SRS systems work off the rate of deceleration. The car may have only been going 19 MPH, but in a spin if your wheel clips a curb or pothole, that outside force is what triggers the deployment. Most vehicles only have 6 sensors, and depending upon the vehicles movement during that sudden deceleration, that’s what…

Can anyone really explain why, after 100+ years of automotive paint, we can’t match exterior colors on different substrates? I point it out to my insurance customers daily, that the paint on their composite bumper cover doesn’t match 100% to the metal fender or quarter panel it attaches to. Pearl whites are especially…

My uncle is a college professor and does a lot of consultant work for OEMs regarding seatbelts and ergonomics. When I was getting ready to enter high school in the early 2000s I asked him for advice on how to become a car designer since he was doing a lot of work with Holden engineers and designers. He promptly told…

Depending on the manufacturer the wiring to the whole car could be different for HID/LED lamps vs halogen. I know for Honda you can get a separate wire harness for the from lamps, but Hyundai for example, is one harness for the entire engine bay to the firewall.

Can you change oil yourself, or at an independent shop easily? I was shocked, a coworker got a 2018 Passat for his company car and had to drive nearly an hour away for his regular maintenance. Apparently our fleet coordinator couldn’t find a garage that could do all the required maintenance except the dealer;…

When I was in elementary school in the mid 90s this was pretty common. We even had designated tables so you could invite 8 of your friends over and everyone could still socialize. My mom and dad would alternate which month they came, mom always brought lunch, but dad would eat the same thing the rest of us did. Mostly…

I just turned 29 and I still wear the same pair of Nike shorts I wore for tennis in high school as my “around the house” wear. That and a hoody for a local surf shop I got in 2003ish... I’ve always been a lot “older” than my friends, as seen by my lack of buying new clothes and going to bed at 9pm. I got a nice job…

I rented a Cruze to travel from Chicago to St Louis right when the redesign took place. Granted 15ish hours in a rental isn’t the best way to measure, but I found it to be much nicer than my 2014 Cruze LS I drive for work. I’m pleased with our Civic so far, but since we’ve moved back to the east coast my wife is…

I’d say the Cruze hatchback is arguably better than the Corolla, and maybe the Civic hatchback too. My wife and I almost purchased a 17 Cruze hatchback Preimere when it would have been roughly $1000 less than a Civic EX. So top trim Chevy was cheaper than mid trim Honda. I convinced my wife to go with the Honda…

Exactly. GMs whole thing on Monday was to position itself to make more of the cars people are buying and cut the ones that they aren’t. Small cars are still sold in other markets and small engine development is still ongoing, so they’re not dead in the water if gas prices go up. Fords doing the same thing, but FCA may…

I turn 30 next year, my wife has given me a $10k budget (pending a pregnancy coming first) for a 3rd car/project car. 5th gen Preludes are high on my list since my first car was an 89 Si and this is that car taken to the next level. It’s between that and something old with 4WD for Lowe’s runs and trips to the beach…

As much as I enjoyed driving my friends 95 Prelude, I love the interior of this generation because it reminds me of my 89 Si. It was so simple and focused, the 5th gen Preludes would be perfect if they had pop-up headlights.

I’m watching the game with my wife and in-laws between the Steelers chocking. Wife saw this and cringed, so her dad replayed it and yelled “Tib fib!” Wife broke tibia and fibula back in middle school playing softball with dad as the coach, so they have a weird fascination with watching pros break their legs.

First thing I did before we moved was sell my FR-S. Company gave me a brand new Cruze that didn’t have the name plastered all over it so I could do what I wanted. In winter I’d sometimes park the car halfway up the snow banks that would pile up on sidewalks. The most I “paid” to park was when I’d know it was a long…

When I lived in Chicago I covered the northside for auto insurance claims, I refuse to pay to park while on the job. Usually I’d just double park, a few times near a fire hydrant, just long enough to take photos. If it was a total, I’d have to park a block or two away and walk. Right before I moved back to VA a…

Yeah that $19.50 a day rental turns into $30 real quick with the taxes and fees. I have an 87 year old customer at work who’s mad at me (insurance) because I won’t reimburse her for $900 worth of CDW and additional driver fees. I told her she needs to bring it up with Enterprise since some young recruit talked this…

I’ve really been holding out for Japanese Classics to get a Prelude Si 4WS, since I had one for my first car and sadly let it go back in 2008. I only live an hour from Richmond, it may be time to take my wife up there to check this out. I’ve got a birthday coming up and may be able to convince her to let this an early…

I see an Option 3. Going on. C7 stays around for a roughly 8-10 year lifecycle while this comes out as a separate Corvette model that isn’t called the C8. Depending on the performance figures I don’t see why starting price isn’t around the $150k mark to provide separation from the ZR1, but to also undercut completion…

Exactly. Richmond is farther, but it takes almost the same amount of time to get there than the beach on a Friday afternoon. My wife and I actually go to Funny Bone in Short Pump, on the west side of Richmond, more often than the Virginia Beach location because it’s less of a headache. We’re talking 31 miles vs 90…

Hampton Roads problem is we’re too military and too “divided”. The amount of people who move here and are already a fan of another major team is a big problem, but another is the James River. People on the north side of the river generally stay away from the Southside since it’s a hassle to deal with tunnel traffic…