Posting is going to be light for me for the time being for reasons I won’t get into (it’s good news, don’t worry), but I will put up some pics from the BJ Meet-Up later.
I’d like to indulge in some annoying blegging before I go, though. I’ve decided it may be time to upgrade my 1998 Saturn. As an old labor-style liberal, I want a car made here in US America AND a car that is a hybrid. Any recs? I checked out a Ford Fusion and it seemed okay, but my sister looked at one more closely and didn’t like it.
mcmullje
We just got a Ford Fusion and so far – love it!!!!! There was one small glitch – it was noisy when going from gear to gear but they fixed it – apparently it was a common complaint but it’s fine now.
Edo
not a chevy/GM fan in general (grandpa was a ford mechanic), but I hear good things about the Volt. of course, i’d heard about good things about the Fusion too. YMMV. (pun intended)
dan
Volt!
pacem appellant
Our Toyota Prius was assembled in the United States. Though it’s not the brand-spanking new model, we love it! Great for carting kids, garage-sale finds, and business clients alike.
Don
I’m currently driving the Lincoln version of the Fusion, and I can assure you that the hardware is very good, and the hybrid system works as you would expect. Mine is a bit “toy rich,” but one doesn’t have to get those things. You actually may be able to get a better deal from the Lincoln guys than the Ford dealers. YMMV. My car was made in Mexico, so it is at least made in North America.
My $0.02
RaflW
Camry hybrid is reported to contain 59% -US- N. American components (compared to 92% for the conventional drivetrain).
Some time after the holidays I want to find out how the Camry and Camry hybrid might behave in Minnesota winters. Its one of the cars I’m considering for my next vehicle.
I really wish Subaru would come out with a turbo diesel. Aswesome torque + AWD + diesel mpg = awesome. And a pipe dream at the moment…
AA+ Bonds
Destroy capitalism
Jager
Get a Jeep, made in America and bullet proof.
ranchandsyrup
Go full DFH and buy an old diesel-engined car and slap a greasecar kit on there. Then you can obtain fuel from local restaurants and your emissions will smell like fries.
http://www.greasecar.com/
c u n d gulag
I’d offer my ’02 Saturn Vue 4 cylinder with 150,000 miles, which still works great after all of these years – but I know you want something newer.
Besides – I LOOOOOOVES me that car! The best I’ve ever owned.
I’d want at least 4X Kelly Book Value. And even THEN, I’m no sure I’d sell it.
So, good luck!
BTW – WTF were they thinking about, when the decided to dump Saturn?
Both cars I had that were made by them were by far and away the best, low, to no, maintenance, good to decent gas mileage. cars I’ve ever owned!
And not a SPECK of body rust!
Letting Saturn die?
TEH STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPID!
PS: Question:
I love this site, and have been reading and commenting on it for at least 6 years – why the hell are capital letters allowed, but more than one apostrophe gets you some stupid looking “X” on your comment?
This enquiring mind wants to know.
W
Valdivia
oh you are so teasing with this post!not even a little hint?
kidding, just happy to know it’s good, whatever it is :)
Doodah
We’ve been very happy with our 2004 Ford Escape hybrid. Zippy to drive, very practical. Over 100k miles now with no major problems. I assume the new ones are even better, but a 2 – 3 year old used one would be a pretty good deal.
PsiFighter37
@Valdivia: That girl at WaPo he trolled with post-punk David Broder finally returned an email.
Just joshin’! :P
Kay (no, not that one)
Kia is made in the US, and I love mine. I had to buy last year, before the hybrid was available, but I got the turbocharged model, and the gas mileage is very good. I get about 30 mpg in regular daily driving, and 32 – 34 mpg when on a trip (freeway driving). It uses regular gas, even though it is a turbo, and it is very snappy. Fully tricked out, it’s pretty equivalent to a Lexus. The fit and finish are extraordinary for a car of its price.
Hundai, which is related to Kia as Chevy is to Pontiac, also has a hybrid. A woman I worked with at OFA-Va had one, and loves it. Her last car was a Jaguar… make of that what you will.
Felonius Monk
On a lighter note — memo to Grumpy Old Man John McCain:
KISS MY ASS, Then retire before you lose all your dignity.
Southern Beale
I wondered who would be the first RWNJ to allege that Obama is having an affair with Susan Rice after his staunch defense of the ambassador today. And yes, we have a winner:
Thank you, Bryan Preston! That’s not a dog whistle, that’s a fucking bullhorn. SHAME ON YOU.
Kyle
You should know that there is a new Fusion just hitting the market–and it’s fantastic looking and getting great reviews, so if you were looking at the prior version, you might want to track down the new one.
Otherwise, it ain’t American, but if I were buying a car, it would be a Subaru of whichever size I thought I needed. Wet dream would be an Impreza WRX STI.
HeartlandLiberal
Hard to define what is American and not anymore, since even your most popular Toyota models are made right here in the US of A.
