Our Cars, Ourselves

Cars, cars, cars.  They've been on my mind a lot lately, for various reasons.  So it seemed time for an automotively themed blog post.

PA Home to Fuel Efficient Cars

There will be more information on this released on Thursday but the teaser press release today was intriguing:

Motorists in Pennsylvania are fuming over exorbitant gasoline prices, but are paying noticeably less because of the more fuel-efficient cars they drive, according to a new study by the Natural Resources Defense Council to be released Thursday.

 I look forward to seeing the details on this, could be interesting.

Personal Experience

Rental cars give you the opportunity to do a long-term test drive.  A few years ago I had a rental Ford Fusion for a few days.  It was a great little car.  I liked it a lot but the back window was a bit restrictive for my comfort level -- it felt like I couldn't see as much as I'd like or could see in other cars.  When it was time to buy we looked at some Ford Fusions but, like everyone seems to, ended up with a Toyota Camry.  Just as a personal aside, if you need to buy a car and want a good deal without a lot of fuss or hassle, try buying a used rental car.  These are usually just a year old.  They have high mileage but have been well-maintained.  Our last two cars have been Enterprise Rental castoffs.  The one before that was a used rental as well but I can't remember what rental company it was.  Recently I had another rental for a few days.  It was a Chrysler 300.  I loved it.  The digital display was very cool and included a rear camera display so the driver can see what is going on behind the car when it is in reverse.  Just above the digital display there is a retro clock, complete with hands instead of a digital numbers.  If I had excess cash I would consider buying this car.

Caddy Owners -- Nice People

This interesting note from "Cadillac turns to a 28-year old to reinvent the 'standard of the world'," by Dane Slate in Fast Company 1/19/2012:

"It took us a while to get to this," Partalo says. "I needed to know what makes a man choose Cadillac over BMW or Lexus. So I traveled to nice restaurants around Chicago, Detroit, L.A., and New York. I interviewed the valets, those pimply 18-year-olds. What makes car owners different? They dress and tip the same. It's in how they react when the valet scratches their car. I heard consistent stories: Lexus owners don't say anything and immediately call the police and insurance company. BMW owners scream at him--'I'll have your job!' That sort of thing. But Cadillac owners pat him on the back, say, 'It's gonna be all right, kid; we'll figure it out,' and then tip him anyway and drive off."

How cool is that?