14||0|2798|0|
0|0|0|||1||Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|Gryphon||18:54:36|07/13/2016|FAIR WARNING%3A LONG-ASS RAMBLY POST%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AA bit of background%3A Back in the early %2790s %28including my second stint in Worcester%2C which was after dropping out of WPI in %2792%2C and about which the less said the better overall%29%2C I had a 1966 Volkswagen Beetle.  Unfortunately%2C no pictures of it seem to have survived%2C but %5Blink%3Aclassiccars.com%2Flistings%2Fview%2F862097%2F1966-volkswagen-beetle-for-sale-in-harrisburg-pennsylvania-17110%7Chere is a representative example%5D.  Mine did not have the roof rack%2C but was the same colors%2C interior and exterior.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow%2C I will freely concede that the original Beetle had certain disadvantages when weighed as a daily driver in the northeastern United States.  It was air-cooled%2C which was fine in mechanical terms%2C but meant it had no useful way of heating the cabin.  Oh%2C there was nominally a heater%2C in the form of a duct that ran up the middle of the floor and had a couple of levers that supposedly controlled the circulation of exhaust%2C but this had a few problems.  For one%2C it was designed to %5Bi%5Dbring exhaust gases into the cabin%5B%2Fi%5D%2C with only the outer skin of the tunnel to prevent said gases from actually getting all the way inside where the occupants would breathe them.  For another%2C it didn%27t have any way of warming the windshield%2C for defrosting purposes%2C other than by generally raising the temperature in the cabin.  And for a third%2C it really didn%27t do that.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe 1960s Beetles were also cramped%2C had not-very-comfortable seats %28they were stuffed with horsehair%21%29%2C tended toward a certain electrical wonkiness%2C and were comically underpowered and slow.  Mine was actually a hot rod of sorts%3B instead of the 50-horsepower%2C 1300-cc engine that came standard in 1966%2C it had been retrofitted at some point with the 1600-cc engine from a %2770s Super Beetle%2C which had %5Bi%5D60%5B%2Fi%5D horsepower%21  Wowwww.  As my friend Josh once put it when we were merging onto I-290 in Worcester%2C %22Oh look%2C it%27s trying to accelerate%21  That%27s so cute%21%22%0D%0A%0D%0AThey also included a number of obviously deliberate but somewhat questionable design choices.  For instance%2C possibly to save weight and%2For complexity%2C there was no pump for the windshield washer fluid.  Instead%2C the fluid was pressurized by the spare tire.  The obvious downside there is that if you wash your windshield a lot%2C your spare tire goes flat.  Also%2C there was no external fuel filler door.  To fill the tank%2C you had to open the trunk %28which is at the front on the original Beetle%2C because the engine is in the back%29 and plug the nozzle down a pipe up near the front bulkhead.  This routinely flummoxed service station attendants and was always good for a giggle%2C but was a bit of a hassle in winter%2C what with the trunk lid%27s tendency to ice up and freeze shut.%0D%0A%0D%0AAs you can see from the photos%2C the cabin was pretty bare in 1966.  Apart from an aftermarket cassette deck%2C mine had a grand total of two instruments%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A1%29 a speedometer-odometer%3B%0D%0A2%29 a fuel gauge that did not work reliably.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere was also a directional signal control%2C and a hazard lights knob that%2C when pulled out%2C would make the car signal a right turn.  To get all four of them going%2C you then had to signal a left turn in the usual manner.  Seriously%2C I%27m not kidding you%2C that was how you did it.  I%27m not sure if that was intentional%2C or just a quirk that my particular one had.  It did have a certain electrical instability%3B once when I was driving back to Worcester from Providence at night%2C the instrument lights failed%2C leaving me in the interesting position of being able to answer truthfully%2C %22Well%2C no%2C%22 to the age-old question%2C %22Do you know how fast you were going%2C sir%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0AAnyway.  No matter.  I loved mine.  Because of its tendency to be a bit perverse but come through in the end%2C it was named Hagbard%2C after the character in the %5Bi%5DIlluminatus%21%5B%2Fi%5D trilogy.  I sold it reluctantly when I took the Leading Edge job and moved back to Massachusetts%2C because it was impressed upon me that I would need something a bit more... commutable... and I was persuaded to take my grandparents%27 old Pontiac instead.  Always kind of meant to get another one someday%2C but never got around to it%2C and now they%27re stupidly valuable on the collector market%2C of course.%0D%0A%0D%0AFast-forward a couple of years%2C and along came the Beetle Concept%2C which then entered production as the New Beetle in 1998.  I never quite cottoned to the New Beetle.  I mean%2C I like the %22retro-modern%22 car thing generally%3B I%27m quite pleased with the way that sort of styling sensibility has gone down with the Formerly Big Three%27s %2760s muscle car revivals %28Chevrolet%27s Camaro revivals%2C the recent Ford Mustangs%2C and the new Dodge Challenger%29%2C and I like BMW%27s take on the Mini more than its mechanical reliability and build quality %28which are woeful%29 deserve.  I%27m also pretty taken with the current Fiat 500%2C though I didn%27t look seriously at them this time around because the nearest dealer is 200%2B miles away.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnyway%2C I never really took to the New Beetle in the same way.  I didn%27t hate it%2C but I didn%27t want one%2C either.  Its styling seemed a little %5Bi%5Dtoo%5B%2Fi%5D self-conscious%2C and a little too bulbous.  It felt like they%27d been trying too hard to get onto a specific %5Bi%5Dsubgenre%5B%2Fi%5D of classic Beetle fandom%2C that California surfer%2Fhippie thing%2C and I wasn%27t part of that stripe when I had my own classic Beetle.  Like the Chrysler PT Cruiser%2C it over-retro%27d itself into almost immediately seeming dated%2C and when I test drove one 10-15 years ago%2C it wasn%27t particularly fun to drive%2C either.  Not terrible%2C few modern cars are genuinely terrible to drive these days%2C but not interesting either.  So I passed.%0D%0A%0D%0ADissolve to this past February%2C when I got a letter in the mail from American Honda informing me that my CR-Z had been swept up in the ever-expanding shit-tide of the great Takata airbag recall.  