I get comments, which means someone other than pornographers looking to link my blog to their site is reading this stuff.
In response to my article about weird GM engines, Reader Terry Brown writes:
No matter what kind of vehicle you have, make sure that the engine that supports your car is truly a tough one. Engine play a very important parts for us to control the vehicle.
Umm, OK.
Frequent Reader and commentator Buck writes in regard to my personal daily driver:
There was such promise at the beginning. I thought that Little Leadfoot (my fiancee) was having a positive impact on your automotive sensibilities (or potential lack thereof). You crushed my hope.
If my personal choice for transportation crushes what little hope you have left in your life, I suggest you get help before you hurt yourself.
Regarding my suggestion that the New Mustang is a glorified Girl Car and not worthy of consideration as a proper Sporting Sedan, Buck Writes:
While I had my summer flirtation with the Mustang (thanks again for your review, it was dead on) I went for Chocolate Chip ice cream (actually, I think it was Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough) and got the G35 Sedan. It's fun! And it works with kids. As the rear seats don't fold down (and Little Leadfoot has the G35 Coupe) it wouldn't be the right car for you.
I am going to resist the temptation to say, "I told you so," when I counseled Buck not to buy a New Mustang for his commuting needs and occasional family hauling. I also told him to consider other alternatives beside the G35 Sedan as I feel that the Nissan/Infiniti engineering quality and construction materials are at the trailing edge of Japanese automobile standards (only surpassed by Mitsubishi for the worst of a good bunch). The G35 Sedan and coupe share the same platform and power train as the Nissan 350Z which has enough power and torque to overwhelm the stock tires with the standard traction control system turned off. Power-induced over steer, yahoo!!! For a suburban, commuting, drudge, shackled with family responsibilities a little rear tire spin is about as exciting as it can get I suppose.
Buck keeps writing:
There has to be a car out there that meets your needs and has some style. Honda seems to be losing market share as its cars have absolutely no style. They are franks and beans (not even chicken in my book). Toyota is gaining and will soon pass GM as the world leader. Toyota brought us Lexus which used to have style and Scion which has style (whether you like its cars or not, they are not like anything else). Plus, Toyota leads with the Prius in the hybrid market.
If "popular" meant good, then McDonalds would be the epitome of fine dining. Toyota is going to take GM to school on being the world's leading supplier of cars for a variety of reasons; largely by never resting on their well deserved laurels like GM has done for the last 40 years. I have explained this before and I will say it again: Honda makes the best engines and transmissions in the world. Honda makes more internal combustion engines than any other company in the world (including motorcycles, generators and car engines) and they get it right.
The Toyota Prius and similar hybrid technology cars are an interesting experiment, Prius' have a nasty habit of shutting down for no apparent reason and refusing to restart. I am willing to allow other people to be real world guinea pigs while the technology gets developed. Perhaps one day when the technology has a few generations of evolution under its belt I may consider purchasing a hybrid. But even if the price of gas remained at $3 per gallon, it would take nearly 200,000 miles of usage to recoup the extra cost of purchase for an under powered Corolla on skinny tires. Modern gasoline powered Hondas are essentially pollution free and my 3,400 lbs. four door 2003 Accord gets 20mpg in hard city driving. So get back to me when the hybrids are more than a Volvo substitute for the Birkenstock crowd.
That Buck, he loves to write:
Scott, you, unlike our presidents, are a Car Guy. You have rebuilt several Mustangs and other vehicles. There has to be something for you other than an Accord!
Let's add this up, shall we? The Accord is well screwed to together, economical to operate, and is capable of completing the tasks I assign it. It is clean, comfortable and paid for. I am secure in my masculinity so I do not need a car to reconfirm my position in the social food chain. If I fail to become a slavish consumer whose choice is shaped by the expectations of others, I can live with that decision.
Keep those comments coming.