Frankly, it appears that quality has improved so much across the board in American cars, I don’t see how you could go wrong with either a Ford or a Chevy anymore. I said that after swearing all American cars off 20 years ago, and having driven nothing but Volvos and Mercedes since.
If you want to go upscale a little, drive a new Buick.
The one more expensive American car I just would not buy is the Cadillac sports sedan. What a b*tt-ugly boy racer piece of silliness. Just my own very personal opinions, of course, your mileage may vary.
Valdivia
@PsiFighter37:
ha ha ha! I had a more elaborate set of good news queued up in my imagination! But I am a romantic so that’s probably why :)
Southern Beale
How about a Nissan Leaf? Not a hybrid, it’s all electric, but it will be made here in Tennessee starting in March.
askew
OT- did anyone else see what Romney said about why he lost the race? What an asshole:
pat
We were in Berlin for a few days in October and were surprised to be riding in a Prius taxi. The taxi driver loved it. For what it’s worth….
edit: and it was very comfortable! It could have been a Mercedes for all I knew sitting in the back seat.
Valdivia
@askew:
but that 47% comment was just pandering. He is a fucking asshole
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
@PsiFighter37:
Document Dump, it’s the new let’s go get coffee.
askew
@Valdivia:
Yeah, that 47% comment was deadon. Curious to see if any of the media comments on his statements. They were really, really offensive.
FlipYrWhig
@askew: And as the comments on the story at TPM picked up immediately, Romney is the guy who just ran a whole campaign on the idea of cutting taxes on the rich, which is pretty much the definition of Free Stuff.
It’s like he couldn’t leave well enough alone, with the pleasant reviews of his concession speech and the Jason Sudeikis quasi-valedictory on SNL. He just had a burning need to demonstrate that he’s a dickface.
geg6
@askew:
And Romney just proves how retarded he truly is. No one has gotten student loan or student loan interest forgiveness. No one. What happened was that subsidized loans’ interest rate was set at 3.4% for the foreseeable future and all federal loans are direct loans rather than those that have to go through lenders, who then grifted off the taxpayers and the borrowers alike.
It made the loans more affordable and that is all it did.
Fucking idiot, Rmoney is.
handy
What is this? 30 comments in and not one Fix Or Repair Daily/Found On Road Dead/Fancy Oil Recycling Device joke?! What’s the matter with you people?
Violet
As for American cars, it’s so complicated these days. Lots of Japanese cars are mostly manufactured in the US, or at least assembled, so you are supporting American workers if you buy one, even if you’re not supporting American companies. American car companies are so global that much of their business is from overseas sales, so non-Americans support American companies too.
At this point, I’d say just get a car you like and do your best to minimize the carbon footprint of it. Rewarding green manufacturing and greener cars is at least as important as rewarding American car companies in my book. Bonus if you can do both.
stickler
For “country of origin,” yes, the answer is more complicated than thirty years ago. For example, the Fusion is indeed assembled in Mexico (though I think the Focus is made in Michigan), while the Subarus are assebmbled in Indiana. Most Wikipedia entries for car make and model are pretty good if you want to find out things like that.
For folks just walking around, a clue you may not be aware of: the VIN number on the bottom of the windshield begins with the code for place of assembly.
1: USA
2: Canada
3: Mexico
6: Some USA plants (Mazdas from Michigan, I think, maybe others)
W: Germany
J: Japan
Y: Sweden
K: Korea
FYI, LOL, YMMV: Internet.
cmorenc
I’ve been extremely satisfied with my Ford Escape Hybrid. Mine’s a 2005 that now has 160K miles on it, and it’s been very reliable and low-cost to maintain; the primary additional maintenance item you have is every 20-30k miles there’s a battery filter for the hybrid battery that needs to be changed out @$40.00 apx for the part.
However, I understand that for 2013, Ford has morphed the Escape Hybrid into the “Ford C-Max Hybrid”. Not sure if it has similar interior space as the Escape Hybrid, but this new model supposedly gets better gas mileage than the Escape Hybrid, which always came in around 30mpg during my usage. Its power train is an updated version of the Escape Hybrid power train.
geg6
Oh, and Doug? I have friends who have hybrids, one a Prius, one a Volt, and one a Fusion. The Fusion owner is the happiest one.
PsiFighter37
@askew: Who knew that cutting taxes for the 1% didn’t miraculously materialize into 270 electoral votes? Math can hard like that sometimes.
That said, the fact he got more than 50 running on his shitastic platform is a tribute to the stupidity in a good many parts of this country…
MattR
@Kay (no, not that one): FYI – both Hyundai and Kia are in trouble with the EPA for overstating their MPG on the window stickers of the majority of their 2012 and 2013 models (though I could not find a comprehensive list)
(EDIT: You may be eligible for reimbursement from Kia depending on the year and model you bought)
Violet
@askew:
I see Romney is continuing the Republican tradition of winning women’s votes by suggesting they’re sluts who just want to have seksytime as often as possible without having to think about that pesky pregnancy risk. Good job, Romney!
