I thought the biggest problem was the transmission being herky jerky.

And most of us who actually use our trucks off road would much rather buy a lesser model and build it up the way we want it.

“Look for the new Ranger to be sitting on its roof, just off the edge of a trail near you!”

So far I don’t think we’ve seen any of the Raptors while off-roading. I just see them taking up a spot and a half in parking garages because the F-150 variety at least are extra wide.

Great write up but I kept reading “mfr” as “motherfucker” instead of “manufacturer” and I will keep reading it that way because it makes the same amount of sense.

Over 10 years or so, the VW will probably make up that $6k deficit in repairs versus a Honda. 

Hey a 4 wheel version of an Elio!

They need to have enough production orders on the tranny, from whoever makes it, to make financial sense. They also can’t over order the tranny and stick them in trucks they will languish on the lot because 95% of buyers want an auto.

Oh yes dash creaks a plenty, subpar interior materials, but the best is the weird steering noise that happens when turning sometimes that sounds like pooping bubble wrap or that noise you can make with your mouth open and just using your throat to push air out. (hard to describe but I can replicate it lol)

Exactly, thanks for putting in the work.

A very nice explanation, I guess the next step would be, how to get the general American public to ditch these sedans on stilts so maybe that AMG GT won’t be almost 200K$...This is the real reason for my comment. Dammit! I want my reasonably priced, fast AMG GT! 

Trunks are such an inefficient waste of vehicle footprint. CUVs (short, slightly lifted, wagons by a new trendy name) are better in just about every way.

A CUV is a shittier version of a wagon. Taller, worse mpgs, can hold less stuff, etc. I get that wagons aren’t in fashion anymore, but they’re measurably better at most things than a CUV is. Every soccer mom driving around in an empty Escalade/Suburban/X7/Yukon/Grand Wagoneer really just needs a wagon.

I find with older cars that I really don’t need the same parking aids as more modern offerings: the vehicles are smaller, so they’re easier to park, and they have significantly better overall visibility. Compare an early-aughts forester to a new one: the original has a big greenhouse allowing great visibility. The new…

When I changed the factory radio in my Subaru for a shiny new deck with Android Auto, I tore out a bunch of interior trim to run a backup camera - i went with a fairly inexpensive one and (except for me not tightening the locknuts down very well) it’s been an AMAZING upgrade.   My minivan, however, is stupid and has…

Again, the most practical, cheap, fun car you can buy is an 02-05 Civic Si:

At the risk of being mind-numbingly unimaginative, I have to think that the right answer is the newest / fewest km Honda Fit you can find.  With winter tires ours is a trooper in the snow.  It gets phenomenal fuel economy.  It’s got the best size : space ratio of any car I’ve owned.  And it’s as reliable as hell.

It seems like a lot of people are confused about why the CVCC engine was so revolutionary.

lol, the pic w/the truck towing the more capable SxS’s just says it all about these stupid things.

In regards to 2-stroke vs. 4-stroke for Honda motorcycle racing, I’m also fascinated by development of the 270° Crank on motorcycles. The uneven firing is a compromise between traction recovery and crank balance.