This%2C if you%27re not aware%2C is possibly the greatest clusterfuck in the history of cars%2C vastly exceeding the Exploding Ford Pinto scandal in scale-of-deployment %28if not%2C so far%2C body count%29%2C in which the world%27s leading manufacturer of airbags has been selling defective units to multiple manufacturers for more than a decade.  These defective units have a habit of going off like hand grenades when triggered%2C so that in addition to being punched in the face by an airbag%2C the driver and front-seat passengers are also sprayed with hot%2C jagged metal shrapnel.  This is %5Bi%5Dnot ideal%5B%2Fi%5D in a piece of safety equipment.  The only upside%2C if you can call it one%2C is that they%27re only doing it in situations where the airbags should be deploying%2C not just blowing up at random.%0D%0A%0D%0AJillions upon jillions of cars are affected by this problem.  We don%27t even know for sure how many yet%2C because Takata has until the end of 2018 to even finish disclosing all of the affected models to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration%2C and I forget how many more years after that to finish providing all the necessary replacement parts.  %28And then there%27s some uncertainty as to whether the replacements are themselves entirely safe.  Seriously.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAnyway%2C Honda%27s CR-Z eluded the dragnet through the first few waves%2C but the recall finally caught up with it early this year%2C and the letter I got contained the... unique... combination of information that%0D%0A%0D%0A1%29 This defect could kill you%2C and if you%27re not OK with that%2C you should not drive your car until it is fixed%3B%0D%0A2%29 Replacement parts will be available this summer.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis was in February.%0D%0A%0D%0AI called my sort-of-local Honda dealer %28%22local%22 is a relative term in my part of the world%29 and ran that interesting paradox by them%2C discovering that Honda already had a procedure in place for it.  %22Bring your car down%2C%22 they said%2C %22and we%27ll keep it here until the parts come in.  In the meantime%2C Honda will rent a car for you to drive.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AAs it happens%2C the Honda dealership in Bangor is part of the same company as the Ford dealer there%2C which also operates a rental company%2C so I found myself driving a last-year Ford Focus for a couple of months.  And it was pretty good%2C the Focus is a nice car%2C but I was really annoyed by the whole situation.  It bugged me to be driving somebody else%27s car%2C not on my own license plates%2C etc.  Then%2C one day in April%2C it suddenly occurred to me that I%27ve got a decent-paying full-time job for the first time since %28depending on whether you view my job as a newspaper editor as %22decent-paying%29 either 2005 or 2002%2C and I could%2C if I felt like it%2C actually buy a new %28or newish%29 car.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere followed a lengthy period of research%2C shlepping to dealerships for test drives%2C and so forth%2C which I%27ll omit here because it wasn%27t really that interesting to %5Bi%5Dme%5B%2Fi%5D%2C let alone anyone else.  The upshot of it is that in mid-May%2C I traded in my CR-Z on a new Civic EX-T coupe.  %28I would pretty much only have been able to trade it in on another Honda at that point%2C since with the recall outstanding%2C it would have been effectively worthless to any other dealer.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd it was cool%21  The new Civic is a good-looking car%2C particularly the two-door.  The interior of the one I bought is a bit relentlessly black%2C as many new-car interiors are these days%2C but it has a lot of nifty little features.  It does %5Blink%3Ayoutu.be%2FVFR9rM7ZEfQ%7Cthis%5D when you turn it on%2C for pity%27s sake.%0D%0A%0D%0AThen%2C as I was driving it home%2C I discovered something %5Bi%5Delse%5B%2Fi%5D it did that wasn%27t as cool%3A the fancy newfangled all-touchscreen AV head unit in the dash %28which debuted this year as part of the Civic redesign%29 couldn%27t seem to get to grips with my iPod Classic.  It played one track%E2%80%94badly%E2%80%94and then did the in-car touchscreen radio equivalent of crashing to reboot%2C in the process bricking the iPod so hard I initially feared it was actually dead.  %28I was able to resurrect it by plugging it into my PC at home and resetting it completely.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bi%5DWell%2C shit%2C%5B%2Fi%5D I thought%2C and%E2%80%94na%C3%AFvely%E2%80%94chose to believe that this happened because the cutting-edge new unit couldn%27t hang with an item as antiquated as a last-generation iPod Classic.  On the premise that what you do with a technology problem is throw more technology at it%2C I broke down and bought an iPod Touch to replace it for in-car duty...%0D%0A%0D%0A... and it didn%27t work either.  It didn%27t brick like the Classic%2C but on the other hand%2C it needed to be unplugged and plugged back in three or four times on every startup for the deck to even recognize it was there%2C and then it played back %5Blink%3Awww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DQY-Bci1wQbg%7Clike this%5D%2C which I think you may agree is completely unacceptable.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo I took it back in%2C and their service people looked it over%2C scratched their heads%2C and then offered the following suggestions%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A1%29 You%27re doing it wrong.%0D%0A2%29 You should get an iPhone.%0D%0A3%29 My iPhone works fine with it%2C look.%0D%0A4%29 Use Bluetooth.%0D%0A5%29 You should get an iPhone.%0D%0A%0D%0AEventually I made enough of a fuss about it%E2%80%94there%27s a button on the source menu for iPod%2C why is it there if you%27re not supposed to use an iPod with the system%3F%E2%80%94that they took it in to get someone from Honda Corporate%27s tech group to come and look at it.  In the meantime%2C they provided as a loaner another new Civic EX%2C without satellite radio but otherwise with the same AV unit.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhich worked %28or rather didn%27t work%29 %5Blink%3Awww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DI8vhGnNsTtI%7Cexactly the same%5D.  %28For bonus points%2C check what the screen is doing.  That%27s not even the title of that audiobook%2C it%27s one of the %5Bi%5DUndocumented Features%5B%2Fi%5D audio tracks elsewhere in the iPod%27s music library.