Hill Dweller
Despite all the wingnut tantrums, the Volt is a good car. In fact, it’s Chevy’s highest rated car in customer satisfaction.
The Volt is also the highest rated Chevy in Consumer Reports‘ yearly customer satisfaction survey.
Napoleon
Why a hybrid? Why not a mini car. I have driven them for years (last 7 cars, last 2 Yaris and Echo). Chevy has started making one in the last few months that is built in Michigan.
Steeplejack
@3MDougJ:
Dunno if you’re looking for a new or a used car, but a year ago I was jonesin’ for a Ford Escape hybrid (used). It’s a good size–many SUV advantages but not heinously big, and very nimble. My problem was that I couldn’t find very many available and the prices people were asking were ridiculous.
I ended up getting an ’09 Kia Rondo, which I had never heard of. Just happened to see it at CarMax. Not a hybrid, but I have been very happy with it. It’s small on the outside and big on the inside and just feels good to drive. And I got a pretty good deal on it.
Mandalay
Why not be like Ann and drive a couple of Cadillacs?
SBJules
I have a 2006 Ford Focus. I love it. I’ve traveled a lot in it and never a problem. It’s a 4 door. It gets about 36 miles per gallon on the highway.
SatanicPanic
If you’re buying a car made in the south, i.e. a right-to-work state, isn’t kind of making things worse for US workers?
Jay C
@ DougJ:
What was your sister’s beef with the Fusion, if we may ask? By all accounts (not to mention BJ commentary), they’re pretty decent cars…
@pat:
Those Germans must learn to put up with a lot: thanks to minimum-mileage rules here in NYC, some taxi owners replaced their old cars with Priuses (Prii?) – along with a lot of other vehicles that had no business being converted into New York taxis – and as cabs go, my personal opinion is that they suck, badly. Dunno what model you rode in in Berlin, but the New York Prius cabs might be roomy if you are a particularly anorectic runway model: otherwise, not so much….
magurakurin
Totally useless suggestion since you can’t buy one in the US, but my new Daihatsu Mira E’s is great. It’s 660cc engine isn’t a hybrid, but it has been designed to squeeze the miles out the gasoline it uses to move. Daihatsu markets it as a “third generation eco-car.” The best single drive I have made to date is 32.4 kilometers per liter on a single 70 kilometer drive at steady speeds of around 40 to 45 miles per hour(surface roads in Japan; speed limits are low here.) That’s over 70mpg. I averaged 26 kpl(61mpg) on a recent two day trip which included a lot of mountain roads. For my daily weekly driving(I actually use a bicycle most days and only drive about 40 kilos a week for work) I’m averaging around 22 to 24 (51 to 56mpg). Yes, it’s small, and no, you could never drive it in the States(because cars are so damned big there) but it actually is pretty roomy inside and is quite comfortable even on long drives. It’s sticker price is less than 9000 USD brand new.
A lot of dirty hippies who let themselves use cars would probably love to buy one, but as I said, you’ll never see one in the States.
Just Some Fuckhead
I got me a pick ’em up truck made in the land of the free, home of the brave. Gets about seven mile to the gallon, god bless america. OMFG, Shirtless FBI guy is also hairless. WTF is with bald people sending out naked pics of themselves? Is this a side-effect of chemotherapy?
Maude
@HeartlandLiberal:
The Caddy SUV looks like a refrigerator.
tofubo
i wanted a four door diesel sedan, none are made in the us,,the closest is a diesel SUV by jeep and diesel trucks,,which by definition are not four door sedans
the (used) veewee jetta i got was made in mexico, so if yer okay w/north american continental auto production….
ChefBoyardee
I’d take a look at the new Ford C-Max. It’s Ford’s “Prius fighter,” a five-door hybrid hatchback built in Michigan. It’s rated at 47 mpg and has the same powertrain as the Fusion, but the Fusion is built in Mexico.
Maude
What are those cars that are really small and are two seaters? I see some of them around.
Kias are nice looking cars.
JPL
@Mandalay: Wonder if she has different colors for each day of the week.
techno
The most politically correct car, by FAR, is the Chevy Volt! I know it has been hard to see, but there are some very bright people who work at GM. The Volt is such a good idea it even won over Bob (I have my own fighter plane and can fly it) Lutz.
This is a real electric car that doesn’t destroy your life if you make some tiny planning error like forgetting to plug in your car the night before you need to be at an important meeting.
Besides, for some strange reason, the Rushbo hates it. What’s not to like?
Denali
Love my prius! I think it was assembled here in the United States. On the highways, 50 mph; in town 42ish. Very comfortable – no repairs since 2006.
MikeJ
Get a Vauxhall Ampera. It’s actually a Chevy Volt, but “Vauxhall Ampera” sounds cooler.
The Moar You Know
VOLT. Only hybrid car with a design that’s not a confused clusterfuck from the 19th and 20th century.
If I could afford one I’d buy it tomorrow.
trollhattan
Can get the Focus Electric in the Peoples Republic of California now, I don’t know about elsewhere. Hybrids, also, too. The Volt is damn cool and if I still commuted via car, would probably be my top choice.
