I have absolutely zero insight into the tech industry, but I wonder if a culture of being “market disruptors” lead to the development of the Google car, when sometimes incremental progress is the only preferable path.

Tech industry, meet reality.

Everyone knows van sleep is better than Ambien.

I’m willing to bet this was also the most expensive car in Harford County, MD, by multitudes, which certainly doesn’t help it blend in.

If one has a wife who claims she will never drive a van, what do you think would piss her off more: me coming home in a Vanagon or an Odyssey?

I can’t believe they were still worried about where Candle Supply was after that. That’s motivation right there.

I’m going to borrow this phrase, though unfortunately I no longer own a turbocharged car.

Adjusted for inflation, this is nearly as cheap as gas was in the early and mid-’90's. I remember seeing gas for $0.97/gallon some places as a kid.

Not only are most SUV’s rolling compromises, but most people who buy them can’t really rationalize it beyond “I like being up high.” Perfect example of people thinking with their gut.

I agree that the “make your car into an iPhone” marketing approach is way off target. However, while you’re right that millenials are as vain as ever, this vanity doesn’t translate easily into ‘60's/’70's-style “this will make you into the cool guy” or “sex sells” marketing and product design. Millenials will reject…

I once had someone ask me how I ever intended on getting a girl’s number with a flip phone in 2011. My reaction mirrored yours: you probably shouldn’t be pursuing women who have “phone quality” amongst their criteria.

I forgot these existed until now. CP unless you’re ok with driving around the epitome of pre-bailout GM’s badge-engineering-to-death of a once great car company. Yeah, it’s a good candidate as a winter beater, but it carries so much 2000's automotive baggage that anyone with a somewhat fond memory of Saab will…

A long time ago, I had a woman (in a giant fur coat, of course) try to buy a bicycle tire pump from me because her Mercedes had a flat. I tried to tell her that (A) the tire is probably flat because it has a puncture, so a bicycle pump isn’t going to do a damned thing, and (B) even if there was no puncture, a bicycle…

I don’t see them succeeding either, but I’m interested in seeing how well the Giulia does in portions of the country where new 3-series, C-classes, and A4's are ubiquitous.

I wish someone told me back in college that all the “would you rather” hypotheticals we came up with could have been the beginning of a viable career. Maybe not common, but viable.

GTI is the ideal German jack-of-all-trades, and they hold a ton of stuff for their size. Get one with the LSD, maybe pick up some snow tires, and you’re on your way to snowbelt domination.

An elevator and a Camry are about equally engaging forms of transportation, so yeah, sure, why not?

No, he is extremely divisive. However, even if you don’t like his delivery or persona, you can tell he’s a very good writer.

An interesting concept, but this is hardly surprising. The only advantage it presented was avoiding traffic without needing its own right-of-way, but I imagine the development and infrastructure costs would be on par with other forms of rail transportation, if not more.

I understand the inherent opposition to a consumption tax as regressive, but it’s one of the most logical consumption taxes in existence: it’s almost completely transparent, since retail buyers of gas don’t have any administrative burden (unlike a voucher system); the tax is a perfect multiple of the amount you use…