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAt %5Bi%5Dthis%5B%2Fi%5D point%2C someone from American Honda%27s central customer service office called me up and somewhat forcefully reiterated the original points that the dealer%27s service department had originally made.  She %5Bi%5Dinsisted%5B%2Fi%5D%2C vehemently and I might say a bit cuttingly%2C that the problem was simply my insistence on using a separate Apple music device instead of %22the iPod built into your phone%22 %28n.b. there is no such thing%29%2C and that if I would just get with the program and switch to an iPhone everything would be fine%2C and that if I %5Bi%5Dwouldn%27t%5B%2Fi%5D do so then there was nothing anyone could do for me.  It was as if I were obstinately insisting that I should be able to play eight-tracks with a CD player.  She seemed personally offended that I would even %5Bi%5Dwant%5B%2Fi%5D to have an Android phone paired to the system with Bluetooth and then plug an iPod in with USB%2C let alone expect such a cockamamie scheme to actually %5Bi%5Dwork%5B%2Fi%5D %28like it had in%2C oh%2C every other car I%27d tried it in over the course of the adventure%29.%0D%0A%0D%0AFor even more bonus points%2C here is the relevant page from the 2016 Civic owner%27s manual%2C showing how one would set up an iPod via USB%3A%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FG-GFX%2F2016%2520civic%2520manual%2520page%2520188.png%0D%0A%0D%0APlease note the illustration%2C %5Bi%5Dwhich clearly shows not just any iPod but %5Bb%5Dan iPod Classic%5B%2Fb%5D being connected to the system via USB.%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0ARight.%0D%0A%0D%0AOh yeah%2C and all the while this was going on%2C I was being bombarded by smarmy marketing emails from Honda congratulating me on my all-new%2C all-innovative Civic and exhorting me to fill out web surveys telling them how much I was enjoying it.  Oh really%3F  You really want me to do that%3F  Take a seat.  I hope you packed a sandwich.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnyway%2C at that point enough was enough%3B I called up the dealer and told them they could have their all-new%2C all-innovative Civic back%2C as I no longer wanted one.  I tried to make it as clear as I could to my salesman %28who%2C awkwardly%2C randomly happened to be an old family friend from my childhood%29 and his superiors that they hadn%27t screwed up%2C Honda had%E2%80%94but all the same%2C the deal was off.  And somewhat to my surprise%2C they took it back.  Heck%2C they even rushed the recall work on my CR-Z %28which was still on the lot%2C since they couldn%27t sell it in its present condition%29 so that when I un-traded it in%2C I wouldn%27t have to get back in a rental.  No complaints there.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnyway%2C that probably would have been that%2C except that my father was suddenly in need of economical transportation%2C on account of he went out and bought an enormous turbo-diesel Ford F-350 megapickup to haul his 5th-wheel camper trailer%2C and then discovered somewhat to his dismay that commuting to his various obligations with it was both expensive and%2C given the size and unwieldiness of the vehicle%2C a bit frightening.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo%2C to avoid making a long story even longer%2C I gave him the CR-Z on an extended loan %28paying back a small multitude of similar arrangements he%27s made for me over the years%29%2C then went looking for another car %5Bi%5Dwithout%5B%2Fi%5D using the CR-Z as a trade-in.  Which is fine%2C as it turns out%2C because even with the recall work done%2C the CR-Z has the interesting distinction of being one of the only Honda models in recent memory to depreciate like it fell off an aircraft carrier.%0D%0A%0D%0AAbout the only thing I knew going into Version 2 of the car search was that I wasn%27t going to buy another Honda%3B I still like their product line overall%2C and a used CR-V or Accord from a year or two ago would serve perfectly well in the AV department %28I know because I%27ve tried it%29%2C but given their customer service department%27s performance in the Civic debacle%2C it would%27ve been too much like rewarding failure.  I nearly bought a second-hand Lincoln MKS%2C a large and very comfortable car indeed%2C but it sold before I regained my financial mobility %28it took the finance people a week or so to un-do the deal on the Civic so that I could apply for another loan%29.  I seriously considered a Ford Focus%2C like the one I had been renting.  They%27re really quite good.  The only real problem with them is that Ford no longer makes a two-door Focus%2C and wedging my fat ass in and out of the tiny%2C tiny doors of the four-door model got old real fast in my time with the rental.  I even kicked around the idea of getting one of Ford%27s C-Max Energy plug-in hybrid hatchback things%2C on which they are currently running some %5Bi%5Dbangin%27%5B%2Fi%5D lease deals%2C but they drive kind of weirdly and also have the Tiny Doors Problem.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd then%2C as I was leaving the Ford lot in defeat%2C it suddenly dawned on me that they sell Volkswagens as well.  I had vaguely been aware that they%27d redesigned the Beetle %28and dropped the %22New%22 from its name%29 a few years ago%2C but hadn%27t really taken a close look at one%2C and there happened to be one%E2%80%94a convertible%2C no less%E2%80%94sitting right outside the dealership door as I was leaving.  And you know what%2C the new not-New Beetle is a good-looking car.  They sort of mooshed it down a bit for the current generation%2C made it lower and wider with a much less silly roofline%3B it actually looks less reminiscent of the original Beetle than of early Porsches %28which were heavily informed by the Beetle%29 and the old Karmann Ghia %28a %2760s Beetle with an Italian-designed sports body on it%29.  Very nice.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow%2C VW has had its own share of bad press lately%2C and unlike Honda and the Takata airbag fiasco%2C it is of their own making.  If you%27ve been under a rock%2C basically what they did was go to extraordinary lengths of engineering to devise a system by which their diesel-powered models%2C which have been popular with greenies for years because of their mileage and their much-vaunted emissions performance%2C would %5Bi%5Dlie about said emissions performance%5B%2Fi%5D when they noticed that they were being tested %28as is done as part of the safety inspection protocol in some states%29%2C and then go around burning diesel as dirtily as they liked the rest of the time.  