A buddy commutes in a Cruze Eco and routinely gets mid-40s mileage-wise, which pretty much makes the difference between it and a hybrid moot, at least on the highway.
But what do I know, we’re eurotrash with our current rolling stock.
Cheap Jim
Show solidarity with the working class by taking the bus everywhere.
John O
I have a little experience with the recent Chevy’s via my best friend, who has had a pretty new Equinox and a very new Cruze in the last 3 years. Solid. Inexpensive.
I don’t know how long they’ll last, sorta my true test, but my tactile sensations driving both were very positive. My only complaint was with the Equinox transmission, which transmission seemed to have a hard time picking a gear. Once you were in one, though, smooth and quiet sailing, excellent tech, nice ergonomics front-to-back, and an all around sweet ride in its first year.
I would look at Fusions and Buicks, too. It all just depends on how much you’re going to spend and what you like in a car, Doug.
trollhattan
Also, too, we’re first on the planet who can buy algae-based biofuel. Suck it, wannabe hippies.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/San-Francisco-area-drivers-1st-with-algae-biofuel-4037526.php
evap
@Southern Beale:
I thought it was only the batteries that were made in Tenn.
My daughter drove a Leaf for a few days, it was a loaner car while her Versa was in the shop. It didn’t get anywhere near the 100 miles per charge promised, apart from that I would want one.
Mark S.
@askew:
Christ, that man is the biggest self-entitled prick in the universe. I was starting to forget why I hated him so much.
JPL
OT.. NBC news just covered the death of the Indian woman who was denied an abortion in Ireland.
BethanyAnne
I like the Ford C-Max. It’s new, and I sort of want one even if I don’t absolutely need one yet. And there’s a plug-in hybrid variant. The Energi, I think? It looks great to me.
Keith
Test-drive the Volt. Just try it. (hint: expect amazing torque)
Higgs Boson's Mate
@handy:
Seeing as how they’re back in the country, how about Fix It Again Tony?
Hill Dweller
@The Moar You Know: The 2013 Volt has a new “Hold” mode that allows the driver to use the gas engine even when the battery is fully charged, saving the battery for when it is most efficient. For example, it you have to do a lot of highway driving followed by city driving, the “Hold” mode would save the battery/charge for the stop and go urban driving at the end of the commute/trip. Pretty clever.
Ruviana
@Maude: The little 2-seaters are probably SmartCars. I think they’re as cute as a bug, but here in the land of the Giganto Monster Pick-up Truck, I’d be afraid of being squashed like a bug!
Death Panel Truck
Get a Packard.
V-12, all-aluminum overhead valve, fuel injected with a racing heritage, 525 c.i.d. 573 HP and 593 ft. lb. torque.
Seriously.
Sasha
Chevy Volt. I understand their leasing options are quite good.
virag
hybrid cars are hella-stupid. think for a few about the batteries and stuff and you should probably change your mind about the choice. really, go for a high-mileage, efficient petrol or diesel car. many folks like the jetta diesel wagon, though i don’t. if i were going to, i’d probably get the petrol version of the jetta wagon. doesn’t ford have an efficiency model of the focus? that would be the way to go. hybrids are just dumb. if you are wedded to the ideas of american made and union made–and those are both good ideas!–then that will narrow your choices waayyy down.
kay
@Violet:
The weirdest thing about modern Republicans is how they attack voters. Voters are presumptive felons who cheat at elections, lazy lay-abouts, just despicable people.
It’s bizarre, coming from people who seek to be elected. I don’t think they used to savage us DIRECTLY. They hinted that many of us were not worthy of them, but now it’s just straight-up insults, all day, every day. When I first heard the 47% comments, I wasn’t even surprised. It’s pretty much what they say to our faces.
barbequbob
If you’re the plowman in the valley, you may need that veggie oil pick-up to get it done.
Linnaeus
As a third-generation UAW member, I might suggest that you also consider a car that is union made.
Comrade Carter
Let your sister get something else while you drive the Ford Fusion.
Nom de Plume
I made the mistake once, many years ago, of asking everybody I knew what kind of car I should buy. The problem, of course, was that I got 100 different answers. Kind of like what you’re getting now.
It’s not bad to get opinions. But 100 different opinions aren’t useful, because they don’t get you any closer to making a decision. But you know that now.
danimal
@Violet: For car choices, I got nothing, but for Romney Rage, I’m All In…Romney’s crap about free contraceptives enrages me, and I’m as far from a college-aged woman as you can get. First of all, contraceptives are a hell of a lot cheaper than abortions or childbirth. Second, THE HEALTH CARE CUSTOMER PAYS FOR HEALTH CARE, it’s not a giveaway. Third, if the religious prejudice of an employer decides which standard health care options are available for employees, then we’ll see a whole lot of employers convert to Christian Science (pray illness away); national standards of minimum care are put in place so that customers can make free market choices using an apples-to-apples comparison.
