We are decades away from the dealership model going away. There will always be a need for at least local warranty/maintenance centers. The addition of holding and selling stock is an added benefit. Manufacturers do not want the added burden of the amount of fixed assets it would take to replace dealerships.

This is pretty common practice for these types of cars. In 2012 I placed a deposit on a 2013 Camaro ZL1 because I wanted a somewhat rare configuration, ~260 ended up being made in my color/transmission combination. At this time Chevrolet would give an initial count of allocations and then trickle out more allocations…

I got a similar treatment when I was shopping for a ZL1 back in 2012. I was 24 at the time, but I had (have) a great job and no student loan debt. I was setting up appointments with various dealerships around town to show them exactly what I wanted to order as well as negotiate price and just gauge if they even had…

Step 3 is the same as my Camaro. Obviously it doesn’t have the 4WD modes and locking diff to worry about.

It isn’t a simple transition. Sites that load and unload trucks all have loading/unloading docks designed for standard truck height. It makes it simple to drive a fork truck right into the trailer. Trucks are also typically loaded to maximum capacity allowed on the roads so there isn’t any way to load more cargo.

Actually I think I remember reading something about New York doing something similar to that a few years ago. The details are a bit fuzzy, but I believe they used that as an excuse to buy Tahoes by saying that it made it easier to look down at people who might be texting and “hiding” the phone down low.

It is just another example of this phenomenon. Make up something similar to what really existed and see how many people “remember” the made up version.

Safety costs money, and all of the cars on the market meet all applicable safety standards. However, automakers found that some people are willing to pay more for “extra safety.”

I had someone at work in the past month or so make remarks about us driving our toddler around in a 2014 CR-V that doesn’t have automatic braking, blind spot detectors, or lane keep assist. Said person just bought a 2017 Forester. I normally drive a 2000 Accord into work, but I rarely take the baby with me.

Link from the bottom of this article.

Your car for certain has the skip shift feature from the factory. See page 9-32 in the Driving and Operating section.

It’s a very narrow range that it does that, on my car it is only active if all of the following conditions are met.
1. Coolant temperature is >169°F
2. You are accelerating from a stop and are between 15-19 mph
3. The vehicle is at 21% throttle or less.
If you literally stay in 1st for 2 more seconds or just blip the…

Nice license plate!

The skip-shift feature is a fuel economy “hack” they have been implementing for at least 25 years now. You have to be accelerating extremely slowly for it to activate. In fact, I so rarely see it that I haven’t even bothered disabling it on my car. The Hill Assist is also quite convenient once you get used to it being…

While TSA doesn’t have an outright ban on Li-ion batteries in checked luggage it is highly discouraged, and any “spare” or non-installed batteries are banned in checked luggage.

I’m not saying that they shouldn’t be striving for perfecting something like level 4 autonomy for 99% of vehicle travels, but companies should not forget that there are many one off scenarios where a car might need to be maneuvered in a way that isn’t “in the program.”

Totaling a car is also much cheaper than a million dollar medical bill. There is a reason that you can also get discounts from your insurance company for having the extra options such as automatic braking and lane keep assist. You will also see that the insurance companies run their own independent crash tests that…

Insurance companies will push for autonomy more so than the government. The government seems to follow their lead in most advances related to safety.

I completely agree. Having grown up in rural areas there are many times that I have driven “off-road” for legitimate reasons be it working on the farm, driving down unmarked gravel roads/driveways, or for recreation. Everyone seems to have this view of driving that only involves driving on a well marked/defined road…

4. The tires actually take Imperial nitrogen.