I’ve been to Indycar (qual sessions) at Mid Ohio years ago. It’s cool, but it’s like buying a VW when you really want an Audi. Similar, but you’ll always regret it.

Thanks for the info. I live the the DC metro area, so it would be a big family trip, and we would see other sites in Texas and the SW as well. I just want to get a general sense of the costs, so the bottom line is that I should budget a decent amount, and to get tickets as early as possible.

When my kids are older, this might be one of our “bucket list” event to see F1 racing. On ticketmaster, $450 per general admission ticket (on Sunday) seems very steep. What are some cheaper options?

Owned MKV GTI (‘08) and that thing had a litany of problems: DSG mechatronics unit, AC blower, oil leaks, headlight and side mirror lightning unit, misfiring plugs, O2 sensor, saggy headliner... in addition to the high normal maintenance costs. It was a blast to drive, but finally had to get rid of it because I didn’t…

After owning both VW (GTI) and Honda products (Accord, CRV, and several Acuras), I can say that the cost of ownership is much lower in the Honda/Acura products. Much better reliability as well. Bought an ‘08 GTI and ‘08 CRV within 6 months of each other. The CRV is currently being driven by my niece and runs extremely…

It really is MODEL dependent. I just bought my TLX A-Spec (‘21) for $6k off of MSRP. I shopped around and many dealers were willing to make a deal on it. Really wanted the Type S, but markups and waiting list soured me on it.

Me thinks a 2010s-ish Jeep Compass/Liberty/Patriot should fit the bill. These were (and are) terrible vehicles to drive, but they should fit your requirements and be CHEAP. My vote is for the Liberty, as it’s the best looking of the bunch and has a good AWD system.

Acura RDX or MDX. The MDX might be pushing the $60k limit because they are hard to get now.

Coincidently, I’ve been watching YouTube videos of sketchy driving on the ‘Ring during tourist days. I can’t believe it’s so inexpensive to get your car on the track. Unfortunately, the price of such an accessible event is these kinds of accidents.

Ice cold.

I like the utility of the Maverick more, but the design seems very ordinary and looks 10 years old. The Santa Cruz looks more modern and cohesive and I would probably get it over the Maverick if I were looking for a small CUV. I assume a hybrid will be offered in the future for Santa Cruz’s, so that would be a more…

The Flex is quickly becoming the SUV/CUV version of the Miata for WCSYB.

A fair punishment would be some jail time, suspended license for at least 10 years (make him bike to work/school), tons of civil lawsuits, and the next 20 years working pro-bono at a bike shop to repay for those civil lawsuits.

100% agree. Traditional hybrids as well as plug-in hybrids should be the normal for the next 10 to 15 years. We can’t switch from ICE to all-electric overnight, and this will provide the time for the charging and electric grid infrastructure to improve. Now all we need is a progressive infrastructure bill to pass.…

If you do a little math and physics, which I assume Toyota engineers have, you can easily calculate it. Assuming the holder is 60 degrees from vertical, then you would need 0.5g of acceleration to tip it over. This acceleration is equivalent to a 0-60 time of 5.5s, which this Tundra will not do. Of course you can get…

Digging the chunky interior and the potentially very good hybrid powertrain. A “blacked-out” version without all the brightwork will look much better and less mouthy. Not in the market for a full size pickup, but this seems up there with the Ram as the best ones, IMHO.

Great and informative article. One thing I don’t understand is the “naked” carbon fiber. With the fibers exposed (and no epoxy layer), the risk of scratching and cutting the fibers would be higher, right? It’s easier to repair the epoxy rather than fibers that have been cut. Also, cut fibers can reduce the strength of…

The market is the market, and I’d argue that the the RAV4 offers good value in the long term based on its low ownership costs and expected high reliability.

This is not for the people who would ever consider a Ram or F150. Yes, $40k is steep, but it’s in line with top spec Honda CRVs, RAV-4s, and Jeep Cherokees, which are the main competitors. This is a CUV with a bed. No one who “needs” a truck should or would get this. This a a person that could live with a CUV, but…

We just moved into our new house and it’s partially furnished by Ikea furniture that is 10+ years old. I think some of the pieces have held up quite well over several moves. If you’re careful when assembling (and disassembling) it the first time around, it should last. I agree that some of the bookcases are really…