This has Morally Outraged a great many people around the world%2C caused a massive bloodletting among the company%27s executives%2C and is likely to cost VW billions of dollars by the time it%27s all said and done.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27ll be honest%2C though%3A I don%27t really give a shit about diesel automobile emissions.  Even in Europe%2C where they%27re more popular than in the US%2C passenger cars make up such a minuscule slice of the global diesel-powered motor vehicle market compared with commercial trucks%2C buses%2C etc. that%2C in practical terms%2C I seriously doubt whether a few million VW Golfs have been lying on their SATs makes any difference.  In North America%2C where only VW and maybe one or two other European manufacturers even offer diesel engines in their passenger cars and practically no one buys them%2C it%27s even less of an issue.  And as someone who was routinely dicked around for years by corrupt emissions inspectors in both California and Massachusetts%2C while driving a nearly-new car that can have had nothing wrong with its emission control system%2C I speak from the heart when I say%2C fuck those guys anyway.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo yeah.  The Diesel Scandal %28I decline to use the %22-gate%22 suffix on these things out of pure contrariness%29 did not impact my willingness to buy a Volkswagen.  That probably makes me a bad person%2C but it is what it is.  Heck%2C I even looked at a one-year-old Beetle TDI someone with greater moral fiber than I have had traded back with barely 2%2C000 miles on it%2C and probably would have bought it except for VW%27s odd insistence on placing the clutch pedal on manual-transmission Beetles in the center of the driver%27s footwell instead of over on the lefthand side.  %28The result of this is a driving position a bit like I%27ve heard the old Lancia Stratos had%2C where you%27re sitting sort of canted 10%C2%B0 or so toward the centerline instead of parallel with it.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI was about 70%25 locked in on the convertible I%27d originally spotted%2C because a test drive reminded me how keenly I miss having a convertible since I lost my beloved Saab%2C when I noticed a new arrival at the end of the row%3A a black Beetle hardtop.  At first I thought it was the Beetle TDI I had tested%2C which was the same color%2C but a closer look showed that it was a different car.  Intrigued%2C I asked the salesman what the story was on it%2C and he said it had just come in on trade.  I looked it over%2C took it for a drive%2C got the dealer people to crunch some numbers%2C and decided well%2C hardtop or not%2C it would be stupid to let this go by.  It%27s just too good a deal for this much car.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo%2C after all of that build-up%2C here%27s the new arrival%2C already bug-flecked and dusty because that%27s how cars end up after a hundred miles or so in Maine in the summer%3A%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FG-GFX%2Fbeetle%2Fbeetle.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0AThis is a 2013 Beetle 2.0T Fender Edition%2C which was a special edition trim level for the two-liter turbo gasoline model.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s Fender as in the guitars-and-amps manufacturer%2C makers of the Stratocaster.  VW has been using Fender as its premium speaker vendor for a few years now%2C the same way that high-end GMs %28for example%29 feature Bose speakers%2C Mercedes-Benzes have harman%2Fkardons%2C and so forth%2C but the Fender Edition package takes that up a notch with some unique trim features%2C most notably%3A%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FG-GFX%2Fbeetle%2Fbeetledash.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0ARecognize that wood accent%3F  You should if you%27re at all familiar with Fender%27s product line%2C because that%27s their signature Three-Tone Sunburst finish %28as seen on%2C for example%2C Mio%27s Fender Jazz Bass in %5Bi%5DK-On%21%5B%2Fi%5D%29.  I%27ll be honest%2C it%27s a feature that adds absolutely nothing to the experience of actually driving the car%2C but when I got in and realized what it was%2C it was a definite %5Bi%5Dshut up and take my money%5B%2Fi%5D sort of moment. %3A%29  The only way that could possibly be any cooler is if they had their premium deal with Gibson and that was a Les Paul Heritage Cherry Sunburst panel.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Again%2C apologies for how dusty it already is in there.  Around here in the summertime%2C especially living as close to the main road through town as I do%2C the gods themselves struggle in vain against road dust.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AHere%27s the office%3A%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FG-GFX%2Fbeetle%2Fbeetleoffice.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s a bit less bare-bones than its predecessor from 50 years ago. %3A%29  %28Although also%2C I have to admit%2C a bit less welcoming%2C somehow.  I miss the font that %2760s speedometers were numbered in%2C and the jauntiness of the old-timey steering wheels.  It%27d be a nice touch if they%27d put the Wolfsburg crest on the wheel of the new ones%2C like they were in the %2760s%2C instead of yet another VW logo.  The car%27s already got six of those on it%2C I%27m not sure it needed another one.  But that%27s a minor matter.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso note the mildly silly bonus gauge package on top of the dash.  From left to right%2C those are%3A an oil temperature gauge %28because oil temperature is apparently Very%2C Very Important in this model%2C like more important than water temperature%3B between that gauge and the multi-function display in the speedo%2C there are two separate ways to get informed about it%29%2C a stopwatch %28no%2C seriously%29%2C and a turbo vacuum%2Fboost gauge.  The stopwatch%2C in particular%2C cracks me up.  I always think of Jeremy Clarkson talking about the similar one fitted in Porsche 911 GT3s.  %22Now you can keep track of your own lap times and compare them with your friends%27%21  What a %5Bi%5Dthing%21%5B%2Fi%5D  What a %5Bi%5Dtool%5B%2Fi%5D... you%27ll be.