I agree, it’s overpriced. But this particular car has its fans, just like a Corrado VR6. VW only brought in about 1500 of these wagons, which have an interesting quirk. Despite an advertised 18.5-gallon capacity, owners have reported filling them up to 25 gallons or more. Range is often 1200 miles, some people get…

The biggest reason is that the B4 Passat TDI is a range monster. The fuel tank size is really about 25 gallons. It has a main tank, then an overflow tank above it that can be filled completely if properly vented. Some owners report 1400 miles on a fill.

It’s definitely Q5-sized. 68 cu ft cargo vs the Audi’s 53. Okay, so larger. But the space is arranged differently. In the Audi you can stack the luggage higher; in the Tesla you get a couple of bonus carryon spots but maybe can’t stack as high.

I rode in a very early long-range Model 3 and found the front seats to be merely “okay”, with very little lateral support. The adjustability is excellent, however. The back seat in the Model 3 is awful; way too short. I’m sure Tesla has improved the interior continuously, especially as the transaction prices have…

Yeah, if the manufacturer sells the econobox with a stick, that’s usually the entry-level model that they won’t be able to rent. The automatic-equipped car will be nicer by default. That’s not always the case (Mazda3), but usually. Also, they usually want to rent cars that have active-safety features. The Elantra I…

Yes, you are right, it is driven by capitalism. I should have said “the same economic parameters.”

Atkinson definitely does make a difference, with an inevitable loss of low-speed power. Toyota gets 168 hp and ~150 lb-ft of torque out of its own Atkinson four-banger. Which one is better will kind of depend on the fuel economy numbers.

It shouldn’t be shocking. You are comparing an industry that does not conform to principles of capitalist economics to industries that do.

Bricklin had another import venture: IAI, responsible for the Bertone X1/9 and Pininfarina Azzura.

Yeah, I knew a lot of Volvo owners in Maine who mainly stayed with them because of the number of parts in the junkyards. I guess I did the same with Saabs, and still do since there are plenty of them in Michigan still.

I’ve heard the main reason for the V8's worse fuel economy is the fact that it’s full-time AWD. People who have done the part-time conversion get about... 10% better mileage. And the V8 definitely offers more torque.

That’s probably the best route these days. I had a very early Explorer with the 13-54 and 5-speed manual, but those are probably very hard to find now.

Pretty much, yes. The clutches for the front PTU are always slipping when active because the front wheels spin faster than the rear wheels. Fortunately for the durability of the system, the front differential never takes more than 20% of the torque. It’s also not active that often, and when it is it can be switched on…

The early Hornets were more fun (higher-compression engines). But aside from the unit-body construction these were basically trucks masquerading as cars.

Cool 408 sidenotes:

I just learned the 408 was designed with a longitudinally-oriented engine, which could make it the direct predecessor of the 348. Of course, the chassis was quite a bit different on the yellow 408.

What’s nearly as clean? Unless you’ve had your truck tested for NOx and particulate matter emissions you can’t say you aren’t polluting more than is permissible by the EPA by deleting these emissions-suppressing devices.

Especially a BRZ, which probably makes half the torque at 1700 rpm than the VW does. Silly. Also, $30K typically gets you an FWD crossover with, what, the same exact power?

There’s also a cab-over GT bodystyle for the 4.5 and 7.5 series, as well as an X5.5 M555e Gran Competition Coupe.

My sister had an Escort wagon that required almost no maintenance for close to 200K miles. She even rolled it at low speed and it just needed a side-view mirror replaced. It was very slow and the shifter was awful. She later got a stick-shift Focus with the 2.3 Duratec and aside from the wretched interior on those…