Neutral: The car loans that are most likely to fail are the ones on the lower end of the spectrum. I’d say new or used car loans under $20,000. That’s an order of magnitude or more less than the overinflated housing prices of a few years ago. So no, I don’t think sub-prime auto loans, by themselves, will cause another…

I just want to make this perfectly clear...

Nope - 43, and I just bought one.

Oh, I could probably do it in around that time now that I know what I’m doing.

Not impossible, because I just did it, but I nominate the VW 2.0 and 1.8T thermostat. They couldn’t put it in the radiator, like a civilized manufacturer. Oh, no - they put it in the side of the engine block, because Superior German Engineering GmbH. Then they buried it behind other components. I had to remove the…

That explains why, when I recently bought my WRX, the score the dealer told me was different than the one my credit union reported last month. I’ll eventually refinance through my credit union anyway, once my score recovers from that purchase.

Neutral: As far as emission standards, not much. As you point out, even if he kills the EPA, there’s still CARB requirements, as well as other standards around the world if America wants to sell cars anywhere but here. The market will dictate standards if the government doesn’t.

There’s also the classic choice for a private investigator.

I admit I’m biased, but my WRX would be a great PI car.

I see how it can work on an older car, which feels like it’s going to fall apart at 60 in third gear. But on anything vaguely modern - my WRX, for instance, or even my Mk4 Jetta - all the higher revs do is give me MORE power, which makes me MORE likely to get in trouble. Both of these cars are turbocharged, so that’s…

Having owned a Subaru BRZ for three years, I 100% agree with everything you said. My stereo wasn’t quite as garbage as the 86's seems to be. The ride was harsh, the back seat small, and that’s what led me to recently replace it with a WRX. It wasn’t the best commuter, but it was my only car for most of the time I…

At least she took the initiative to come visit you - full credit for that.

Yeah, well, they had the “ass” part covered...

Definitely a fair point.

I do see your point. But currently only 17 states require a safety inspection, and you don’t hear stories of catastrophic tie rod, ball joint, or brake failures killing people in the remaining 33 states. (Or do you? It would be interesting to compare crash data from inspection and non-inspection states to see if more…

In a major city like London or NYC you can totally live without a car. There are plenty of other ways to get around, which eliminates the problem I run into, as a non-city dweller, with significant others who don’t have cars. It isn’t so much the ownership of a car in itself, but not having access to transportation…

I recently picked up a 2003 VW Jetta Wolfsburg Edition for $600. No, I didn’t forget a zero - six hundred dollars. It has ABS, traction control, plenty of airbags, and that solid German platform that VWs are known for. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but even after it’s all fixed I’ll be in it for less than $1000. It has a…

I sincerely hope that the FA and FB have kicked the EJ’s head gasket issues to the curb. Especially now that I own one!

I’m beginning to think a touchy throttle is generally a Subaru a thing. My BRZ had it (though not too bad, probably because it had so little torque), and my WRX had a lot of it with the stock tune (COBB Stage 1 now - that smoothed out the throttle response to what it should’ve been from the factory). Is it a trick to…

That totally sounds like a problem David would have. Especially in this CJ! :D