%22 %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AThe Fender Edition doesn%27t have navigation %28which%2C annoyingly%2C means that head unit won%27t support a rearview camera%29%2C but it does have satellite radio and it will talk to either of my iPods just fine.  %28One annoying thing about VWs before the 2016 model year is that they require a special proprietary cable to interface with media devices%2C they don%27t just have a USB port somewhere%3B but mine came with the classic 30-pin iPod cable already%2C and the parts department hooked me up with one for the newer Lighting interface as well.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s full of nice little touches%2C stuff that automobile marketing people collectively label %22surprise and delight%22 features.  The plug in the 12V power socket%2C which would have been a cigarette lighter in earlier times%2C isn%27t just a chunk of plastic %28though it did come with one%2C it%27s in the glove compartment%29%3B it%27s a little flashlight that keeps itself charged off the 12V system while it%27s plugged in there.  There%27s accent lighting around the speakers in the doors that can be set to a couple of different colors.  You can%27t turn or leave the fog lights on by mistake thanks to the way the headlight control is designed.  If you forget and leave the windows and%2For sunroof open when you get out%2C you don%27t have to get back in to close them but can do it from outside.  Little stuff like that.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere are also bigger features%2C such as the pushbutton start %28another irrational love point in a car for me nowadays%29%2C the accompanying %22car unlocks if you grab the door handle while the key is in your pocket%22 thing%2C and the high-intensity headlights%2C which are kind of scifi spooky.  When you start the car up%2C the headlight lenses fidget slightly%2C like the eyes of a curious robot focusing on a nearby item.  I%27m not 100%25 sold on the Christmas-tree-light look of the daytime running lights %28which%2C in a style VW have inherited from Audi of late%2C are in the form of rows of white LEDs partly surrounding the headlights%29%2C but they work quite well%2C I have to acknowledge that.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis model has the previous generation of VW%27s long-running two-liter turbo engine%2C which was just updated for this year and gets slightly better mileage now than the one I have%2C but from all I%27ve been able to find online%2C it%27s a well-established power plant known for its longevity.  VWs do have a habit of needing a new timing belt at around 100%2C000 miles%2C which can be an expensive job%2C but if you know it%27s coming and plan for it%2C it%27s not a catastrophic problem.  It%27s a consequence of using a belt instead of a chain%3B they stay in tension better along their lifespan and so require less futzing with%2C but eventually wear out and have to be replaced altogether.  Six of one.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s also got a DSG transmission %28I forget what that stands for%2C some German phrase that translates to %22direct shift gearing%22%2C I think%29%2C which is basically two three-speed manual transmissions with what you might think of as a pair of robot clutches between them.  One of them handles even gears%2C the other odds%2C making the overall unit a six-speed plus reverse.  It can run in either of two different automatic modes %28one is configured to be a little more aggressive than the other%29%2C or you can bang the lever sideways out of D and into %22Tiptronic%22 mode%2C wherein you can dictate shifts manually%2C either by waggling the lever backward and forward%2C or by using the almost-obligatory-these-days F1-style paddles on the steering wheel.%0D%0A%0D%0AFull disclosure%3A I am crap at selecting shift points in Tiptronic mode so far%2C and generally I just leave it in automatic mode.  However%2C when I have tried it out%2C it%27s been pretty fun.  Not as satisfying as stomping a clutch pedal and moving a lever around%2C no%2C but pretty good%2C ad also harder to screw up apart from picking the wrong gear for your current speed and lurching around at some untoward RPMs for a bit.  The computer won%27t actually let you blow up the valve train%2C so there%27s no harm in experimenting.  I just haven%27t practiced with it enough yet to get good at it.%0D%0A%0D%0AOne fun aside about the DSG system is that it%27s mostly deployed in German cars%2C and so is often touted in the motoring press as a typical example of Cutting-Edge German Technology%2C but it isn%27t.  It%27s American%2C developed by BorgWarner in Michigan.  VW also uses BorgWarner turbos%2C I believe.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s not 100%25 perfect%2C I will grant you.  The robot clutch is a trifle dimwitted at low speeds%2C such that the car tends to lurch slightly in low-speed maneuvers %28like patrolling a parking lot%29%E2%80%94uncannily simulating how I drove a stick shift when I was 17%2C as it happens%E2%80%94and when you%27re pulling away from an intersection there can occasionally be adventuresome moments when the turbo comes in when you weren%27t expecting it %28%22%5Bi%5DNot now%2C Cato%21%5B%2Fi%5D%22%29%2C but not to a dangerous degree%3B it%27s just slightly bemusing.  I find myself talking to it like it%27s a mildly twitchy horse.  %22Easy there%2C now.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AOther faults%2C while I%27m finding them%3A the seats have Sporting Pretensions%2C which means fairly aggressive side and thigh bolsters%2C which is not perhaps as comfortable as it could be.  It%27s not anywhere near as cripplingly uncomfortable as the seats in the Accord I test-drove during the first go-round%2C though%2C where I actually had difficulty walking for a little while after I got out.  Brutal.  Like flying economy.  The Beetle is not in that league%2C but one of the days I may look into ways of softening the experience a bit.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s a bit noisy%2C though I think a lot of that can be laid at the doorstep of the OEM tires%2C which are Hankook Optimas %28not exactly famous for their quietude%29.  I had some Dynamat sound%2Fthermal insulation put in the doors last weekend%2C and that helped a bit as well%3B may go for some more in the floor and on the firewall in a later pay cycle as well.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28It also requires the expensive gasoline%2C because it%27s a German turbo%2C which made my mother give me the bugged-out-eyes %22is it too late to get out of this%22 look when the salesman mentioned it as I was signing the papers.  