I've got an '05 Mazda3 5 speed hatch and a '10 Saturn Outlook, so you and I are on a similar page. I love my Mazda3 except how it's is rusting away. Very dissapointed in that, but it looks great, handles great, has enough power and gets decent MPG. GMs 3 row CUVs are a better bet than the Explorer, in my opinion. A bit roomier inside (a 3 person 3rd row) and a bit better on towing (5,200 vs. 5,000). The eco boost 4 cyl Explorer is a great idea, but doesn't tow much. You have to get the V6 to get the 5K towing. A real towing powerhouse in this segment is the new V8 Durango which will go to 7,500 lbs. I think it's even less roomy than the Explorer. To be fair, I think they all aren't that far apart.

My thoughts exactly, Sooke. I bought the 3M kit for my daughter's '98 Escort, but befor I could use it she hit a deer. In looking for a replacement driver's headlight, I found that junkyard prices are about $35 but Rock Auto has new unit with bulbs for $45, so I bought both and the 3M kit sits on the shelf.

As a '60 T'bird owner I always look for Square birds in these shots and I'm pretty sure I see three. Two on the ramp, one in each lane just below the sign. Both look to be '58s or '59s judging by the 2 tail lights ('60s have 3). The one on the right has a continental kit. The third I'm less sure about. Behind the '59 Chevy on the right is what I believe to be the nose of a Squarebird. Not way to be certain about the year.

My Dad and Grandfather were in a race in the 70's to see who would be the first to hit 100K in a car, Dad in his '65 Barracuda or Grandpa in his '71 Galaxie. Alas, a woman T-boned Grandpa's Ford, so Dad won. He eventually put 125K on it before it too was totaled in '82. I, on the other hand, have rarely owned a car with less than 100K. 3 of the 4 I have now are over the century mark ('05 Mazda3 105K, '98 Escort, 112K and '60 T'bird 154K). I was the first to turn 200K on a car when my '99 Odyssey flipped that magic number in 2010. 160K of those miles were mine. The T'bird is a bit surprising as probably fewer that 10K of those miles have been put on in the 24 years it's been in our family. That means it went over 140K in it's first 18 years of life, unusual for the 60's & 70's.

You say 'affordable', but then require Bluetooth,a backup camera and power liftgate? Those are luxury features that push you into upper level trims and add $5,000-$6,000 to the price. That's not prioritizing affordable. Instead, compare base models and then do a feature comparison telling folks what you miss from one to another and what it'd cost to equip similarly, if those features are desireable.

Instead of Rain-X, get silicone wipers from Silblade or PIAA. You'll have to order them (Amazon usually has the best prices), I've never seen them in stores, but they coat the glass like Rain-X so you don't have to. Another bonus - they last years instead of months. Most natural rubber wipers are shot within 6-12 months, my silicone wipers have lasted 4+ years.

RV owners fight with this all the time. A stored RV presents shelter int eh winter with all kinds of stuff to chew on. I've had mice in my pop up camper 2 of the 3 winters we've owned it. Bounce sheets don't work. Mothballs don't work. The only sure fire way is to seal every opening and keep 'em out. With a car, that's going to be real hard to keep them away from all the tasty wiring.

When I was valet parking ~20 years ago, it was common Benzes, even the older ones. Didn't know about the BMW trick, that's neat. Oh, and thanks Mike, now I won't be able to look at a headlight switch without seeing that. :-(

[shameless plug alert] I have a degree in Industrial Design and work for a design firm [1] that has done quite a bit of work in the area of emotional connection to products and what that means for design, brands, products, etc. It's not simply about 'pretty' or not 'pretty'. Aesthetics, perceived quality and customer satisfaction are all interrelated. While good designed products don't inherently have to cost more, the thinking behind them does take time and effort and it's not uncommon for design to add complexity and cost. However, if the perceived value is greater than the added cost and is backed up with a superior user experience, the customer will pay more and feel as though they have gotten a better deal. This produces a positive emotional connection between the user and the product and by extension the brand and a very loyal customer base. Apple knows this very well, as does Honda and others. [1]- www.design-central.com

Good design is about more than good looks. The aesthetic of a product connects to our emotions & impact what we feel about the quality of a product and our emotions effect what we buy and desire. Research has shown that emotions affect the decisions of even the most rational people. So, a well designed and attractive charging station conveys that this is a simple and safe technology. It can be trusted, it's reliable, it was well thought out. With no thought to design, it may appear scary or complicated. It may seem that you need special knowledge to use it. It may appear fragile, or of low quality. A good, attractive design can help speed the adoption of a new technology or a poorly executed design may inhibit acceptance.

