That’s one thing I appreciate about custom Porsche seats. People get really creative about what they put in their inserts. Though usually color, not necessarily material...

So after I did a rotation in interior leather, I was shocked with how annoying a material it is to work with (in an automotive sense). To deal with the large temperature changes and high wear, you basically have to plasticize the material. That and it gets super hot when it’s hot and it’s super cold when cold. Plus it…

The fact that the Civic Type R’s drivetrain even exists is a great case for the Intragra to have a manual. Parts sharing!!! Woo!

To be fair I can see the original Integra lights but they have simply gone through the “Modern Acura Design” filter ;)

Go team with first car Preludes! Here is a google picture of my car. I loved that thing!

I’d have to agree that the Civic Si handles better than the GTI. 

Totally agree about all your point, especially about your 3rd bullet point. I sacrificed engine speed for a nice place to sit and a nice thing to look at in the garage (I literally smiled when I opened my garage door and saw the side profile just a few minutes ago). If you want a little more power, then there’s the…

I totally would have put it on my short list if it wasn’t due to the styling. It was a complete non starter for me. I feel like the drivetrain was probably a better fit for me than my Mazda3. I’ve always felt like my Mazda needs at least 20 more horsepower, which would be Si territory. Plus I really turbo power bands.…

Correct. They NEVER talked to a Mustang or Challenger owner (my father in law was begging them to internally). So they alienated any potential conquests from the rival companies. 

Yeah that’s why I had to put the “design” disclaimer. Maybe this is simply an honorable mention ;)

Sorry, but the 2nd gen was completely different. Different platform (went from GG to GH), bigger dimensions (especially in length), and built in Flat Rock (which now builds the mustang) instead of Japan.

In terms of design, I’ve always felt that gen 2 to gen 3 Mazda3 exterior design was a huge leap forward (though I may now be super biased since I own a refreshed gen3...)

Haha you underestimate the stubbornness of my wife ;)

The original goal was 4 when we got married. I’d be ok with 3 now, but we’ll see.

I grew up with a Town and Country, so I totally understand the benefits. My wife grew up with a Suburban, so she never got to know minivan-life. Suburbans are so massive and expensive though, so it’s not even a consideration. I personally hate driving them too. I’ve gotten her to come around on some things, but I…

We just have a Mazda3 (mine) and a Chevy Cruze, both sedans. So when we go on trips, the trunk and the extra passenger seat are filled with luggage/baby junk. We’re talking about baby #2 by end of next year (terrifies me), which would probably warrant a bigger car than a Cruze (I can’t sit in my driving position with…

I do know of 1 Kia dealership that closed a location (which I was thankful for, but for a different reason). It was attached to my climbing gym, and it was always super annoying to deal with parking. Now that it’s gone, it looks like the gym has taken over the whole building (which might mean an expansion of routes or…

Maybe. I honestly think it’s pure styling. If I were better at photo manipulation, I’d try to photoshop a telluride rear onto a Carnival to see if it helps. My guess is that it would just a little. 

I think it’s more of the “we’ve given up on our dreams, so we bought a minivan” stigma to be honest. I’ll be honest and say that the extra responsibilities of owning and house and having a kid has been rough on my twenty-something-in-a-thirty-something’s-body mentality. I think owning a minivan is the automotive…

The Flex was almost that. It had a bit too much retro station wagon goofiness to really appeal to the vast majority of people. I think a refresh could have made it relevant and perfect.