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About Me
As a man thinks, so he is. Some people are never. Recent Posts
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CarSpace Alternate RouteTurn off the nav system, crumple up that MapQuest printout, and let's find out where the next random turn may take us! Jul 5, 2009 - It's Only Money
A Mountaineer owner comes in with a low tire light and I wonder how to tell which one. I would never put low pros on a vehicle, no matter how cool I thought it looked. They're simply not practical, and I don't drive on a pristine test track every day. I imagine that not many of you do either. But then I started to think. It's people that don't think about how much they're spending replacing a bubbled tire and a rim every couple of months that are going to keep dollars flowing in the economy. So while I may not ever go to low pros, if you like 'em, go for it! Call it the tire & wheel replacement stimulus bill.
Oct 26, 2008 - High Cost Of Looks
They're expensive, they wear out quickly, and most important of all, there are very few roads, especailly here in Pennsylvania, where you're not in danger of damaging a tire and/or wheel because of road irregularities or debris under normal driving conditions. My brother bought a new Audi a few years ago. It was a car that someone had ordered then changed their mind on. It had low profile tires and looked really sharp. To move the car, the dealer took off the cost of the tires and wheels option. Within a month my brother had ruined two tires and rims on small potholes and paid a decent sum of money to get back into standard tires and rims. The tire pressure sensor in the unfortunate looking tire in the photo is being tested to see if it still functions, it didn't. The owner was on the interstate and ran over a stone which punched about a half inch hole in the tire causing the catastrophic failure you see. The tire was fairly new and had plenty of tread, and the stone wasn't anything unusual. Fortunately it was a rear tire and the driver was able to maintain control and get safely to the side of the road. Had this been a front tire letting loose at highway speeds it could have been a lot worse. High fashion comes at a high price.
Feb 7, 2008 - Running With The Herd
That's why it drives me crazy when cars all start to look alike. The first time it really started to bother me was when sedans all started looking like different sized Ford Tauruses. Jellybeans are fun to have once in a while, not all day every day. At one time you used to be able to identify the make, model, and year of a vehicle at a glance. Not so much anymore. Over the last couple of months I've been thinking a lot of these crossovers are starting to look the same. Fans of different makes would tell me I was imaging things and that they all had their own unique styling. Even the Mercedes R-Class is looking a lot like the rest of the herd. I was kind of worried about was becoming an old codger and getting set in my ways, but then Michelle Krebs noticed the same thing in today's entry on AutoObserver, so I'm not alone. I guess it's OK as long as it's my herd.
Feb 3, 2008 - Bell Bottom Blues
In 1948 Cadillac kicked off the Fin Era which peaked around 1960. There really aren't any vestigial remnants of fins on cars today. Can you imagine some manufacturer going retro and coming out with a new fin look? Actually, with some of the designs that actually wind up seeing the light of day, I may be sorry I said that out loud!
Jan 25, 2008 - Rogue's Gallery
I saw my first Nissan Rogue crossover on the road yesterday. It doesn't stray too far from the current "crossover look" so that doesn't particularly attract me. It was a black Rogue and as I passed it and got a look at the front end of the vehicle I was disappointed. The grille, being body color, blended in and accentuated the Nissan badge and surrounding chrome which really stuck out and detracted from the look for me. It also reminded me very much of the nose of the Subaru Tribeca which also has some detractors. I understand that a lot of vehicles that take a bold step towards unique styling wind up with a love it or hate it reaction. The Aztek and Honda Element come to mind. But at the very least I give them credit for taking their shot and not running with the crowd. It's better than showing as much imagination as the parents of Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.
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