Wheels and Blades

sgt1372 said:
I leased a Chevy Bolt for 3 years to give it a try.

It was ok as basic transportation but, even w/more range than most EVs, It is quicker than you think and I'd often hit the speed limiter at 92 making a high speed pass on the freeway. The 2 Priuses I owned/leased were just as quick and they had an even higher limiter at 103. Yes, I have a lead foot. LOL! ;)

Anyway, I found it worrisome and inconvenient to drive the Bolt 140 miles from my house to SF ("the City") and back because, although it is/was rated for about 238 miles in range on a full charge, the way I drove it (which is fast), I'd only get about 160-180 miles of range out of it. So, I'd always have to take 15-30 mins to get a quick charge in the City, for peace of mind, before returning home.

After a few such trips, I just stopped driving into the City and used the Bolt for local transportation w/in 25-50 miles of home.

Turned in Bolt a a year ago but still have the Level 2 EV charger in garage. Have been thinking about maybe getting another one but I have no interest in getting a Tesla or other EV that claims to challenge the speed and performance of classic sports/muscle cars because I agree that EVs have no "soul."

I rented a Tesla S once and had it for a couple of days. It was a nice ride and you could drive it fast but it was really boring.

As for autonomous driving (full or partial), it's not for me. I don't trust "technology" all that much and I will not relinquish control of the car to a computer.

I don't mind "nanny warnings" like lane drifting and blind spot alarms or even emergency braking technology but IMO a person always needs to be in control while driving a car on public roads.

In fact, Tesla says that people still need to pay attention (even though they often do not) when they have the autonomous driving feature engaged because that technology is NOT perfect and still needs a person to make driving decisions to override that technology in certain situations.
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105mph is the fastest I've taken my Sorento. 2 am on I-94 in Chicago. I'm not sure what it's governed at. I'm hoping to hit 110.

For me, most of my driving is local, but I need a vehicle that's quick and/or handles well. We have some great windy roads in the Fox river valley. The road I live on has a hell of an S curve, which not only snakes but drops about 500 feet in elevation. 45 was the fastest I ever went through, and that was with my 2012 Kia Forte, which had serious handling. When I was 17 I forgot it was there and took a 1987 Chrysler 5th avenue through it at 35 and nearly went through the guard rail.

If you ever want to experience the millennium falcon hitting hyperdrive take an IROC style camaro with t-tops to 130 on a windy day. Terrifying! I thought it would rattle apart blues brothers style. 23 and a complete moron. But when you have three miles of divided 4 laner with no where for cops to hide...

I love the feel of a transmission, automatic or manual, if it's a modern auto. The 6 speed auto in my Sorento never bogs down.

Probably within a year or two I will buy a newer vehicle. Needs at least 5 seats. Maybe awd.
 
K.O.D. said:
105mph is the fastest I've taken my Sorento. 2 am on I-94 in Chicago. I'm not sure what it's governed at. I'm hoping to hit 110.
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Well, top speed in my stock 2014 C7 Z51 Corvette w/460HP and a 7 speed manual transmission is supposedly 190mph.

I've driven it at 120-130 while executing short, high speed passes, which can be done in 4th gear. :eek:

I use 5th for freeway cruising at 70-80 and have never had to use 6th or 7th gear. LOL! ;)
 
wheels & blade
beer as a bonus
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sgt1372 said:
An uncle (who was a mechanic) taught me how to drive in an early 1960's VW Bug w/a manual 4 on the floor on the streets and HILLS of San Francisco in the early morning on Sundays in 1966.
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I learned in a VW Bug as well. We had one that was chopped up as a buggy for the woods. After a quick tutorial on how to use the clutch and shift, my dad let me lose with the lone instructions, "Keep it between the ditches" o_O. I was 8 years old :eek:! I was gone in a flash, and let my dad tell it, have been ever since.

I attribute learning to drive at such a young age and my experience sliding around those old dirt country roads to my driving skills to this day. I'm certain that I have been able to avoid accidents because of it. Contrast that with my twins, who just turned 16, who didn't have that opportunity, and were also tucked safely in the back seat throughout their entire childhood not able to soak in the information from the road around them. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't terrifying.
 
jlauffer said:
72 Cutlass Supreme that someone turned into a 442 tribute. Was actually looking for a 71, as I was born that year.
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Early 70’s - the beginning of the end of the first golden age of muscle cars! I had a ‘71 Roadrunner but I was born in ‘72.
Can you post a pic of the whole car now that we know what it is?
 
Knives&Lint said:
I learned in a VW Bug as well. We had one that was chopped up as a buggy for the woods. After a quick tutorial on how to use the clutch and shift, my dad let me lose with the lone instructions, "Keep it between the ditches" o_O. I was 8 years old :eek:! I was gone in a flash, and let my dad tell it, have been ever since.

I attribute learning to drive at such a young age and my experience sliding around those old dirt country roads to my driving skills to this day. I'm certain that I have been able to avoid accidents because of it. Contrast that with my twins, who just turned 16, who didn't have that opportunity, and were also tucked safely in the back seat throughout their entire childhood not able to soak in the information from the road around them. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't terrifying.
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I think anyone over the age of say 35 has had an experience with a parent or relative letting them drive way too young by today's standards. My dad used to let me sit on his lap and steer when I was very little. We had a local place that was half waterslide/park half go-kart course. Spent so much time there, got way too good at it. In 5th grade they banned me from the go-kart track for powersliding into people making them spin out. Oops...

Still, I'll never forget that first time actually driving. I was 14 My grandfather, aka Mr. Texas, walks up to me one morning while down at his camp house in Texas, and says "Bernie, you're gonna drive the Scout today." That 66 Scout was no joke. However, it was the backwater area of Galveston and private property mostly. After a few laps of his property on the bay, he tells me to get my swimsuit on we're going to the beach.

Little did I know I was the one driving to the beach. It was one thing to drive around in first gear. I had to get it all the way into third, and driving on the beach is the easiest either. I was about 5'2" at the time, and that clutch was awful.

Speak of manual transmission, my dad loves to make fun of mom over the fact that when we got our first car with an automatic trans, she was terrified to drive it.
 
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