But then it burns it at a fairly reasonable rate%2C so it%27s not that big a deal.  I mean%2C it%27s not a 6-liter Jag%2C it%27s a Beetle. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AThe interior of the Fender Edition %5Bi%5Dis%5B%2Fi%5D kind of very dark%2C I admit%2C but the sunburst dash accent makes up for a bunch of that%2C and I have to admit it fits with the overall theme of the package.%0D%0A%0D%0AOh yeah%2C the OEM tires lead me back to an item I neglected to mention earlier.  I noted that this car is a 2013 model%3B it%27s unusual to find one of those on a lot that still has its original tires.  In this case%2C however%2C that%27s perfectly understandable...%0D%0A%0D%0A... since when I drove it off the lot%2C it had 7%2C990 miles on it.%0D%0A%0D%0AYeah.  Somebody bought that car brand new in April of 2013%2C then basically just put it away somewhere before trading it in last month.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt would normally be off the bumper-to-bumper portion of its warranty and onto powertrain only%2C as VW%27s standard full coverage is 3 years%2F36%2C000 miles%2C but because of its virtually unused condition%2C the dealership certified it in spite of its age %28they normally only do that for cars that are two years old or less%29.  This tacks another two years or 24%2C000 miles onto the factory full warranty and extends the powertrain-only segment a similar distance%2C so it%27ll be fully covered for another 22 months unless I go completely berserk and manage to drive it 52%2C000 miles before then.  That seems unlikely.%0D%0A%0D%0ABetween that and the price they were asking for it%2C I couldn%27t really justify paying full freight for a brand-new convertible with less equipment on it%2C however much I yearn for that 93 million miles of headroom.  Maybe next time.  %28This one does have a sunroof%2C and a really-quite-enormous one at that%2C but it%27s not the same.  I don%27t much care for sunroofs%2C generally.  They seem like a cool idea%2C but in practice they%27re mostly just another place for bees to come in.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAnyway%21  The current-model Beetle.  It%27s a really nice car.  Acres of front legroom.  I actually have to move the seat slightly forward and raise it up a little to reach the optimal driving position%2C which is pretty much unheard of for me%2C and it feels like there%27s room for a pickup rugby match in those footwells.  The mild stupidity of the robot gearbox aside%2C it%27s a lot of fun to drive%3B the 2.0-liter turbo had 200 horsepower in 2013 %28the new version has 210%29%2C which means that even for a car that weighs about twice as much as its 1966 predecessor%2C it is plenty capable of getting out of its own way.  Trunk space is%2C unsurprisingly%2C nothing to write home about%2C thanks to the restrictions dictated by the Beetle%27s distinctive shape%3A%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2FG-GFX%2Fbeetle%2Fbeetlerear.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0A%28cheeky rear shot from my front stoop%2C with post blocking the license plate %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0Abut really%2C if one were interested in cargo space as an overarching priority%2C one would presumably get a Golf Sportwagen anyway.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn that same vein%2C I can%27t speak to the rear head or legroom%2C but I expect they%27re not very good.  The Beetle coupe is definitely what they used to call a %222%2B2%22 configuration and not a proper four-seater.  Then again%2C my previous car didn%27t have a back seat at all and I never once found myself wishing it did%2C so it%27s unlikely to be an issue for me.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis was a longer and more agonizing car hunt than usual%2C only partly thanks to the ordeal that was the Civic experience%2C but in the end%2C I%27m satisfied that I%27ve made a good deal on a good car.  VW have had their problems recently%2C and in terms of buying accessories they%27re a little like Apple %28they%27ll do me a version of that head unit that has navigation%E2%80%94for just %242000%21 so clearly they don%27t want to sell too many of those %3A%29%2C but they make a good product and%2C critically%2C have not so far attempted to gaslight me into believing that expecting an iPod to work with a car stereo that says it works with iPods is somehow unreasonable.  Smiles all around thus far.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
1|1|0|||1||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|Gryphon||19:16:05|07/13/2016|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jul-13-16 AT 07:16 PM (EDT)]Oh yeah%2C I forgot to mention%E2%80%94%5Bi%5DK%C3%A4fer%5B%2Fi%5D is what the original Beetle was informally called in Germany%2C being as it%27s German for %22beetle%22.  It%27s not the German name of the current model %28which is%2C as far as I can tell%2C just %5Bi%5Dder Beetle%5B%2Fi%5D%29%2C but%E2%80%94rather charmingly%2C IMO%E2%80%94you can buy a replacement for the decklid badge %28which normally says %22Turbo%22 or %22TDI%22 or whatever%29 from VW%27s parts catalog that says %22K%C3%A4fer%22 or %22Maggiolino%22 %28which I assume is Italian%29 or a variety of other names by which the Beetle is known in various countries.  I haven%27t done that%2C but who knows%2C one of these days I might.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
2|1|0|||1||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|Pasha||19:41:36|07/13/2016|%3EFast-forward a couple of years%2C and along came the Beetle Concept%2C %0D%0A%3Ewhich then entered production as the New Beetle in 1998.  I never %0D%0A%3Equite cottoned to the New Beetle.  I mean%2C I like the %22retro-modern%22 %0D%0A%3Ecar thing generally%3B I%27m quite pleased with the way that sort of %0D%0A%3Estyling sensibility has gone down with the Formerly Big Three%27s %2760s %0D%0A%3Emuscle car revivals %28Chevrolet%27s Camaro revivals%2C the recent Ford %0D%0A%3EMustangs%2C and the new Dodge Challenger%29%2C and I like BMW%27s take on the %0D%0A%3EMini more than its mechanical reliability and build quality %28which are %0D%0A%3Ewoeful%29 deserve.  I%27m also pretty taken with the current Fiat 500%2C %0D%0A%3Ethough I didn%27t look seriously at them this time around because the %0D%0A%3Enearest dealer is 200%2B miles away. %0D%0A%0D%0AI owned a bright yellow 500 for several years%2C and loved the hell out of it%2C until I wound up having to sit in it for more than 2 hours at a stretch%2C at which point I wanted to kill whoever designed those seats.  