Everyone has an anecdote.

The other thing is, these cars (IS F, GS F, RC F) have adaptive gearboxes and such. If I reset my ECU, the throttle/shift behavior of my car goes to default and takes some miles of driving before it smoothes itself out to be agreeable with my driving habits.

Fair enough, it sounds like your approach isn’t too different than mine, when it comes to new car buying, and you’re pretty realistic about any potential gremlins.

Very true. I’m just of the opinion where I’m totally fine with someone else proving how reliable Alfa is, lol. If it is, I’ll thank the early pioneers and look into one.

“I’m becoming more convinced that the concept of reliability is more of a religion rather than being a notion based on fact.”

Not that I’m challenging any reliability claims, but lol, that specific thread has to do with a guy who installed an aftermarket part that’s failing. I’d leave that car bone stock, if I were even considering it.

Interesting. Even with materials aside, the Vette has some pretty strong driver-focused details which literally envelop the driver with its interior. The LC more shares the dash-space with the passenger, instead of treating them like an accessory. The LC also has a two-tier “shelf” design and seems like Lexus opted…

“As I fall into the middle 35% cost v. performance play a big factor in my auto buying decision.”

Right, a buddy of mine just bought one that maxed at 108k. The 20k difference isn’t the factor some people think it is, once you’re playing in a certain price range.

That wouldn’t really make sense. The rest of the world will have higher standards, and many car makes also do R&D and import (or export) vehicles which match those standards, because it’s cheaper. Regulations are as much about consistency and planning.

That’s not even in the realm of same logic (steering assist and electronic throttle control are what you’re looking for).

The public is largely reactionary and isn’t very good at long-term decision making. It’s most apparent when fuel prices spike, as they rush to dump their inefficient ICE vehicles, and try to grab smaller displacement vehicles, hybrids, or even reduce travel.

“They’re also questions that have answers. You like asking the question, but you don’t actually care about the answer.”

I’m far from an expert, but in doing some reading on the subject, it seems that was the approach in the earliest days of missile defense. Get a bunch of anti-aircraft guns at a target location, and kill it before it impacts.

It’s a design element or slope of the roof-line after the B-pillar. There’s a general assumption that it’s a door count (based on the ultra-common design found on many two-door vehicles), but it isn’t always the case.

I’d say most modern performance-oriented traction/stability systems allow you to have fun, without risking an utter loss-of-control situation. But people have this idea that any type of assist insults your driving skills, and so they have to prove something.

“In the past, if you had a front-end collision, you had damage to the engine or the front end. But now, with the number of airbags that can run from $1,000 up to $4,000 and all the sensors up front, you’re seeing more totals.”

Yeah, but in the past, I’d hardly want to drive a car brought from the brink of a total…

“Race is only a problem in this country to those who make it an issue.”

I don’t think you’re wrong, but without qualifying any of this with actual spans of time (is last year long-term? Or is planning for retirement long-term?), there is no single answer to it. However, I feel I’ve already accounted for your bullet points in my initial response.

That totally depends on the part of MD and the part of CA, lol.