This is what I came to say. Find a seller who’s not an idiot.

It’s the right take. I might be more into it if I could see the rest of the car. Kind of cheating to show me the back seat. Even in my more-virile years, I saw a lot less of that than I did the left front.

Life is a mean teacher.

I’ve done this several times. Once I was describing the actual mistake to my dad while I was driving him in his Lexus LS, and sure enough, as I came up to a light I pressed the clutch with authority, to coast to a stop. Only the seatbelt stopped me from turning my father into an unguided missile.

Pretty forgiving manual, too (based on my nephew learning on mine).

So after all that mileage, crisscrossing Pennsylvania, driving as fast as I can on dirt roads and as economically as I could on the Interstate, up winding hillsides and very carefully around tight parking lots, I still really liked the Telluride.

Come on, man. This is definitely desirable for those of us who drive and prefer manuals. Based on take rates, that’s well south of 5% of the driving public (and even fewer of the car thieves).

One hears stories about parts availability. If true, that’s a substantial issue with a car that’s gone this many miles.

I would greatly prefer the manual, but to drive a 911, I’m willing to compromise on even that.

Relevant earworm:

Complex power train? Rare parts? Small chance of reliability?

So clearly a NP that suspicions should be raised. Not a NP for me; I dislike convertibles and would rather have a Cayman. But NP for someone qualified to evaluate the oily bits properly.

I once worked with a realtor who picked me up in a brand new Jeep Patriot. “Oh, this is a bad sign,” I thought as he came up the drive.

This is definitely a “glad it’s not close to me” price. I know tint is practical, but to me, it would have to go. Other than that, clean it up and roll.

I’m already scared of this generation of BMWs, and then you add the uncertainty of the diesel and an aggressive start-stop system? I want a small wagon, but not that badly.

Considering what would happen if the seller posted this on Bring a Trailer, it’s a very solid NP. I actually started scheming a drive from Eugene to Washington, D.C., before I caught myself. But no, that would be crazy.

Years ago I pitched a fake ad to my employer, who wanted to show their bona fides with a sample advertising reel. It went something like this:

You cracked the code: Arkansas is just an Augmented Reality overlay for Kansas. Not sure why it isn’t properly capitalized (AR Kansas).

I hope you popped for the Spirit of Extreme Relief hood ornament.

I used to wonder if it would help to lower the Crosstour. Of course the Internet is way ahead of me. It does help a little, but probably not enough to justify destroying the handling…