Amusingly when it turned out that %28after we traded that in for a larger subaru%29 that I needed a car for commuting to the new gig%2C I bought a Dart%2C which is basically the Fiat but with back seats and a trunk.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThe Fender Edition doesn%27t have navigation %28which%2C annoyingly%2C means %0D%0A%3Ethat head unit won%27t support a rearview camera%29%2C but it does have %0D%0A%0D%0AThat is a big bummer.  Rearview camera is possibly the single best feature I%27ve seen in %22economy%22 cars in the last several years.  It makes things like backing up in cramped parking garages %28a daily occurrence for me%29 less obnoxious.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThe plug in the 12V power socket%2C which would have been a cigarette%0D%0A%3Elighter in earlier times%2C isn%27t just a chunk of plastic %28though it did come %3Ewith one%2C it%27s in the glove compartment%29%3B it%27s a little flashlight that %0D%0A%3Ekeeps itself charged off the 12V system while it%27s plugged in there.  %0D%0A%0D%0AOoh%2C that %2Ais%2A nice.  Never would have occurred to me.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EFull disclosure%3A I am crap at selecting shift points in Tiptronic mode %0D%0A%3Eso far%2C and generally I just leave it in automatic mode.  However%2C %0D%0A%3Ewhen I have tried it out%2C it%27s been pretty fun.  Not as satisfying as %0D%0A%3Estomping a clutch pedal and moving a lever around%2C no%2C but pretty %0D%0A%3Egood%2C ad also harder to screw up apart from picking the wrong gear for %0D%0A%3Eyour current speed and lurching around at some untoward RPMs for a %0D%0A%3Ebit.  The computer won%27t actually let you blow up the valve train%2C so %0D%0A%3Ethere%27s no harm in experimenting.  I just haven%27t practiced with it %0D%0A%3Eenough yet to get good at it. %0D%0A%0D%0AThe thing I%27ve found it best for %28I have a similar system in my Dart%29 is when dealing with merging at speed on a freeway.  Bang it down into 4th so that your turbo is%2C in fact%2C already spun up and you have some torque as soon as you tap on the gas%2C not %22wait%2C hang on%2C you wanted to accelerate%2C lemme downshift and NOW%2C oh wait that gap closed up and you can%27t merge%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Eoccasionally be adventuresome moments when the turbo comes in when you %0D%0A%3Eweren%27t expecting it %28%22%5Bi%5DNot now%2C Cato%21%5B%2Fi%5D%22%29%2C but not to a dangerous %0D%0A%3Edegree%3B it%27s just slightly bemusing.  I find myself talking to it like %0D%0A%3Eit%27s a mildly twitchy horse.  %22Easy there%2C now.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIn that same vein%2C I can%27t speak to the rear head or legroom%2C but I %0D%0A%3Eexpect they%27re not very good.  The Beetle coupe is definitely what %0D%0A%3Ethey used to call a %222%2B2%22 configuration and not a proper four-seater.  %0D%0A%3EThen again%2C my previous car didn%27t have a back seat at all and I never %0D%0A%3Eonce found myself wishing it did%2C so it%27s unlikely to be an issue for %0D%0A%3Eme. %0D%0A%0D%0AThis was very much how the Fiat felt.  My wife and I aren%27t small people%2C and with us comfortable%2C we had trouble fitting a pair of seven year olds in the rear seats.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- %0D%0A-Pasha%0D%0A%22Don%27t change the subject%22%0D%0A%22Too slow%2C already did.%22
3|2|2|||1||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|Gryphon||20:17:52|07/13/2016|%3E%3EThe Fender Edition doesn%27t have navigation %28which%2C annoyingly%2C means %0D%0A%3E%3Ethat head unit won%27t support a rearview camera%29%2C but it does have %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThat is a big bummer.  Rearview camera is possibly the single best %0D%0A%3Efeature I%27ve seen in %22economy%22 cars in the last several years.  It %0D%0A%3Emakes things like backing up in cramped parking garages %28a daily %0D%0A%3Eoccurrence for me%29 less obnoxious. %0D%0A%0D%0AI had one added to my CR-Z when I went to an aftermarket navigation head unit%2C and it is indeed mighty handy.  The CR-Z%2C in particular%2C really needs it%2C because there isn%27t what you would call an actual view out of the back.  %28In fact%2C Honda became aware of this fairly soon after the model launched%2C which is why they%27ve all come with one standard since the year after mine was made.  Because of course.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat said%2C the normal rear viz out of the Beetle isn%27t terrible%2C and I survived many years of driving a Saab 900 convertible without backing into anything%2C so it wasn%27t a deal-breaker for me.  I was hoping the unit might have an unused video input on it that would take a camera%2C but as it turns out%2C there are two different versions of the RDS 510%2C one that does and one that does not.  Guess what model year they started putting the one that does in the Beetle.  Go on%2C guess.  Yes%2C of course it was 2014. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI might look into going aftermarket once the SiriusXM trial on the factory unit expires in October.  Could do so before then%2C but I don%27t want to deal with the hassle of trying to swap the trial %28which is part of the certified-preowned deal%29 onto a non-factory receiver.%0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C yeah%2C that%27s a bit of the Civic odyssey that I forgot to mention.  I half-jokingly proposed to my salesman%2C when the scale of the problem became obvious%2C that we should get an aftermarket unit for %5Bi%5Dit%5B%2Fi%5D and then make Honda eat the cost as a warranty repair%2C but then we realized that that wouldn%27t work because most of the controls for the new Civic%27s air conditioning are only present as software in the AV unit on the EX model.  Which is why when someone over in the TIA board suggested that a redesigned KITT could just put all of those control buttons into touchscreen software%2C I stifled a bark of not-really-amused laughter. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAnyway%2C point is%2C I%27d like to have one and maybe one of these days I will%2C but it%27s not the end of the world that it didn%27t come with one.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22wait%2C hang on%2C you wanted %0D%0A%3Eto accelerate%2C lemme downshift and NOW%2C oh wait that gap closed up and %0D%0A%3Eyou can%27t merge%22 %0D%0A%0D%0AHeh.  Similar to the phenomenon which writer and comedian Tim Sample once described%2C in a conversation with me and my father after a gig%2C as %22telegraphing down to the engine room%22 on a Harley-Davidson.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
