Mainly the head gaskets. And dealers that didn’t know how to service them. My dad loved them and bought 4 over time. They were notorious for blowing gaskets. Then the dealer would improperly follow the repair procedures, and cause the new head gasket to blow. Repeat ad infinitum.

I thought these kinds of billboards throughout Baltimore were way worse.

I used to put the skis (and bikes) on a roof rack when I had a VW New Beetle. Yes, they got very dirty and I wasn’t a fan. With our 3-row SUV (2011 Acadia) they fit nicely on the inside. I still keep them in their ski bags to prevent damage, and to keep the car dry after a day on the slopes.

From a practical…

$4.2 million isn’t so much for a boat of that size. I would have expected a higher price tag.

But, but God’s sake, update the navigational electronics. What’s there is woefully out of date.

So, not funny? Gotcha.

Christ, those are long skis. I’m only 4'10" so my skis are somewhat shorter.

How small are the kids you envision sitting 5 across? And having some separation is ideal for a trip of long any duration.

3 row SUVs are not stupid when you have a need for them. My wife wanted an SUV; she just doesn’t like minivan styling. Most of the time we only use the mid row captains chairs but the 3rd row is necessary when kids’ friends or more family come along.

The larger cargo space is also essential. With the 3rd row down ours…

At the very minimum, battery life is a key component. A smart phone battery lasts perhaps a day. A watch battery often lasts years. My Tag Heuer typically lasts 4-5 years. I personally don’t want to be caught out on being late because my phone battery died especially when traveling.  

The whole Merkur brand confused me.  I felt like these cars just started showing up one day.  I had no idea who made them, where they came from.  They were weird looking.  I had no idea they were a Ford product.  IMO, bad sales strategy from Ford.  

Yeah, I love a stick. But my wife has a disability that prevents her from driving a manual. Even though we each have a car, I have an automatic so she can drive my car if needed. Plus rush hour traffic in my area with a manual is hell. I compensate a little with a “sport mode” and paddle shifters.

Did GM learn nothing from the Aztek? 

FITY. Seriously, the lead photo looks like they took an Infiniti and slapped on a kidney grill.

My parents used to have a Sub Zero side-by-side fridge / freezer. It had separate compressors for each side.  Sucker probably cost $6k when a new car averaged about $16k-$18k. Thing still blew through compressors at an unbelievable rate.

It was a source of pride when I learned to shift without using the clutch by feeling the revs.  

Another thought. Development cycle times, especially QA times.
With a consumer product the risk factor associated with bugs is relatively low. Therefore rigor in the QA phase can be relatively lower.

This on my middle-school age son’s get psyched up for sports playlist. He loves it. 

I’m more impressed with the epoxy floor and crown molding on the cabinets in the garage.

I think some cars are just photogenic. My buddy has a blue Jeep Grand Wagoneer. In the dim of the company parking garage, it looks good. But my God, any time he posts a photo of it the car looks shiny and gorgeous.