Have you heard about “no idling” zones? Places where it is verboten (and punishable) to leave your car’s engine running? Sounds…
Should Toyota be worried? I think so, yes. Because anyone who takes the time to cross-shop the new Hyundai Sonata…
Car salesmen are… salesmen. Their job is to sell you stuff. Whether you need it or not. Here are some…
Here’s a Clover helping some big rigs “save fuel”
Should Toyota be worried? I think so, yes. Because anyone who takes the time to cross-shop the new Hyundai Sonata will find it harder to justify buying a Camry – which though still a good car is no longer the obviously best car in this class. People are beginning to notice this. It’s not merely that the Hyundai costs less (though it still does). Nor that it’s got a much…
Our time seems to be one of role reversal. Bruce Jenner, for instance. Also diesel engines. They are work truck – and economy car – engines no longer. In the U.S., they are primarily high-end car engines. As in the 7 Series BMW. It’s their biggest, swankiest – and most expensive – sedan. And now you can get it with a diesel engine. Sure, it’s economical to drive. You’ll average…
It’s rare for a luxury car’s price to go down for the new model year. Rarer still for that to happen when the car in question is “all new.” Well, here you are – the 2015 TLX. It replaces the TL luxury sport-sedan and (more or less) fills the same slot in Acura’s lineup, targeting the same general buyer pool. But it does so at a much lower entry price point –…
BMW calls the new X4 a “sports activity coupe” – notwithstanding its, uh, four doors. Five, actually – if you count the hatchback. So what is it, actually? Imagine a fastbacked (and lowered) X3. Or maybe a higher-riding 2 Series … with an extra set of doors. Well, okay, three extra doors. The idea being (says BMW) to combine these elements in a single package: The sporty looks of a coupe…
Well, gas is cheap again. Does it mean big SUVs (with big, thirsty V8s) will make a comeback? I doubt it. Even though the cost of fuel is down, the cost of everything else has gone up. I don’t buy the happy talk about the “recovery.” No one I know has “recovered.” Most of us are just trying to pay the bills. Barely. But, I am happy in the way…
“K900″ sounds like the designation for the latest Russian nuclear ballistic missile submarine. But it’s a Korean sub – and its warheads are targeted at Mercedes and BMW. Kind of like Lexus did, back in the day. The concept is similar: Offer more car (literally) for less money. Thus, the K900 is bigger – and a great deal roomier – than an E-Class, but costs tens of thousands less than an S-Class.…
Have you heard about “no idling” zones? Places where it is verboten (and punishable) to leave your car’s engine running? Sounds silly, I know. And it is silly – because it’s not 1970. The stuff coming out of the tailpipe today (and for the past 20-plus years) will not make your eyes water, nor chafe your lungs – much less smogify the sky. Because it is almost (upwards of 95 percent) water vapor and carbon dioxide. Al Gore may not like C02 for “global warming” reasons – but carbon dioxide is a chemically inert non-factor as…
One of the clearest indications you live in a police state – or one well on its way to becoming one – is “rules for us” (you and me) and “rules for them” (government officials and enforcers). This manifests in numerous ugly ways, the latest being the controversy over an app called Waze. Among other useful functions such as alerting drivers to traffic jams down the road, it alerts drivers to cops down the road. Cops, of course, do not like this at all. It is bad for business. And that is exactly…
Should it be illegal – a crime in and of itself – to dislike cops? The Fraternal Order of Police – the union for cops – thinks it ought to be. It is officially demanding that cops – already a protected (and entitled) class – be further set apart from ordinary folks by passing legislation that would enable prosecutors to pursue additional “hate crimes” charges against any not-cop who is accused of voicing anti-cop sentiments while, say, “resisting arrest” by attempting to ward off the wood shampoo being administered by a cop. Or in the…
While waiting for a dentist appointment, I was listening to a news report about NewYork City being on “lockdown” because of snow. Only the official vehicles of the anointed were at liberty to be out and about. Ordinary citizens were subject to arrest merely for daring to attempt travel. It reminded me of the old Soviet Union (long forgotten by most Americans, perhaps because we’re living in the Soviet Union now). Of party bigwigs in their ZIL limos, broad avenues empty except for them. This is of a piece with the lockdown of Boston…
But, he’s not “drunk” – so it’s ok! The driver (loosely used) in the video above was almost certainly sober. But his form of impairment (incompetence? senility?) is not socially stigmatized, much less savagely prosecuted. Mind, I am no defender of “drunk” driving. I’m critical of anyone who can’t control their car for any reason. Unlike Clovers, who only care about people’s BAC levels – their actual driving being irrelevant. It seems to me that if your driving can’t be faulted – if you can keep your car between the yellow line to…
While waiting for a dentist appointment, I was listening to a news report about NewYork City being on “lockdown” because of snow. Only the official vehicles of the anointed were at liberty to be out and about. Ordinary citizens were subject to arrest merely for daring to attempt travel. It reminded me of the old Soviet…
I get lots of e-mails from new readers asking what a “Clover” is. I explain that it’s several things. In general terms, a Clover is an authoritarian collectivist. He can be of the Left or Right persuasion. A Democrat or a Republican. Those are superficialities (though many get hung up on them regardless). The fundamental thing…
Car salesmen are… salesmen. Their job is to sell you stuff. Whether you need it or not. Here are some things you don’t need – and some things you need to know about: * You probably don’t need the optional engine – Wanting more power is one thing; paying extra for power you don’t need…
It’s the “bells and whistles” that get the headlines – and grab your attention. But they might also grab your wallet once the warranty runs out. A classic example from long ago is the aluminum block four-cylinder engine GM trotted out back in the mid-1970s. It was a revolutionary design based on a high-silicon alloy that eliminated…
Maybe there is hope; watch this video and see what I mean:
A string of repulsive videos has been posted to YouTube in the last 24 hours of police officers violating the rights of people who choose to film them. The videos are of police encounters from California all the way to Florida. Apparently there are still cops across the country who haven’t heard of YouTube yet. Well,…
