Except for the Mitsubishi 4G63, with the crank walk and all the Mitsubishi V6s with the oil burning and the Toyota Sienna 1MZ V6 oil sludging problem and the Honda 1.5T with the oil dilution problem and the RX-8 and RX-7 before that with the apex seals made of glass and the late model Hondas that spit out spark plugs…

We had a 1976 Ford Mustang II. So, I think mine is the same as everyone else’s: stall a few times, then get the hang of it, FOR THAT CAR. Then you realize that every car has its own type of clutch, so you relearn each time until you are at one with the car. I’ve bought only manuals for myself (a total of three cars) ev…

The one guy who was thrown clear of a wreck and walked away unscathed as his car burst into flames has a lot of nephews.

Ballons travel at the speed of the wind, which at altitude can be significant. 

I find Kinja’s more willing to load a picture if I’ve already started typing a comment, although that might be my imagination.

I was basically reading the whole article for the “but” so I could see why I shouldn’t hit NP. And “replaced master cylinder but didn’t bleed brakes” is a big “but”. Not because it’s a deal breaker itself, but because it opens up a slew of other questions.

The world needs more people like Elhigh.

I concur. I’m enthusiastic about all my cars, from my F250 (tow monster) to my MG Midget (bad mood dissolver) to my 98 Camry (gets it done with. No. Drama) they all do what they do very very well. 

To be fair, my daily commute typically doesn’t even involve a car now, but I did commute in my ND for two years. It’s a great way to make ordinary driving a lot of fun. It’s got enough power (and super-short gears) to be punchy around town.

take the star for “yucking your yum yum”

Nah, a friend had a 2nd gen Prius he put 450,000 miles on, mostly commuting. He replaced the battery pack at 200,000 miles as a precaution.

This is a quality take, sorely lacking in both hyperbole and vitriol, which means it has no place on Jalopnik.  /jokes

After reading about the plight and demises of her other vehicles, I was pleased to just read “Toyota”as the next choice. She should do well.

For years, I gave a shit what the other “enthusiasts” thought. That lead me to buy cars that honestly... weren’t actually great for me. Oh they were enthusiast approved, brown manual wagons and all that, but... they sucked for me.

This.  My 16 year old son has a 2015 plug in Prius as his first car, and he loves it.  He drives surface streets almost exclusively,  so doesn't need peppy acceleration and it is quiet inside.  He also has an eight mile round trip commute and a 10-12 mile battery range, so only uses gas if he's cranking the AC on…

Really happy that this was the first comment I saw!  It’s also the first thing I thought of:  the “enthusiast cars can only have RWD and a manual” crowd aren’t going to like the enthusiast comment.  When really, what’s wrong with being enthusiastic about any car?  I get the enthusiasm owners have over their Prii (?),…

Indeed. Had a Prius C once .. it was a car that I got to see how little gas can I use commuting to a shit job. (vs my other car back then a Mazda B2500 - not exactly a fuel sipper). All cars are indeed enthusiast cars. 

This. The Prius will be the reliable car that lets Mercedes and her fiancé get away with buying other vehicles that could die at a moment’s notice. If anything, it will let them really dive into the obscure and sketchy vehicles that make for good Jalopnik content.

Good take. The Prius is cool in the same way a minivan is cool - it is pure, unashamed utility. They are super reliable, cheap to own, have great cargo space, and get good mileage for an overall low price. I like the styling of the second-gen ones too.

Also, there’s entirely room for appliance cars to exist as well. With the sheer number of interesting (if sometimes quirky) vehicles Mercedes buys, I think one sensible Prius in the fleet is completely justifiable.