United States

Big Family, Big Cars, Big Prices

Last updated: Nov 25, 2019 at 4:25PM
Published on: Nov 15, 2013 by tgriffith

You’ve seen the stickers on the back of Suburbans everywhere. You know the ones, the little caricatures of each family member happily bouncing soccer balls or petting a puppy.

There’s usually a mom, a dad, 4 kids or more and two pets. Presumably they are all in the vehicle at the same time, and I’d almost guarantee they aren’t nearly as happy as their sticker-selves represent.

A lot of crying and yelling happens in the back of those Suburbans, I’m just sayin’.

For large families in need of a 7+-passenger vehicle, the choices are surprisingly ample. Expensive, but ample.

Can a Skateboard Replace a Car?

Last updated: Nov 25, 2019 at 4:22PM
Published on: Aug 22, 2013 by tgriffith

When you have a skateboard and access to a bus, why do you need a car?

The fact that young people, those classified as members of Generation Y, are losing interest in cars isn’t shocking news. What is shocking news is that I heard this story discussed on public radio, a sure sign that I’m quickly aging out of the “young and cool” category most of Gen Y fits into.

The story detailed two 20-somethings who have no interest in car ownership, preferring instead to spend their money on things like food and experiences while relying on public transportation and skateboards to get them to the locations of their daily obligations.

There will always be a need for cars, of course, but maybe the next generation will completely redefine how we use them.

Everyone Needs a Car for Recreational Use Only

Last updated: Nov 25, 2019 at 4:21PM
Published on: Aug 7, 2013 by tgriffith

I have no idea what kind of bug it was.

If a cobra had wings, legs and a creepy bug mouth, that’s the bug that was trapped in my car. In fact, it’s probably still there. I’m too afraid to go check.

I spent the day yesterday rafting a river, my car parked at the take-out point and another parked at the put-in spot. Upon returning to my car after 5 hours of “fun” on the water (four kids under the age of 11 are the reason for the quotes), I realized I’d left a window down all day. Aside from the usual suspects of flies and other small, buzzing creatures that tend to infiltrate unguarded vehicles left in the wilderness, the cobra bug is the one that made me scream louder than a 5-year-old girl terrified by approaching rapids.

If You Want to Really Drive, Buy Used

Last updated: Nov 25, 2019 at 4:19PM
Published on: Aug 5, 2013 by tgriffith

Fun to drive and nice to drive are two very different things.

The 2013 Subaru Legacy is about as advanced as an affordable midsize car can get. The top-of-the-line trim is swathed in leather, connects wirelessly to your iPhone and drives all by itself.

Seriously, the Legacy is just a few steps away from letting you set your destination, climb into the back seat and take a nap until you get there.

I could go on and on about how great the Legacy is, but there’s a certain dynamic that is missing while behind the wheel:

New Life for Cars of the Past

Last updated: Nov 25, 2019 at 4:18PM
Published on: Jul 3, 2013 by tgriffith

If you watch Breaking Bad, you know that Walter White drives an old Pontiac Aztec everywhere he goes. The car gets driven hard, has been through countless ordeals, and yet it soldiers on.

Of course, none of it is real on the show, but it’s still interesting that producers chose a car that is universally hated and chided as one of the world’s ugliest vehicles of all time.

Maybe, though, the show has given a second life to Aztecs everywhere. No longer are they weird afterthoughts from a forgettable era, they are now, somehow… cool. Especially ones with a perpetually broken windshield and one steel wheel.

United States

Footer