Damn you, Romney, you know all this and pretend you don’t. You’ll never win office again, so STFU on this obvious pander to neaderthals in your party. You have your legacy to tend to, and this is not a good way to establish your post-nomination public identity. Asshole.
joes527
I’m not religiously opposed to hybrid, but if the goal is to be green rather than to be cool (or, as my son would put it, uncool) then a modern high mileage compact is a better choice than a hybrid.
trollhattan
@Higgs Boson’s Mate:
Love the 500. My favorite pizza joint had two inside, amongst the furniture, when they were first importing them to the States. They fit in pretty well and yeah, really quirky in that Italian way.
Abarth edition seems pretty quick, based on the one I’ve actually seen in motion.
khead
I’m not even looking at the rest of the thread…
Love my Fusion.
virag
and another thing to consider it that the mileage estimations for hybrid cars are bullshit. in my experience, nobody gets anywhere close to what they were supposed to get for mileage on their hybrid cars, not anywhere the epa estimates and not anywhere near their completely ludicrous expectations. diesel car owners on the other hand often report _higher_ mileage than the epa estimates.
Redshift
@askew: Yeah, that’s some weapons-grade assholery, not that I’m surprised.
It also reminds me of the study finding that incompetent people never perceive their mistakes; their failures are always someone else’s fault.
geg6
@virag:
That is not the experience my friend with the Fusion has had. Nor my friend with the Volt. They are both blown away by the mileage they get and couldn’t be more pleased. Though my friend with the Fusion is much more effusive.
Redshift
@Linnaeus:
I was thinking the same thing. If the reason for buying American-made is to be a good labor liberal, then the complexities of where cars are assembled doesn’t really enter into it.
The Sailor
Ya’ll must be rich to afford the cars you’ve been talking about.
Sure, I’d LIKE to have a newish vehicle, but the payments seem like a mortgage to me.
The rich really are different! … they have more money.
p.s. The Rmoney blaming it all on the Blahs especially gets my goat, and I need that goat for milk.
kay
Romney may as well say “if it wasn’t for those VOTERS I would have won!”
Does he not know what his job was there, in that campaign? We were judging him. He wasn’t judging us. He has to go back to basics here, look up “politician” in the dictionary.
geg6
@Nom de Plume:
Heh. I am having the same problem with getting a new phone. I have had an iPhone for a few years and I love it. But I need to replace it and have been doing some shopping and asking around. I am not very tech-y (I still don’t know how to download music; just can’t figure it out), so I wanted to stick with the iPhone, mainly because I know how to use the damn thing. But I am being told that I’d be much better served, because I use it so much to go online, with the new Windows 8 or a Galaxy or…well, you know. I am now completely confused and paralyzed and still haven’t gotten a new phone a week after I began the search.
Judas Escargot, Bringer of Loaves and Fish Sandwiches
@RaflW:
Ditto that.
There are diesel models in Europe, but for whatever reason they don’t market these in the States. I have an 09 Impreza currently and hope these beasts will be available here by the time I need to replace it.
Aside: The use-case for a plug-in vehicle is innately biased towards the suburban house, with its own garage. So for many of us they just won’t be an option. So i wish the car corps would push more diesels here.
Redshift
@danimal:
I wouldn’t bet on him actually knowing it. My impression is that Romney doesn’t clutter his pretty head with anything that doesn’t make him money or serve his ambition.
He’s not playing to the crowd, this is the real Romney. Nothing he has ever done is a mistake, he deserves everything he has and everything he wants, and anything The Help get from their government is a “gift” to buy their vote.
PurpleGirl
@Jay C: The problem with many of the SUV cabs in NYC is that they are very high and hard to get into. I’m mildly disabled and cannot lift my legs enough to get into the cabs. I need a car that is lower and closer to the ground. (My preference is actually for the old Crown Victorias. Yes, I know, they get horrible mileage and all but I doubt that the people who chose the newer cabs have the same trouble I do.)
Allen
An old story, but it will be a really long time before I buy another U.S. made car. Worse car I ever owned was my ’86 Pontiac in which nearly everything failed (including seat belt retractors(?)). Kept it for three years and bought my much beloved SAAB. Would have trouble having a Japanese car as they have, in my opinion, no character. Don’t want character like my ’57 MG but rather character like my ’67 BMW.
bemused
@Southern Beale:
I’m happy I have no idea who Bryan Preston is but I suppose he must be well-known among the 27%. How many of these people does the vast rightwing media complex employ anyway.
mac
I’ve heard nothing but good things about the Tesla S series!
Maude
@geg6:
Take your time and read reviews. CNET is reliable. There are other places that review phones and say what features are included.
Or something like that.Suffern Ace
@askew: At no point is it mentioned that any of those accomplishments represent problems that people have. Nope. The fact that his party fails to solve problems like those, doesn’t even bother tomacknowledge that they are even problems…well shucks free stuff.
trollhattan
@Judas Escargot, Bringer of Loaves and Fish Sandwiches:
The really advanced diesels couldn’t be sold here until we promulgated our low-sulfur fuel standards nationwide, and now that’s finally happened. They couldn’t run on our old, dirty stuff.
