I looked seriously at the Tacoma and the F-150 before buying the WRX. After driving my old Mazda for 18 years, I felt those options were just too big. It was amazing how much space they have in the double cab - more than many sedans.

We did fine with a Neon for the “family” car and a small truck as the second vehicle. Go ahead and laugh. That little Neon did a fine job with two kids in car seats and a trunk full of stuff on trips.

Depends on your daily routine. When you split duties between two working parents, it’s easier if both cars can carry the entire family. I go to work early, so my wife has drop-off duties. I leave work early, so I have pickup and after-school activity duties (I volunteer as a coach, so it makes it easier). When we were…

Freerider is an nifty piece of software if you want to try out quad racing for yourself on the cheap. An XBOX controller subs in for a standard r/c controller, although the software will work with both. The free version of FreeRider lets you play one level.

Agreed. When our kids were little, our family hauler was a 2001 Neon. At that time, a trip home was 750 miles one-way and we made it a couple times a year with two adults, two kids in car seats, and a trunk stuffed full.

My WRX works fine as an in-town family hauler. I pick up the kids (one teenager, one pre-teen, both the same size) every day and transport them to after-school activities. With a top box, it’s been a camping car for two. I’ve even hauled four pre-teen Scouts to a jamboree, but I will admit their packs were in the…

Wow. My thief went to the grocery store and spent perhaps four times what I would have for a month’s worth of food. Then he went to Toys-R-Us and spent the rest of my account on a couple of consoles and a bunch of games.

When my checkbook was stolen, I tracked the forged checks back to several stores. The only one with security cameras had them trained on the cashiers, not the customers. The thief was never caught, but I did get my money back after writing affidavits of forgery for every check that guy wrote. It took months to get it…

I’ll be the first to say that the backup cam in my wife’s Explorer is pretty handy - when it’s clean. The problem is that now she’s completely dependent on it and has a lot more trouble backing in without it. That’s a problem since the camera is dirty more often than not. When she drives something without the camera,…

All true, but unnecessary. The area you are backing into should be clear before you start and remain clear until you are done. I used to be a forklift operator. Our loading dock was between two buildings with just enough room for two trucks. The space was tight enough that you had to turn sideways to walk down the…

Go read that article about the importance of building a model in your head. Figure that out in relation to a tow vehicle and a trailer and you will be all set.

I’ve heard of people learning this way. I was taught in a one-ton Chevy with gigantic side mirrors. I was taught to always use the mirrors which was easy to do since the headache rack covering the back window made it difficult to see anything anyway.

Backing isn’t a nightmare. You just need practice. Start ‘em early and it will be second nature.

Depends on the vehicle and the condition of the tires. A Saturn? No. My little truck? No.

They should have used “Short-fingered Vulgarian” instead.

Yep. Me too.

Alarmism at its best.

They’re out there, but they aren’t designed for racing (yet).

Old cars < New cars when it comes to crashing.

Ummm, no thanks.