The Car Thread

[MajorHoy]

This is weird. I'm watching the morning news and just saw a Tesla, "unsafe at any speed" commercial by some guy named Dan O'Dowd, who may or may not be running for Congress, I don't know. It was comprised of youtube footage of a Tesla self driving feature not working on the street a lot. It pleads for Congress to stop Tesla or something. Weird.

Was the guy wearing a MAGA hat?

[achilles]

Was the guy wearing a MAGA hat?

Didn't really see a guy as such. It appears to be about someone not liking Tesla's full self driving software, which seems to not work at all, really, judging from the youtube stuff.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

This is weird. I'm watching the morning news and just saw a Tesla, "unsafe at any speed" commercial by some guy named Dan O'Dowd, who may or may not be running for Congress, I don't know. It was comprised of youtube footage of a Tesla self driving feature not working on the street a lot. It pleads for Congress to stop Tesla or something. Weird.

Not weird at all if this guy is feeding from the trough of Big Oil which wants electric cars killed dead.

[achilles]

Not weird at all if this guy is feeding from the trough of Big Oil which wants electric cars killed dead.

I don't know, everyone already knows not to trust Tesla or any other self driving feature, so the guy's not saying anything new. And it really has nothing to do with the electric part of it, you can fit that system to a gas powered car and it would still be dangerous.

Edit, never mind, I see this guy's motive after googling him and concluding he was NOT the former Rockies GM, but rather the Silicon Valley tech executive who is running for Senate in CA, (first time I've heard of it...or him), to try and hurt Elon Musk, evidently.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/0...-musk-00026195

I think he has Musk envy. But he's not wrong about those issues. Though he's not going to win.

[Kirby101]

I missed the NY Car Show. I was away on family business and was going to go this week when I got back. But I caught a bug from my niece and am out of action. Don't want to spread it around the Javits Center or pick up something worse form the crowd. I am also too weary to spend the day walking around. A shame, I was looking forward to it. One more year for me.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I missed the NY Car Show. I was away on family business and was going to go this week when I got back. But I caught a bug from my niece and am out of action. Don't want to spread it around the Javits Center or pick up something worse form the crowd. I am also too weary to spend the day walking around. A shame, I was looking forward to it. One more year for me.

Sorry to hear about that, but, you made the right choice in avoiding the show. There’s always next year.

[achilles]

Every so often, driving is not fun at all. Like today, for example. My brother was driving us on an errand he was kindly helping me with, on the freeway, which comes to an end in heavy mostly stop rather than go traffic. A guy beeps loudly at us from behind, we wonder what it is, and drive on. About 20 yards later, the guy swings from behind us, which is where he evidently was, to right ahead of us, and then he stops because everyone else was. Then he gets out, still on the freeway and strides over to us and starts shouting. The gist was he was upset because my brother stopped like everyone else because it was basically parking lot. And he was important or something, much more important than us because he was driving a Merc to our Jetta, and thought he had a fancy watch. Guy was raving like a maniac, challenging us to a fight, then leaving after trying to go on about how much better his Merc was, and that he had an expensive watch. Then he nearly caused about six accidents wildly veering across lanes when the traffic opened up.

Unpleasant to be sure, but puzzling as well. First off, my brother was driving normally, and the guy had no beef with us. Second, dude, you're driving an A class, not exactly a Maybach or G Wagon. That car costs maybe ten grand more than our Jetta, and is the Benz you get when you have to have one for posing, but can't afford a proper one. Second, who cares anyway? Third, the guy was like 5' 4" and about 130 pound, my brother is 5 inches taller and much bigger, and I'm just over 6 foot and about 205, and either of us could have broken that idiot in half had we not kept our heads and stayed inside the car. Why would a guy like that challenge two much bigger and stronger guys over....whatever was bothering him before, I suppose.

I think we handled it well, saying almost nothing, and refusing to beat that idiot into a pulp. Dude's going to either kill someone with driving like that, or kill himself by challenging someone like us or more, but with less self control Still, I can't help but wish I'd been able, legally and morally, and indeed practically, (the idea that he might have a gun was on my mind), to oblige him. Fortunately, that was never really a serious consideration on my part.

What a tool.

[achilles]

If you have a hankering for a new Mercedes Benz, but can only afford the bottom end models, er, better hurry up, because Merc is going to discontinue them. They're going to focus on their higher end, higher margin cars, like the AMG line, the Maybachs, the larger sedans like the S class and others, and the G-wagons.

[achilles]

There's a big recall for Hyundais, about 250,000 of them. It's nothing serious; evidently the seat-belts will explode and probably mutilate your crotch. Okay, might want to get someone you hate to drive it to the dealer's to fix, I'm thinking.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

There's a big recall for Hyundais, about 250,000 of them. It's nothing serious; evidently the seat-belts will explode and probably mutilate your crotch. Okay, might want to get someone you hate to drive it to the dealer's to fix, I'm thinking.

I’ve heard that’s only affecting some 2019 and 2020 models. My 2013 Sonata is all good, heck, I just had it inspected last week, and other than some work on the rear brakes, it came through okay.

[achilles]

I’ve heard that’s only affecting some 2019 and 2020 models. My 2013 Sonata is all good, heck, I just had it inspected last week, and other than some work on the rear brakes, it came through okay.

You like it? I've never driven one, and I'll admit to being curious.

So, in a place filled with exotic cars, the car I'm most interested in is...actually, I have no real idea what it is, just a vague impression that it was some sort of Japanese small sedan. This is a car that's very often parked at my local supermarket, leading me to believe it's an employee. What instantly attracts the eye like a train-wreck though is the huge "Hentai King" sticker, which fills most of the rear windshield with the expected rather...built Manga lady, and the extra added touch hanging from his rear view mirror. Most people hang fuzzy dice if they do anything at all, but this guy, (has to be a guy), had a pair of what must be vending machine used panties.

In my mind, I've built up a whole story about the owner. One of these days, I'll ask about it at that supermarket, but until then, his story continues to evolve in my mind.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

If you have a hankering for a new Mercedes Benz, but can only afford the bottom end models, er, better hurry up, because Merc is going to discontinue them. They're going to focus on their higher end, higher margin cars, like the AMG line, the Maybachs, the larger sedans like the S class and others, and the G-wagons.

No more C-Class, E-Class and their small SUV’s, eh? Interesting. I wonder if, down the road, BMW follows suit by axing the 3-Series, 5-Series and their small SUV’s like the X-1?

You like it? I've never driven one, and I'll admit to being curious.

Well, the Sonata isn’t flashy, fancy or powerful (4 banger), but, it gets good gas mileage and has been dependable for me.

[achilles]

Honestly, flashy is overrated in cars. I love to talk about them, but they're just not the cars I'd ever own. Next car show I go to, I'll give one the sit test.

[Kirby101]

It's like looking at a beautiful fashion model. Gorgeous, but you know she would be hell to be with.

[MajorHoy]

. . . Well, the Sonata isn’t flashy, fancy or powerful (4 banger), but, it gets good gas mileage and has been dependable for me.

I do wonder if Ford and other car companies that gave up producing sedans to focus on trucks and SUV's are starting to second-guess their choices with the price of energy (gasoline AND electricity) these days.