from 2008-2010 I worked for a rental car company and had exposure to all sorts of makes and models that were used and abused on a daily. while I know a lot has changed in auto companies since this time I still can’t shake some of my stigmas. All the chrysler/dodge products were the worst. we had a dodge journey once…

I’d get the hybrid one...oh...NVM.

I’m all for Kia introducing a midsize pickup to the US market. big fan of their design/styling right now. hope they bring back amber outline DRLs from the gen 1 Telluride and current k5. amber lights and pickups go hand in hand. got my fingers crossed for an HEV or PHEV too

The Gen 1 Kia Sportage four-wheel drive manual will get you around 20 mpg combined, can be had under 5K, and with a few minor mods be very capable off-roader as seen by the 2015 cheap truck challenge https://www.motortrend.com/features/1509-cheap-truck-challenge-2015-kia-sportage/

Its actually not an air dam, its a passive snow plow. The ground clearance is atrocious with that thing attached and might be the same as my Hyundai sonata. In all seriousness I expect maybe with all the disappointment in the MPG ratings for the new tundra hybrid, Toyota tried to engineer anything to improve MPGs that…

While that certainly is possible, I would be very disappointed if the Tacoma matched the MPGs with the previous gen. If we get an increase of 4MPGs for the hybrid Tacoma, that gets it to 24 MPGs combined, matching the Jeep Gladiator 4WD diesel and tying it for best in class MPGs. I don’t think that is out of the…

Overall I’m very excited for the new Toyota Tacoma.

The overall look is a bit too aggressive for me but not terrible. I flat out don’t like the hood scoop. Normally I’m a big fan of blacked out roofs and pillars, but the out of place vertical body color C pillar looks very odd.  I’m hoping this more aggressive styling is reserved for the TRD models and isn’t carried…

Ford made a very smart and bold move by making the Maverick in a hybrid powertrain, driving a bigger wedge between it and the Hyundai Santa Cruz. I was really hoping the delays in the the U.S. spec Ranger were at least partially to incorporate a 4WD hybrid powertrain given Ford’s current lineup with hybrid options in…

on April 4th 2023 it was announced that the 2024 Toyota Tacoma will come with an iForce Max Hybrid Powertrain.   https://pressroom.toyota.com/maximum-i-force-the-next-generation-toyota-tacoma-is-coming-soon/

I’m really hoping Toyota was focused on efficency for the new 2024 Tacoma hybrid. I would love it if the 4WD version at least had 27 MPGs, and more ideally, over 30. I don’t expect it to be any better than the FWD Maverick though.

The Bluetooth speaker seems real gimmicky. As others have stated, the built in battery is going to get cooked on the hot dashboard. Besides the wear, I also expect the tech will become quickly outdated and buggy. People buy Toyotas for their rugged durability and dependability, not for gimmicks like this. I hope…

The Taco has reliability going for it, i’ll give it that. if it follows the looks of the Tundra too closely with the horseshoe mustache grille, I’m not going to be too excited. the interior dimensions need to grow significantly to compete with roomier midsize trucks (headroom and legroom are some of the worst in the…

I hope they have significant depreciation so I can pick up someone’s old mall crawler on the cheap in 3 years.

1994-2003 Ford Super duty Trucks with the V-8 7.3 Power Stroke Diesel Engine are a must on this list. I have a preference for the harder to find rust free, crew cab, short bed, 4x4 configuration. most of these were beat to hell as commercial vehicles so finding one in good or better shape is pretty difficult nowadays.

but your kids get joy from playing in the pool and you get nothing from watering your lawn.  

still a waste of water...

As a Maryland resident I’m totally for this, I just don’t see how it is feasible to limit it to just zero emissions vehicles by 2035. Maybe including Hybrids and PHEVs would seem much more reasonable in 10 years and another 10 to transition to fully electric?  feels like this goal is just too unrealistic and they will…

grass is useless. I have a mix of wild low growing plants that produce flowers for pollinators on my 2.25 acres. some might call them weeds but they have flowers and are the first to provide a source of food for insects. speedwell, mock strawberry, dandelion, ground-ivy, buttercups, deadnettle, bittercress, wild…

Kill your lawn.  its a useless monoculture.  if you can’t kill it just mow it and leave it alone until you can kill it and replace it with something better.  If you are shoveling snow off your lawn you have a problem no one can fix.