FWIW, spec’ing (and mixing) a paint color is the easy part - body shops do it ever day - convincing manufacturers to do it on a modern assembly line is the hard/expensive part.

Needs a lot more data. I’m guessing that many of the states are more rural/less urban and favor full-size pickup trucks over smaller cars. VMTs (Vehicle Miles traveled) play a big role in risk. The coastal states are subject to hurricanes which tend to total a lot of vehicles, when they hit. DUI enforcement, legal…

Unintended acceleration crashes usually ends up with the driver being blamed. If it’s a software problem, it’s going to be hard to diagnose.

Look no further than light truck (pickup) sales . . . that’s where much of the market has moved to.

VW Vanagon or Type 2 “bay window” bus/van. Honda Fit. Both were highly efficient but not the safest (or profitable) vehicles on the road, during their respective runs. Both still have their fan bases.

Geo Metro. Lightweight, low-content, high-mpg, KISS, simple point A to point B transportation device.

Generally, an article runs a few days earlier, asking for recommendations, and the first 10-20 “good” ones make the cut and end up being published.

Dusty under the hood doesn’t bother me. If anything, a detail can hide issues like slow leaks.

The best way to get more headroom is to seek out a non-sunroof model of a vehicle that offers them both with and without. It’s usually good for an extra inch or two. (Ours is an ‘18 Crosstrek, which also sits higher than the Impreza, but gets similar high-20s mileage.)

If Ford needs a name for their Maverick minivan variant, I’d suggest “Saddlebag” . . .

ND! Two better options? Miata or Chrysler LeBaron, depending on your priorities.

It’s a small one, but since it seems like dealers want to do it just for the $$$, I really hate the blinking third brake light. It’s “boy who screamed wolf” 99% of the time and serves no useful purpose IRL!

Young and stupid is a phase. Entitled and angry is learned, over time. Enabled is the fault of the enabler. Choices come with consequences. Now that life (and death) has caught up this young, stupid, entitled, enabled d-bag, I hope that he enjoys some quality time in the gray-bar hotel as he contemplates his future.

Signs, illuminated or not, are only as effective as their enforcement. See the adjacent “Fasten Seat Belt” sign for an example of inconsistent enforcement.

Muster stations and life jackets, at a minimum?

Besides few new products, the proliferation of “brands” has done nothing to enhance their image. Put everything under the Dodge/Jeep (or Chrysler) flag and quit confusing potential customers.

I’ll be the contrarian, here. Why can’t the driver provide their own cooler and ice, water, and drinks? How are they any different from roofers and landscapers? It’s gonna be hot, deal with it (personal responsibility).

Buy it and register it in another state?

1. Practical vehicles (chosen for substance over style). 2. Repairability (many front-engine, RWD/AWD + parts available for reasonable prices). 3. Hybrids (driven gently by people focused on maximizing mpgs). 4. Manufacturers willing to slightly overengineer (compared to their competitors).

They may want to rethink that GTD logo and revisit their high school sex education class.