My AWD manual Element got 20mpg pretty much no matter what I did - couldn’t get it any higher even babying it on the freeway, but also didn’t lose too much by loading it up with crap for road trips or driving in town. An Outback will do a little better than that.

Element? I vote honda element. 

Or, maybe cars with an automatic are just as good/better?  We’re not talking about 3 or 4 speed slush boxes anymore. People have certainly voted with their debt obligations. 

Don’t be such a mancy.

He didn’t say he didn’t want an SUV, he said he didn’t need an SUV, which is the case for 99 percent of SUV buyers.

That’s a shitload of downforce.

I’m sure you can have it for $350 if you ask politely.

The Subie is a good choice...but since when is my suggestion “surprisingly rational?” I’m supposed to be the voice of reason around here! :D

While I am not totally opposed to @tommcparland or @davidtracy suggestions (they are surprisingly rational for a change), the answer is Subaru Forester. Good space, good mpg, reliable. And most important, since she is a traveling nurse she may end up in places that have a great deal of snow, so AWD is a must!

Well, GM did find a buyer for HUMMER - Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company was all set to do a deal, but the Chinese government refused permission to allow them to expand into the passenger vehicle market, so it fell apart. GM didn't try to find anyone else, because they felt it was too late to start…

These things have rear weight bias. Careful getting into a corner too hot, or you might turn the Beat around.

Get the car wrapped in neon orange. Never de-escalate.

Vespa: Tainted Love.

Let me help:

They even said that it causes some damage by using them. I wonder why they don’t start with a luke-warm water temp and slowly change the mix until it’s ice cold? Maybe time is a factor.

This is all interesting stuff but the most surprising to me is the existence of a machine for doing what I was specifically told never to do, putting cold water in a hot engine. 

Excellent write-up as usual David. I’m surprised they haven’t done more to eliminate the hot post-radiator air from contaminating the intake air, such as venting elsewhere. seems like that would be the easiest way to bring down the intake temps.

As a small add on to this that wasnt mentioned is that drafting basically deletes all the air from the nose of the following car. This can rapidly increase the running temperate of the cooling system. If you notice, many drivers that are following in the draft for the restrict plate races (Talladega and Daytona) will…

Listen, I don’t know who in the hell you think you are coming around here with your ‘facts’ and ‘knowledge’; but I’m going  to have to ask you to leave. Don’t make me call security.

Bye bye Miss American Pie drove my Ford to the Fjord but the Fjord was dry.