We still have the problem of diesel being rather more expensive than gas, which muddies the cost-benefit thing somewhat. Our refineries are configured to maximize gas production over diesel while European refineries are the opposite, to the point they export gas because they lack the domestic market to consume it all. Their crazy quilt of fuel tax schemes doesn’t simplify things.
nevermoor
Ford C-Max is essentially a better, cheaper, Prius V.
danimal
@Redshift: By all accounts, Romney was deep in the weeds on health care issues as he developed Romneycare. I can believe he is bone-stupid on almost any foreign affairs issue that pops up, but he knows his stuff about healthcare.
Sorry, I’m usually charitable about people’s motives, but he’s intentionally being an asshole. On the ignorance/evil continuum, he’s at 99% evil(see, I’m still 1% charitable).
bemused
@Just Some Fuckhead:
I’m curious about the “worldview” of Mr. Shirtless. Rightwing asshole would not surprise.
? Martin
@askew: Indeed. In case anyone wondered if Romney’s moochers and looters schtick caught on camera was just an act for the donors – apparently not. He really is a pustulating robotic dick.
Or something like that.Suffern Ace
@kay: For a bunch of southern baptists and Catholics, they sure like being new England wasps. Unless you’re mamma can join DAR, you’re citizenship is too new to actually be full and trusted.
bemused
@danimal:
Maybe he wants to stay in the good graces of those who brung him. Doesn’t sound promising for him to go away gentle into the night.
Maude
@bemused:
Go tot he NYT site. They have a new article on him.
Original Lee
We had to get a new car this last week, due to Original Spouse’s car getting totaled in the parking lot by a drunk driver. We were not planning on having to get a new car so soon. We just got done paying off my car six weeks ago. We were very bummed.
Original Spouse’s car had 250,000+ miles on it, but still ran like a top and needed minimal maintenance. So the check from the insurance company just about paid for the tow to the house. (We will be donating it for parts to Vehicles for Change after we clean all of the crap out of it.)
We also wanted a hybrid, but because we’re still hauling teenagers around, we need something bigger than a sedan, and we could not afford even a used one of any of the models we looked at unless we were willing to settle for 100,000+ miles on the odometer, which is just silly. So we settled for a 2009 Honda CR-V with 30,000 miles under its belt, and we like it OK so far. Of course, we’ve only had it about a week and haven’t had to tank up yet …
Maude
Have we gotten a “Dear John” letter and not been aware of it, except it says, Dear Commenters, I don’t love you anymore and I am leaving you, John Cole.
Libby's Person
I love my Fusion hybrid. It’s got 40,000+ miles on it now, and it has been totally reliable and fun to drive. And I average 40 miles per gallon, as promised – a little higher in warm weather, and a little lower in cold weather. It was rated very highly by Consumer Reports for both reliability and performance, and my experience fits with that. The only small negative is the trunk space – the batteries sit behind the back seat and cut into the trunk space a bit.
Libby's Person
I love my Fusion hybrid. It’s got 40,000+ miles on it now, and it has been totally reliable and fun to drive. And I average 40 miles per gallon, as promised – a little higher in warm weather, and a little lower in cold weather. It was rated very highly by Consumer Reports for both reliability and performance, and my experience fits with that. The only small negative is the trunk space – the batteries sit behind the back seat and cut into the trunk space a bit.
geg6
@Maude:
I’ve been doing that. Unfortunately, it just seems to make me more confused.
Chances are I’ll end up with a new model iPhone just because I can’t figure out what any of the reviews mean for me and I know how to use it. Probably a stupid way to choose, but I don’t know what else to do. I do so much better with cars because I understand cars and how they work and what I want in one. Plus I can test drive one. None of that is true when it comes to me and a smart phone.
bemused
@Maude:
Thanks, I missed that link.
There must be a lot more to Mr. Shirtless than we know so far. Shouldn’t take long now that he, uber agent, is the one under scrutiny.
Higgs Boson's Mate
@trollhattan:
At different times I owned three (Count ;em!) of the original 500. This was back around 1964. Each of them was in someone’s back yard, not running, and mine for removing them. Some minor repairs and they ran like ten. The ragtop was my favorite. They were all proof that it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow.
tBone
@Just Some Fuckhead:
Double wetsuits play hell with the follicles.
@geg6:
If your major use is web browsing, stick with the iPhone. Safari is still the best mobile browser.
BruceFromOhio
My 2006 Chrysler Town & Country is running like a champ, and I’d buy another one if I could.
Expect you’re not in the market for a mini-van, though.
O/T – What happened to the rotating tag line? Someone get annoyed at it and take it away?
Raven
Cirque bitchez
JPL
@tBone: The picture was taken in 1999. He’s 47 now so I can only imagine what he looks like. The shirtless photo was a joke because everyone knows, that you send shirtless photos to attractive women.
