@wheatieboy: I guess it depends on the kids and the parents. I travel a lot by bicycle, on foot, and on motorcycle, generally I try to camp 60+ nights a year. If my backpacking has taught me anything, it's that simplicity is best. Less really is more when you're traveling.

Sorry, this guy is an asshat. Travel the world by motorcycle, in a beater car, on foot, by train, hitchhiking, on a bicycle, ANYTHING but a fucking RV.

@Boxer_4: The center console is embarrassing. God, that oval control layout, so ugly.

Facebook + Twitter suck.

You know, I know people revile the Honda Element as ugly. But, when I'm out in the middle of nowhere, I'm camping. And if it's buggy as hell or raining super hard, the Honda Element is the best tent around. And the ground clearance may suck, but the AWD is surprisingly capable.

Isn't VW the 800 pound gorilla in the room? I mean, they've been quietly cranking out the diesels while all the other makers explain why we aren't ready.

@Ford Tempo Fanatic: Expectations are, in part to blame. From the 80s on we expect cars (via focus groups and buying habits) to be roomier, more capable, faster accelerating, safer, AND we haven't really given much of a shit, as a collective buying public, about gas mileage.

I'd rather have that than my current daily driver for daily driving, but I'm not spending $25k on anything.

I'll buy it cheap. Hey, I bet no one tries to steal it.

Hey, if you've got $2000 to spend on a vehicle, let's face it, you can pick up a 2002 Saturn SL or a Kawasaki EX500, let's face it, you could do worse than the Kawasaki with almost any $2000 car.

What a shocker! Apparently The Car Connection still exists!

@engineerd - Jalopnik Poet Laureate: I thought, and I could be wrong here, that Ford developed their hybrid tech in house, but Toyota's hybrid patent is broad enough that they were forced to license it to have a full hybrid.

@TraderCoz: Oh shit, me too. The regular old 323 is surprisingly fun by itself.

@ghengis65: I have a 95 M, it's a blast. If you drive it like you stole it, no one will call it a chick car.

@JC Whitless: I also want the Saabaru, but am unashamed in my desire.

@alexander_the_car_salamander: I also want the trabant, but I am unashamed.

@notfitforhumanconsumption: But, but, I read it in Popular Mechanics!

@aluminum und stoke: You can go faster, but it's classified.

The longer the Toyota recall story goes on, the more you realize most of it is bullshit.