This is America.

My long distance car for professional school. Might get window visors next. I did add some weather stripping in the doors and trunk area to quiet it down a bit on those windy Interstates. On two or three of my long drives I’ve had modified diesel pickups down South try to initiate races with me. Let’s just say this…

FYI, hatch built in UK and I currently reside in a state with no front plate law.

Remember my previous post where I predicted 32-35 MPG? Yeah. Just had to fuel up once, I liked to stay at 78 mph for the most part. 80 mph and higher will make it drop below 40 MPG. Calculated MPG was 39.2. This was impressive for carrying my stuff. Filling up and paying only for 87 octane is a great feeling as well.…

Yeah, the Civic definitely doesn’t feel ‘compact’ anymore! 46.2 ft^3 (edited correction) of storage space with the seats folded. This would be the IDEAL buy for college students looking to move out.

I did my part, Jalops! Picked up a brand new 2017 Civic Hatchback LX a few days ago. Actual car pictured before my plates were installed.

My previous post, if you missed it, was about car spots in Hyderabad:

The visits to Europe posted by the Jalopnik staff reminded me that I didn’t post my car spots here after I returned from a trip to India that happened over a year ago.

Neat. These get spotted all over town occassionally. https://www.facebook.com/AutaPRLchicago

This would’ve been competitive. Dammit VW, you freaking suck. You sadistic, misanthropic excuse of a car company. After you dropped the ball on diesels. Go **** yourself.

💦 🍆 😩😩😩

Or at least, that’s my takeaway from this interesting read on Slate. Counterpoint to the article on the front page about the end of diesels:

Well this impressed me, for being a gas guzzler. I filled up a new tank, reset, got on a local congested road (avg mpg was in the teens around here), then merged onto the freeway to drive almost 30 miles just to see what I would get for highway alone. Traveling at 75 mph most of the time and sometimes a medium…

Sad! There is also the safety aspect. Cars with better crash safety are heavier.

This is a cropped still from my dash cam. I don’t recall ever seeing this color on a MB in person, except maybe on an older SLK. Looks like something straight out of the European market to me where, you know, they actually give you more options. I love the quirkiness from this era.

Drivers rejoice! Some of these are new while others strengthen existing laws on the books.

Michigan state Rep. Robert Kosowki (D) introduced a House bill this week that would make it a civil infraction to stay in the left lane of the freeway when other drivers are trying to pass. The bill also clarifies the old exception on freeways with three or more lanes and has gotten positive feedback from Michigan…

Posting from the Costco gas line right now. Looks like a fun combo.