Rolavine
Well-known member
OK, I couldn't help myself, the Federal Government offered to give me $4500 trade in for my ancient Crown Victoria (420k miles), calling it a clunker (grrrrrrrr!). The Vic just barely qualified as it has an adjusted EPA combined of 18mpg, and that was the best mpg a car could get to qualify. In order to get the $4500 trade in I had to buy a car with a combined EPA of 28 (10mpg better), and since my wife is handicapped and might want, or need (just one more beer), to drive it I had to get an automatic (don't like them too much but at least they allow me to play the harmonica while driving without extended rest notes). So, I got the Hyundai Elantra figuring the consumer mags liked it and it was fairly large, can pull my utility trailer, and they gave me many more thousands off, and it was red and it had a great stereo. So I drive it to work yesterday morning taking the slab route and I'm thinking this isn't bad at all, what a nice car, boy did I get a deal, thanks uncle sam (yeah, like I don't know who is going to be paying anyway just like the last 40 years!).
But after work I took that beast back home via my favorite curvy, narrow and crumbling motorcycling roads and it totally sucked. It wheezed up hills the FRJ takes in 5th gear, the car shook through corners that made me think of racing Motel 6 beds with long extension cords to keep the magic fingers on, and it wasn't really any fun at all. Even the sceenary was distant, cold, dead, like a natural history display. Of course the damn thing leans the wrong way in corners too, and I had to sit way on the left side while driving too, what the hell is up with that?
To be fair it is the best car that I've ever owned, and it way suitable for slabbing to hell and back only requiring small air conditioning adjustments, but for the driving, riding, feedback grasping, feeling what is going on, being an active part of mobility past the sprits of place - them two extra wheels and extra ton take away about 90%.
Say, look into this C.A.R.S. program you may have something worth nothing that is worth something. Too bad they won't let us trade in on bikes!
I can't fix wippers, I meant wipers.
But after work I took that beast back home via my favorite curvy, narrow and crumbling motorcycling roads and it totally sucked. It wheezed up hills the FRJ takes in 5th gear, the car shook through corners that made me think of racing Motel 6 beds with long extension cords to keep the magic fingers on, and it wasn't really any fun at all. Even the sceenary was distant, cold, dead, like a natural history display. Of course the damn thing leans the wrong way in corners too, and I had to sit way on the left side while driving too, what the hell is up with that?
To be fair it is the best car that I've ever owned, and it way suitable for slabbing to hell and back only requiring small air conditioning adjustments, but for the driving, riding, feedback grasping, feeling what is going on, being an active part of mobility past the sprits of place - them two extra wheels and extra ton take away about 90%.
Say, look into this C.A.R.S. program you may have something worth nothing that is worth something. Too bad they won't let us trade in on bikes!
I can't fix wippers, I meant wipers.
Last edited by a moderator: