used car shopping

The 2016 Honda Pilot Turns Into a Minivan

Last updated: Sep 27, 2019 at 2:45PM
Published on: Feb 16, 2015 by tgriffith

2016 Honda Pilot

Back in 2004 I purchased a car I thought would last forever.

Its looks weren’t anything special, but its capabilities and features were exactly what I needed.

The car was a 2004 Honda Pilot, and it lasted all of 6 months. That’s not because anything failed on the car, it’s because it caught on fire and burned to the ground.

Now that the Pilot has been around for over 10 years, it is being revamped for the 2016 model year, but even with all the changes, I think I’d prefer to own my old ’04.

My biggest problem with the new, recently unveiled Pilot is that it’s basically a Honda Odyssey minivan without the sliding doors. The Pilot was never rugged in SUV terms, but it was at least an SUV.

How’s the Car Culture in Your Town?

Last updated: Dec 9, 2019 at 3:40PM
Published on: Oct 23, 2014 by tgriffith

Who knew a guy could nearly be assassinated for trying to pump gas.

I forgot that in Oregon, basic human rights don’t exist. Oh sure, you can marry whoever you want and ride around on bicycles without any clothes, but try to pump gas by yourself, and the Calvary brings out its firing squad.

It’s illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon, so the job is performed by attendants who run ragged between cars, grabbing credit cards and swiping with reckless abandon while barking things like, “Fill ‘er up?” and “Regular or premium?”

It’s like living in 1955.

Speed limits in Oregon are from the same era. Even four-lane Interstate highways are limited to 65 miles per hour.

Yes, Oregon is automotively oppressed. But they sure have nice cars.

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.

Honeymoon or Porsche?

Last updated: Nov 25, 2019 at 5:08PM
Published on: Jul 7, 2014 by tgriffith

My son just wanted to look. As a young car-obsessed kid interested in a future of car design, he is desperate to own a sports car. The kid has taste, though, and knows the value of a Porsche over a Corvette.

He wants his first car to be a Boxster so he can drive to high school in style.

He wants my new bride and me to own a 911.

Wishful thinking, right?

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:

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