Foreign Cars

The Perfect Car for a Picky Driver

Last updated: Dec 9, 2019 at 3:59PM
Published on: Nov 10, 2014 by tgriffith

The requirements weren’t easy to meet:

Fuel efficient
Fun to drive
Easy to zip through traffic
Not a 2-door, but not a lot of extra room for too many passengers
Not a sports car
Not a Honda, Toyota, Hyundai or Kia
Must be new and available for lease
Relatively inexpensive
Not an electric car
Reliable

A dear friend is moving from Washington to Los Angeles and needs a car better suited for SoCal than her current Hyundai Santa Fe. Things can get pretty snowy and cold up here in Washington, so all-wheel drive was a requirement, but front-wheel or rear-wheel drive will be preferred down south.

I set my mind loose to think up suggestions, but had a tougher time than I expected.

Cars That Have Gone From Bland to Grand

Last updated: Dec 9, 2019 at 3:42PM
Published on: Oct 24, 2014 by tgriffith

Automakers know that boring doesn’t sell like it used to.

Think back a decade or so, and I’ll bet you can name five boring cars right off the top of your head. I know I can. There were still a lot of beautiful and fun cars in existence, but plenty of mass-produced cars back then didn’t have anything to offer in design, power or handling.

Today some of those same models have experienced a renaissance and have gone from completely bland to utterly grand.

Keep reading for some of the cars that have graduated from transportation appliance to royalty of the road.

Car Camping Across Canada

Last updated: Dec 6, 2019 at 3:04PM
Published on: Aug 14, 2014 by tgriffith

Boat camping isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Imagine falling asleep to the quiet lapping of waves against metal pontoons while staring into a star-filled night sky. Then imagine waking up at 3 a.m. to the terrifying sound of massive thunder and the relentless flashing of lightning and remembering those metal pontoons in the water.

That’s the definition of fear. It’s also the reason my boat camping trip this week was cut short and replaced by a more reasonable and spontaneous car camping trip.

In Canada. Continue reading >>>

BMW 1 Series: A Great Used Buy?

Last updated: Dec 6, 2019 at 3:01PM
Published on: Aug 8, 2014 by tgriffith

Lexus has said it could never build a car priced under $30,000, because it wouldn’t be a Lexus, it would be a Toyota.

That’s a respectable position to take, because it gives the luxury brand at least a little separation from its plebeian cousin.

Other luxury automakers have decided against that strategy and built entry-level vehicles designed to entice younger buyers into their brands. That decision, though, cheapens the brand for more upscale buyers.

Can a Kia Compete with a Mercedes-Benz?

Last updated: Dec 6, 2019 at 3:01PM
Published on: Jul 31, 2014 by tgriffith

I pulled up to the bank yesterday and parked nose to nose with a Mercedes-Benz.

It was kind of weird at first glance but I only looked for a moment and didn’t give it a second glance until I passed it again, on foot, on the way into the bank.

The car was an “Anniversary Edition,” at least according to the crudely applied stickers near the front fender. That’s when I paid more attention and realized the car wasn’t a Mercedes at all.

It was a Kia.

Foreign Cars

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