2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R
How much is a 700-plus horsepower supercharged V8 (and the clearance needed to go over whatever's in your way) worth?
It depends on which of...
The Anti-Lightning
There is a reason why the Lightning - the battery-powered version of Ford's F-150 pickup - isn't selling very well.
It's sitting - untethered -...
2024 Lincoln Corsair
Lincoln - Ford’s luxury line - used to specialize in luxury cars, just like just about every other luxury car brand - excepting luxury...
2023 Mercedes GLC 300
One of Mercedes' most successful vehicles ever was the M-Class SUV, which Mercedes no longer makes (the last year was 2015). It place has...
2023 Nissan Frontier
The Nissan Frontier - like the Ford Ranger and the Toyota Tacoma and the Chevy Colorado - used to be a compact-sized truck that...
2024 Buick Envista
Times change.
At one time, GM’s Buick division was known for selling big cars with big engines that were almost Cadillacs but not as flashy...
2023 Dodge Hornet
Dodge got handed a bag of lemons - with lots of brown spots - in the form of government regulations that have effectively outlawed...
2024 Subaru Crosstrek
Last year - which is still actually this model year - Subaru’s Crosstrek was pretty much the only small crossover that still came standard...
2023 Honda Civic
There’s a reason why people buy things. It is because the things people buy are appealing to the people who spend money on them.
That...
2024 Subaru Impreza
There used to be two versions of Subaru’s Impreza - a sedan and a five-door hatchback.
Now there’s just the hatchback.
Also gone is the manual...
2023 Toyota Prius
If there really is a "climate crisis" - as opposed to climate hysteria - you'd think people would be encouraged to buy hybrids like...
2023 BMW M2
What could be better than a more-than-400-horsepower twin-turbo six, paired with a manual transmission and rear-wheel-drive?
How about paying about $12k less for it?
In a...
Classic Cars
Pontiac is Racist
The Washington Redskins no longer play football; instead a "football team" from "Washington" does.
That, at least, is what the ex-Redskins were called until someone...
The Wages of Sin . . .
A battleship in service is ready for service, usually. But a battleship on static display may not even float - on account of the...
Meyers Manx Memories
Yesterday, I saw a Meyers Manx - a kind of car that used to be common that has become so uncommon that when you...
The Syclone That Came . . . and Went!
How many appealing vehicles can you name that were only sold for one year?
Even the Edsel lasted three.
Here's one that came - and went...
The Uber Beetle
Most people who've heard about the Chevy Corvair (1960-1969) heard about it courtesy of Ralph Nader - the self-appointed "consumer advocate" who wrote the...
Missing the Cordoba
"I know my own needs," said Ricardo Montalban. "And what I need from an automobile, I find in this new Cordoba." He went on...
Today vs. Yesterday . . .
Here's some nostalgia - and comparisons of today vs. yesterday!
The Last Pontiac V8
GM's Pontiac division ceased to be some 13 years ago. Because by that time, it had become a marketing facade for other GM vehicles,...
Rats and Mice
What's the difference between a mouse - and a rat? If you know cars, you know the answer. If not, here it is -...
Why Did it Fail?
The original 1964 Pontiac GTO was a huge success. Pontiac's attempt to bring the GTO back in 2003 was a massive fail.
Why? How could...
Barchetta Musings
Imagine if you had to use a scan tool to figure out why your toilet won't stop running. You don't have to do that,...
Motorcycles
Helmet Laws
If you ride a motorcycle, "the law" - that is to say, busybody people who write them - probably requires that you wear a...
Motorcycle Clovers
Regular readers of this column already know what a Clover is. It is someone who - among other things - refuses to move over...
My Bike is Like an EV
I was out riding my motorcycle the other day and it occurred to me - as I glanced at the odometer, which you do...
The Air Bag You Wear
People ride motorcycles because they aren't cars - and this goes much deeper than the obvious.
Motorcycles are free of almost all of the crap...
Some Therapy
Sometimes brakes stop you - from going.
It happens when the brake calipers clamp onto the rotors and don't let go. This happens, typically, because...
Hardly Able
People who ride motorcycles still care about motorcycles - as opposed to all-too-many-drivers, who view cars as appliances. Who have been conditioned to view...
Waiting for Spring
When the priests sealed the door on King Tut's tomb, the Pharaoh was left to sleep for the next 3,000 years. Spring often feels...
A Meerakuhl!
It’s helpful when your old bike breaks down at a buddy’s garage. Especially when your buddy happens to be an old bike fetishist, too....
2023 BMW K1600 GTL
Spend $50k on a new BMW car and you get a four cylinder engine. Spend half as much on a BMW bike and get a...
This BMW Still Has a Six
Actually, it still comes standard with one - and for about $26k to start. Most BMWs come standard with a four - and for...
A Little Therapy . . .
Owning a motorcycle is about more than just riding it. Caring for it is a big part of it.
There are sound practical reasons for...
Latest Radio: Bill Meyer Show/KMED FM 09/28/2023
Here's the audio of my weekly Wheels Up! segment with Bill Meyer over at KMED FM in Medford, Oregon. We talked about the Orange...
The Housing (and EeeeeVeee) Bubble
Houses in my area - a rural county in SW Virginia - didn't used to cost so much that most who live here couldn't...