Raven
@BruceFromOhio: just sold my 99 and bought a 2006. Great ride
Raven
@BruceFromOhio: just sold my 99 and bought a 2006. Great ride
? Martin
@geg6:
No, you won’t be. The new iPhone 5 has a somewhat larger screen which does help with web stuff, and it also has LTE for faster downloads, and a MUCH faster processor than anything else on the market which does help with certain kinds of web sites.
But the real advantage to the iPhone is that so many stores/websites/etc. have very good apps for iOS that are superior to their web experience. And you’re going to lose some or much of that by switching.
realbtl
I tried like hell to like the Prius but it just felt so cheap inside. Since I often haul two 50-80 lb dogs the Fusion was out. Ended up with an Acura TSX wagon. My car stays parked for 5-6 months per year as I take one of my scooters or bikes. So 8k miles in the Acura at just under 30 mpg and 6-7k miles on 2 wheels at 50-65 mpg works out nicely.
Jamey
Doug: Lovin’ Cup. Nice!
my $.02: Subaru Impreza wagon. Decent mileage, made in the US in a union/LEED certified shop (Bloomington, IN). Very hippie friendly lifestyle accessory that one can drive off the lot for 15k mi/annum, the best bet for the stupid environment (what has that thing done for us lately?) is a late-model used car. I just traded in a 2004 Mini (shittiest. car. ever) for a 2010 certified pre-owned Honda Fit.
I love the Fit; It’s flat out a great car. Drives great and has more interior passenger and cargo space than a small SUV. Mine has <22k mi on the clock, 17 mos left on the bumper-to-bumper warranty and 53 mos/~80k mi on the power train. Gets an honest 36 mpg, and because it's used, the environmental impact of manufacturing the car is cut in half (across two owners)–as it would be with any used car, Priusi and other hybrids included.
Fit's not union made, but at least it's built in Japan, a country that hasn't yet decided to squeeze the fuck out of its worker. But, again, my Fit has a much smaller environmental footprint and was a hell of a lot cheaper than other alternatives I can think of. Thought I'd throw this one out for your consideration.
Maude
@bemused:
Edit to say, I think there’s more to the story, but about the classified bit.
WaynersT
oh good lord – of course this is what the right wing shirtless FBI agent looks like…
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/us/frederick-humphries-fbi-agent-in-petraeus-case.html?hp&gwh
Baud
@WaynersT:
Who wouldn’t want to see that guy with his shirt off?
WereBear (itouch)
I have a 2010 Focus, and can say that the science fiction dashboard is awesome. Hands free phone, plug in iPod, turn by turn directions, will call 911 if you get in an accident.
I would never have believed it of a Ford, but this is the first car I have ever loved.
Metrosexual Manichean Monster DougJ
@Jay C:
Now she says she has no beef, her hubby didn’t like it.
Maude
@geg6:
I understand.
I don’t know what I’d get either.
The new iPhone has bells and whistles.
JPL
@WaynersT: Remember that picture was taken when he was thirty-four or thirty-five..
geg6
@tBone:
See? Now this is truly helpful. That’s my main thing. I would also like a longer battery life and I have read that iPhone 5 is much better than previous models.
I would like the bigger screen that the Windows 8 has, but ease of use is more important. Maybe I could actually learn how to use more of the stuff on my phone or actually download an app. I really am a bit of a Luddite, I guess.
Jamey
@Jamey: @Jamey: SORRY, CORRECTION: “Drive off the lot for $22.5k/annum. If you drive<15k mi/annum
Not sure why that got cut off…
Jay C
@PurpleGirl:
I hear you: My wife has similar leg problems, and has h*llish problems wedging into some of the weird vehicles (like the Ford Escape) which they use for cabs here. Hopefully, the new “Standard City Taxis” (Nissans) will be an improvement when they’re eventually phased in: but still: Prius?
Of course, I’m (just) old enough to recall when the Checker was the most common taxi: and still the best, IMO, EVAH!
Unfortunately, Cab No. 1N11, the last working Checker in the City, retired (to a museum, I believe) about 2-3- years ago after 30+ on the streets….
The Sailor
@John McCain
Sir, I knew John McCain, John McCain was a friend of mine. And you, sir, are no John McCain.
Narcissus
John McCain is a little bitch
Steeplejack
@geg6:
If you’re an iPhone girl and have been happy with that, just get another iPhone. You can learn to download music, etc., just as easily on that as you can on another phone. A different phone is not going to automatically make it easier. It’s all what you’re used to and/or are comfortable with.
John Cole
Subaru. Period.
Judas Escargot, Bringer of Loaves and Fish Sandwiches
@Cheap Jim:
Show bipartisanship by volunteering to be strapped on top of the bus.
tBone
@geg6:
The iPhone 5’s battery life has been fantastic for me (the 4S was terrible). If you’re generally happy with the iPhone, I wouldn’t bother switching to Android or Windows Phone, unless the lack of a jumbo screen is a dealbreaker for you. (I have a bunch of Android phones for work purposes that I tend to trade off with the iPhone, but I like the iPhone 5 well enough that I’ve been using it full-time since it came out, FWIW.)
catclub
@RaflW: “Aswesome torque + AWD + diesel mpg = awesome. And a pipe dream at the moment…”
Which probably means they have been doing it for a decade in Europe.