Wow, you nearly nailed me. I had a 1980 Monza with rear window louvers (painted to match the body), a Pioneer cassette deck, under dash EQ and aftermarket fog lights. Ah, the good old days. I also had a pop up sunroof and neon (did you forget neon?) striping. Oh, and those 3 piece louvers on the Camaro in the pic are lame. The only way to go were the 1 piece wrap around style.

I wouldn't buy a warranty from a third party, but I would consider one from the manufacturer. Most do offer them, I know Honda does, it's called HondaCare. Oh, and when the second tranny went out on my '99 Odyssey at 120K, the dealer quoted me $4500 for a Honda reman'ed and installation. But here's the deal, when I pointed out to Honda (the dealer was no help at all) that this was trans #2 and it was only 80K old and that was ridiculous, Honda stepped up to the plate and paid for it.

It should be noted that even at full throttle from highway speeds, the Camry in that C&D test stopped in a shorter distance than a Ford Taurus did. As I've heard, there are several design decisions that Toyota made that have made this issue worse. 1) They used a material in the accel assemblies that absorbs water and swells, creating more friction and sticking. 2) They did not incorporate a throttle cutout in the drive by wire system that automatically cuts the engine if the brakes and gas are pressed together. The Infiniti C&D tested had that. I understand they are incorporating that now. 3) The push button start on many of these cars requires a long 5 seconds of constant pressing to kill the engine. That's an eternity when your car is running away from you. The Infiniti only required 3 seconds, and if you repeatedly stabbed at it (like someone might do in a panic), it'll kill the engine. not so on the Toyota 4) The gated shifter on some Toyotas requires two separate motions to get it into neutral - up and to the side. You cannot just bump it into neutral. In a panic, having to stop and think about something means it's less likely to happen correctly. So, a simple material defect in the accelerator mechanism has snowballed because of several other unfortunate design decisions.

I had to replace the AC condenser on my '99 Odyssey and I had it done in about an hour. Hopefully I won't have to do the radiator. Oh, and the rear plugs while not visible and a bit of a long reach, are pretty easy to do. Still, the front motor mount, just behind the radiator and quite visible was nearly impossible to access with actual wrenches. I gave up and paid a mechanic on that one, and I've removed the entire front suspension on my 60 T'bird to rebuild it and replaced the timing belt on that same Odyssey.

Amen to this post. A minivan is the answer to most family's vehicular questions. It nails most of your criteria: * Seating capacity - Comfy seats for 6 adults (I've taken 6 adults from Columbus OH to Chicago for a weekend in my Odyssey with no complaints) and you can carry 7 or 8 in a pinch. * Trunk space and cargo capacity - 4x8 sheets of plywood? Check. Full sized sofa? Sure. Family of 5, camping gear and 4 bikes? Yep. * Towing capability - Properly equiped, most minivans will pull a decnt 3,500 lbs. That comment on camping gear and 4 bikes above> I was pulling my 2,200 lb pop up too. Through the mountains of WV. * Bad weather and rough-road/off-road capability - This is the only item on your list where minivans don't shine. Toyota makes an AWD mode, but otherwise you're limited to ABS and traction/stability control. * Range - 20 gal tank and 22-23 MPG hwy get's me ~450 miles on a tank. * Reliability and maintenance - My Odyssey is approaching 200K, still riding on it's original struts and only recently had any suspension components replaced (tie rods, a cv joint, etc). The transmission has been a weak point, but Honda has stepped up to the plate on that and paid for the repairs. Still feels and drives at about 85% of what it did when I bought it at 40K. * Top speed - Not a minivan strong point, but in terms of what you need a vehicle to do, no complaints. Other vehicles are strong in an area or two, none shines across the board like a minivan. User-friendliness

Awesome. I have the urge now to go home and get my kids building something.

The most beautiful Eldorado Brougham I've seen was a couple years ago at the Arthritis foundation show here in Columbus. There are 6-7 shots of it on my blog, starting here. Check out the suicide doors, with no center pillar.

My grandfather had a 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton that had suicide doors. They (and the rest of the car, of course) were very cool. I think RR is the only modern car to use doors like this that are independent. As you noted, several coupes (the first was the Saturn SC, I think) and trucks (plus the Honda Element and Toyota FJ SUVs) do today. The problem with the tandem style is, when exiting the back seat, you end up trapped between the two doors and the car next to you. It takes a little dance between the front passenger, the two doors and the rear passenger to exit the vehicle. Loading groceries into the back seat means constantly opening and closing the half door to access the shopping cart.

Nice looking '77 MG Midget with a new clutch and tires and rebuilt tranny for $2100: http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/1403807741.html '73 Roadrunner in primer that 'runs and drives well': http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/1403675762.html