The One New Car With a Bigger Standard Engine
How bizarre are the times? Here's a measure of them: The Toyota Prius is the only new car that comes standard this year with...
Latest Radio: Bryan Hyde Show 09/26/2023
Here's the audio of this week's chat with my friend Bryan Hyde, host of the Bryan Hyde Show in Utah! We talked about "Big...
Orange Opportunity
Many Democrats haven't yet realized that they've been voting for Leftists - and so for their own ruin. As for example the unionized auto...
When “Impaired” isn’t “Drunk”
You may have heard that, beginning with the 2026 model year, all new vehicles must be equipped with a system capable of detecting a...
Diaper Report: 09/24/2023
For the past three years, almost, these reports have been headlined, Diaper Reports. As in Face Diapers, which seemed about right because that's how...
Why I’m a Libertarian
Every single political movement promises everything except the one thing libertarianism defends for everyone:
Your right - and everyone else's right - to be left...
The Leader vs. Our Leaders
Say what you will about Der Fuhrer, the one thing he didn't do was try to take away people's cars.
In fact, he tried to...
Driving Us Out of Cars – Again
My recent column about the service so good you can't refuse it - car insurance - summoned many emails from people affirming they're being...
Latest Radio: Bill Meyer Show/KMED FM 09/21/2023
Here's the audio of my weekly Wheels Up! segment with my friend Bill Meyer over at KMED FM in Medford, Oregon!
. . .
If you...
Pontiac is Racist
The Washington Redskins no longer play football; instead a "football team" from "Washington" does.
That, at least, is what the ex-Redskins were called until someone...
Cycles
Helmet Laws
If you ride a motorcycle, "the law" - that is to say, busybody people who write them - probably requires that you wear a...
Motorcycle Clovers
Regular readers of this column already know what a Clover is. It is someone who - among other things - refuses to move over...
My Bike is Like an EV
I was out riding my motorcycle the other day and it occurred to me - as I glanced at the odometer, which you do...
Sorry, it Isn’t . . .
It's important to be clear about what we're talking about - whether it's men and women or motorcycles and scooters.
The other day I read...
The Air Bag You Wear
People ride motorcycles because they aren't cars - and this goes much deeper than the obvious.
Motorcycles are free of almost all of the crap...
The Irony of Saaaaaaafety
It is said - we are told (lectured) - that "speeding" is "unsafe." This dictum is regularly enforced by cops who "speed."
Often, they "speed"...
Some Therapy
Sometimes brakes stop you - from going.
It happens when the brake calipers clamp onto the rotors and don't let go. This happens, typically, because...
Zero . . .
Naming an electric scooter a Zero is at least editorially honest.
Of course, Zero - the manufacturer of electric scooters - likes to pretend that...
Waiting for Spring
When the priests sealed the door on King Tut's tomb, the Pharaoh was left to sleep for the next 3,000 years. Spring often feels...
What’s in the Box?
Normally, my old bikes start right up - even if I haven't started them in awhile. This latter being a regular thing during the...
A Meerakuhl!
It’s helpful when your old bike breaks down at a buddy’s garage. Especially when your buddy happens to be an old bike fetishist, too....
New Car Reviews
2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R
How much is a 700-plus horsepower supercharged V8 (and the clearance needed to go over whatever's in your way) worth?
It depends on which of...
The Anti-Lightning
There is a reason why the Lightning - the battery-powered version of Ford's F-150 pickup - isn't selling very well.
It's sitting - untethered -...
2024 Lincoln Corsair
Lincoln - Ford’s luxury line - used to specialize in luxury cars, just like just about every other luxury car brand - excepting luxury...
2023 Mercedes GLC 300
One of Mercedes' most successful vehicles ever was the M-Class SUV, which Mercedes no longer makes (the last year was 2015). It place has...
2023 Nissan Frontier
The Nissan Frontier - like the Ford Ranger and the Toyota Tacoma and the Chevy Colorado - used to be a compact-sized truck that...
2024 Buick Envista
Times change.
At one time, GM’s Buick division was known for selling big cars with big engines that were almost Cadillacs but not as flashy...
2023 Dodge Hornet
Dodge got handed a bag of lemons - with lots of brown spots - in the form of government regulations that have effectively outlawed...
2024 Subaru Crosstrek
Last year - which is still actually this model year - Subaru’s Crosstrek was pretty much the only small crossover that still came standard...
2023 Honda Civic
There’s a reason why people buy things. It is because the things people buy are appealing to the people who spend money on them.
That...
2024 Subaru Impreza
There used to be two versions of Subaru’s Impreza - a sedan and a five-door hatchback.
Now there’s just the hatchback.
Also gone is the manual...
2023 Toyota Prius
If there really is a "climate crisis" - as opposed to climate hysteria - you'd think people would be encouraged to buy hybrids like...
Latest Radio: Bill Meyer Show/KMED FM 09/28/2023
Here's the audio of my weekly Wheels Up! segment with Bill Meyer over at KMED FM in Medford, Oregon. We talked about the Orange...
The Housing (and EeeeeVeee) Bubble
Houses in my area - a rural county in SW Virginia - didn't used to cost so much that most who live here couldn't...
The One New Car With a Bigger Standard Engine
How bizarre are the times? Here's a measure of them: The Toyota Prius is the only new car that comes standard this year with...
