And yet they whine and moan whenever gas prices go up.

Your computer doesn’t have Google?

I agree and I gave it a reluctant NP. However, the market giveth and the market taketh away. If the market ever comes to its senses about the value of these somebody will be left holding the bag.

This Thing is a bit of a paradox. There is no way such a primitive, uncivilized vehicle should be worth this kind of money. But the market says otherwise and this is actually a pretty good deal, assuming everyThing is in order and it’s as clean as the ad says. Reluctant NP.

Exactly. And Americans have it easy compared to most developed nations.

“I don’t want anything I can already buy in Australia because what would be the point of that?”

If the next four years bring continued improvements in battery design and manufacturing efficiencies the range and price point of this car aren’t unrealistic. And if EVs are going to achieve meaningful market penetration we will have to see more cars with numbers like this. But as you said, the aim of the press…

“. . . the Aviator’s still in production.”

A lot less, actually.

I see comments noting you can buy a newer one or one with fewer miles on it — or whatever — for less money. That misses the point that Miata fans will pay top dollar for an NA in near-perfect condition. As an ND owner and previously an NB owner, count me among them.

Maybe you aren’t ready for a Miata. Scope out some Corvette ads instead.

Ford might have added to the confusion when it later called the fastback the “sportsroof”.

“Cool car! What is it?”

Full size Fords were even worse, being on a horizontal shelf at the very back of the trunk. You had to actually climb into the trunk to unscrew the tie-down then wrestle the tire out. Granted, you rarely had to actually do it but when you do it only adds to the frustration of having a flat.

I rarely make wise decisions trading cars but my last one was a definite win. I had leased a ‘16 Fiesta ST and as the lease was approaching the end I tracked its value. KBB said it was worth about $2300 more than my buy-out option in the lease contract so I bought it to hold and decide later what to do. Four months…

Marketing people have a term: Earned Media. It’s publicity or exposure gained from methods other than paid advertising. The logo change has ya’ll talking about Kia. It worked.

The passive thermal management is an issue but far more so in hotter climates where owners have little choice but to plug in to recharge while the battery is still hot from use. You can check a Leaf’s gauges for capacity and range before buying, of course, so you know what you’re getting into, just like any other used…

If one is serious about getting into a short-range used EV you can pick up a Nissan Leaf or Chevy Spark EV from the same era for thousands less. 

Pay you? I hardly know you.

3rd Gear: Driverless Cars and Jobs