Looking forward to the change. You’re right that most car reviews are nearly advertisements for cars. I don’t suppose most publications have the internal resources and longstanding system for car reviews that Consumer Reports does (i.e. long-term reviews with an eye toward ownership), but change should help. It’s easy…

Yeah, I wanted to like something American enough to buy it, but nothing aligned in the way I wanted. Cruze was the highest American car on my list, with a Volt as a dark horse if I decided to take the plunge on a hybrid. Something compact (hatchback highly preferred) with driver assistance for my twice-daily gnarly…

Wow. You must’ve bought shortly before the scandal broke. I bought my 2012 used for a pretty good price a little over two years ago. I think I’m doing a little better than breaking even on it - fuel notwithstanding. Enjoyble cars, but I want March 27 to come around so I can sell it back and not have to worry about a…

You’re a fool, arentcha?

I’ve got 14 years of TDI ownership spread across two cars. I don’t think I’ve recouped the upfront cost, even when diesel has been cheaper at times than gas. You really have to put a hell of a lot of miles on them for any sort of payoff to begin. Of course, then the more expensive and capricious maintenance costs…

Goddammit, Tom. Everything you write is just gold, man. Never seen anything consistent about financial responsibility or true car-buying help on any other automotive sites.

If instead of a nice firetruck, what if he was a hoarder whose garbage was spilling out of his garage? Or a redneck with a bunch of 10% finished projects littering the yard? Or used the driveway as a place for his band to practice after 9pm every single night? What about the guy who decides it’s easier to leave his…

I just bought a 2017 Impreza with EyeSight, and it’s already helped to stop an accident. Here in San Diego just this morning, a girl yoinked in front of me into the space I’d left from the car in front of me. Of course, she did that right as the offramp we were on had uncharacteristically backed up to a standstill.…

Agreed. Just made the switch from VW to Subaru. I think VW had a simpler design for its lights/wipers stalks, plus DRL whereas the Subaru doesn’t have it. Fourteen years of VW muscle memory is hard to wipe out.

I sometimes use a Prius from our fleet at work, and I hate that shifter. I’m surprised it’s persisted for so long. Does its ubiquity now mean that it’s the second-most-common version of an auto shifter after PRNDL, therefore just another flavor? Or have some number of accidents/deaths due to its stupid design just…

Right. I just bought a new Impreza that has the indicator like you mention. Civic hatch was the runner up in the race for TDI replacement.

I dunno about “liability” reasons. It seems more rational to have it on the right than the left if it’s limited to just one side. It’s the same way I do it on occasions when I have a suit hanging on the left in the back seat - a lot easier to look over your left shoulder quickly with a greater range of view than to…

Yeah, it’s very misguided. America has had quite a few long-term partners in military actions. Not quite sure how long the French have been a punching bag - maybe 2003 when they expressed skepticism over Iraq? Truly bizarre that Australia would be spoken of that way now. Thank Trump for that.

2017 Impreza. Got one recently, and I love it.

Yep. Saw someone comment somewhere recently painting the Australians with the same broad, stupid strokes as “the French.” They cop out of wars, never been there for us...

Can confirm. I was a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy, and the Aussie Navy are a first-rate outfit. Was a joy to work with them. I envied their cammies, too.

Not sure how a pilot would rate the pucker factor on that approach, but looks close to me. If a mile on the open ocean is considered close for the naval warship I used to drive, I imagine it’s a not-dissimilar distance for planes.

Nicely done, Shane. I just bought a new Impreza to replace my TDI, and I find myself wondering how far down the line this car will take me. I drive in hairy SoCal rush hour twice a day, so I don’t think I’d risk the safety aspect in a car of this vintage, but I really hope to have this one long enough to become worthy…

I work at a large university hospital, and there’s a quirk in our $80/month employee parking scheme whereby someone with a handicap placard can park in any non-patient/visitor space.

Interesting to uncover that it was a special order where the financing got tangled up. What do you suppose happens to the salesperson in this case? Do they get a lot of heat from management? Was due process not followed? Is this thing the big, blue tell-tale heart sitting on the floor mocking the salesperson?