove it (and also I like my dealer), but when the chrome-effect plastic started to look dull and sad, I replaced it with a carbon fiber-effect plastic frame, to save weight.