I am convinced all the good cars go there first, if they even ever get to the US.
Calouste
@danimal:
Romneyfied.
Hill Dweller
@Narcissus:
Boehner is no different.
I’m so tired of hearing the Village say it’s Obama’s responsibility to placate the nihilists in the Republican party.
1badbaba3
@kay: Methinks Money Boo Boo does not much like being on the receiving end of the “You’re Fired” line.
PsiFighter37
@tBone: My iPhone 5 battery is shit. It drains way faster than my iPhone 4 did…not a huge fan at all.
tBone
@PsiFighter37:
I get easily double what I got with the 4S, and probably on-par with the 4 (with no LTE, no iCloud, a smaller screen and a thicker body), so I’m really happy with it.
hamletta
@Allen: My stepmom got a Honda Fit, and my dad said it has more horsepower than our old ’69 BMW 2002, and it handles better, too.
Origuy
@Original Lee:
I had a 2001 CRV that I drove for 230,000 miles in nine years. I loved it and had few problems until a hose leaked and I let the engine overheat. Once that happened all sorts of things went wrong. I had the engine rebuilt, then the transmission failed because the overheating had damaged the filter. I had the trans repaired and nursed it along for another two years before it finally gave out.
I was getting 24 mpg pretty consistently. The newer ones should be better.
Edit: Replaced it with a Fit. Can get almost as much cargo when I need to and get 30 mpg.
Steve Greer
@dan:
YES TO THE VOLT!
tkogrumpy
@Violet: Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
BruceFromOhio
@Raven: I call it “The Magic Carpet.” It’s so easy to drive and comfortable to ride in, the kids and the missus routinely fall asleep, even on short trips. I’ve done almost 600 miles in one day in the thing, and it just rides like a dream. If I lay off the pedal, the V6 gets 26 mpg, which is hideous by any other standard, but great when I’m hauling the family circus.
Look for rust on the bottom of the right-side sliding door.
Persia
@pacem appellant: Yep, I have over 110K on my Prius and hope to put another 100 on. Great car, quiet, fun. I’m pretty sure there’s not a single car on the market that’s 100% US-made, unless it’s made by a single artisan who mills all the parts herself or something.
Chris T.
@stickler: “Y” is not just Sweden, it’s also Finland (where the Porsche Boxster and Fisker Karma were/are assembled for instance).
I recommend the Volt to anyone who needs something more hybrid-y than pure electric and can’t afford a Karma. :D (There are some drawbacks to both Volt and Karma though, including a loss of cargo space. Also, when it’s far below freezing here in Utah, as it has been recently, the heating system draws your electric-only range way down.)
JoyfulA
@Or something like that.Suffern Ace: Nah, it isn’t that. I have four ancestors who qualify me for the DAR, and they hate me and insult me, too.
Allen
@hamletta: My BMW was a 1600, all horsepower at the top, no torque to speak of, but what fun for a 16 year old. That and the potentially atrocious handling.
FlipYrWhig
Honda Fit = excellent
Bill Barido
I’m two months in to owning a 2012 Chevy Sonic. Not a hybrid, but US made in Orion MI by UAW members – and it gets 29 mpg City and 40mpg highway. Consumer Reports just named the Sonic the best American small car.
It rides bigger than you would think, and I love this car.
Original Lee
@Origuy: We looked at the Fit, but I think there weren’t any used ones available or it was too expensive or something like that. We need a vehicle that will carry 5 adult bodies plus 5 backpacks and 5-6 musical instruments and any special projects back and forth to school, a trip that can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours. (Yes, traffic sucks around here.) The CRV was the smallest vehicle that we could find used and that we could afford.
ETA: Thank goodness none of the instruments is a tuba or a string bass, otherwise we would have had to get a Suburban or something.
Cassidy
Just went through all this when getting my wife a new car. I looked into the Fusion and used Prius’s. The Fusions are pretty nice and have great reviews. A brand new Prius isn’t worth it, yet, considering how much you can pick up a 3-4 y/o for. TRhe hard part is finding a used one. people like to hold them.
My wife settled on a Dodge Dart. She loves it. It’s not a hybrid, but easily gets 40 MPG.
Metrosexual Manichean Monster DougJ
@barbequbob:
Glad someone got it!
j
The Ford Fusion is made in Mexico.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Fusion_%28Americas%29
Here is a list of every car made in the USA:
http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/content/db/b-db-autos.shtml
Dooday
@handy: You left out “Fucking Old Raggedy Dodge”.
centerfielddj
I’m enjoying my 2012 Ford Focus. Good 4-door economy car; absolutely nothing special, but dependability is by far the #1 priority for me, with reasonable comfort and handling next. It’s delivering on those traits so far. It’s pretty universal in car consumer publications that the Focus became a much better model in 2012.