6|3|3|||1||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|Nathan||23:09:11|07/13/2016|I don%27t think I%27ve ever driven a car with a turbo%2C but the ginormous lag time between input and Go sounds familiar%2C because that is a definite feature of the CVT gearing on my 2012 Subaru. Like the Beetle%2C it has a Flappy Paddle option%2C which I understand allows those who are initiated in their mysteries to sidestep the CVT%27s insistence on the three-second process of trying all possible gearing ratios less than what you actually %5Bi%5Dneed%5B%2Fi%5D%2C but by the nature of my driving commute I need to be making sharp turns into busy traffic...%0D%0A%0D%0A...and the Flappy Paddles turn with the wheel. Which%2C um%2C I%27ve got %5Bi%5Dbetter things to worry about%5B%2Fi%5D %28like not getting pasted by an overloaded coal truck doing thirty-five in a twenty-five zone down the crammed full main drag%29 than having a panic attack because shift%5Bi%5DshiftWHERE%27STHEFUCKING%5Bb%5DLEVERITWASTHEREASECONDAGO%21%5B%2Fb%5D%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0ANext time I%27ll suck it up and learn to deal with Subaru%27s fiddly finicky manual shifters the way I%27d originally planned to%2C and hang the milage.%0D%0A%0D%0A-----%0D%0A%0D%0A%5BI%5DThe most wonderful thing about BBs%0D%0AIs BBs are wonderful things%0D%0ATheir sides are made out of iron%0D%0ATheir guns are made out of pain%0D%0AThey%27re crashy smashy bashy flashy fun-fun-fun-fun-fun%0D%0ABut the most wonderful thing about BBs %0D%0AIs there is more than one%0D%0AThe%7Ere is more than one%21%5B%2FI%5D
7|4|6|||1||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|Gryphon||23:18:53|07/13/2016|%3EI don%27t think I%27ve ever driven a car with a turbo%2C but the ginormous %0D%0A%3Elag time between input and Go sounds familiar%2C because that is a %0D%0A%3Edefinite feature of the CVT gearing on my 2012 Subaru.%0D%0A%0D%0AYeah%2C CVTs have taken a lot of training to get right in passenger cars%2C and I%27m not convinced they were there yet before about%2C oh... last year.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E...and the Flappy Paddles turn with the wheel. Which%2C um%2C I%27ve got %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5Dbetter things to worry about%5B%2Fi%5D %28like not getting pasted by an %0D%0A%3Eoverloaded coal truck doing thirty-five in a twenty-five zone down the %0D%0A%3Ecrammed full main drag%29 than having a panic attack because %0D%0A%3Eshift%5Bi%5DshiftWHERE%27STHEFUCKING%5Bb%5DLEVERITWASTHEREASECONDAGO%21%5B%2Fb%5D%5B%2Fi%5D. %0D%0A%0D%0AMm%2C yeah%2C it%27s an issue.  I%27ve noticed it when getting off the Interstate%2C where the not-very-tall gearing of the lower ratios in the Beetle means I really ought to shift out of first before I%27m finished making the turn.  I think that kind of thing is at least partially why the VW system has the paddles %5Bi%5Dand%5B%2Fi%5D the option to use the shift lever in Tiptronic mode.  %28I know the term %22Tiptronic%22%2C as applied to a Volkswagen automatic gearshift lever that can do that%2C predates DSG%2C and I think also predates the appearance of wheel paddles in ordinary cars%2C so it%27s more that they just didn%27t get %5Bi%5Drid%5B%2Fi%5D of that function when the paddles came in%2C but still%2C it%27s handy to have the option of either.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ENext time I%27ll suck it up and learn to deal with Subaru%27s fiddly %0D%0A%3Efinicky manual shifters the way I%27d originally planned to%2C and hang %0D%0A%3Ethe milage.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt still messes with my head a little that modern automatic transmissions get better mileage than manuals.  When I was a kid%2C the situation was exactly the reverse%2C often to a degree that was actually comical%2C thanks to the fact that automatic transmissions of the %2770s and %2780s generally had three or at the very %5Bi%5Dmost%5B%2Fi%5D four ridiculously-widely-spaced gear ratios%2C and were generally about as efficient as transmitting torque through a barrel of yogurt.  Similarly%2C I find it baffling on a pre-conscious level that certain hybrid systems %28such as the ones in the Prius and the Ford Fusion%29 get better mileage in the city than on the highway.  I know %5Bi%5Dwhy%5B%2Fi%5D it works that way%2C but instinctively it just seems like a violation of the laws of nature. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
8|5|7|||1||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|Nathan||00:11:10|07/14/2016|%3EYeah%2C CVTs have taken a lot of training to get right in passenger %0D%0A%3Ecars%2C and I%27m not convinced they were there yet before about%2C oh... %0D%0A%3Elast year. %0D%0A%0D%0AIn practice%2C stomping on the gas to fool the thing into thinking that the desired top end is somewhere around 90mph gets it through the process enough faster to not be actively dangerous%2C but aside from the not-really-remotely-funny time my attempt to regain my %28lost by expiration date stupidity%29 license was denied because I %27kept gunning the engine%27 and made her drop her pen %28Because of course that%27s more important than the risk to life and limb of doodling around in a lane of oncoming traffic%29%2C there%27s something more important wrong with doing that...%0D%0A%0D%0A...it%27s %5Bi%5Dtacky%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EMm%2C yeah%2C it%27s an issue.  I%27ve noticed it when getting off the %0D%0A%3EInterstate%2C where the not-very-tall gearing of the lower ratios in the %0D%0A%3EBeetle means I really ought to shift out of first before I%27m finished %0D%0A%3Emaking the turn.  I think that kind of thing is at least partially why %0D%0A%3Ethe VW system has the paddles %5Bi%5Dand%5B%2Fi%5D the option to use the shift %0D%0A%3Elever in Tiptronic mode.  %28I know the term %22Tiptronic%22%2C as applied to %0D%0A%3Ea Volkswagen automatic gearshift lever that can do that%2C predates DSG%2C %0D%0A%3Eand I think also predates the appearance of wheel paddles in ordinary %0D%0A%3Ecars%2C so it%27s more that they just didn%27t get %5Bi%5Drid%5B%2Fi%5D of that %0D%0A%3Efunction when the paddles came in%2C but still%2C it%27s handy to have the %0D%0A%3Eoption of either.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AThe 1998 Prizm I drove from about %2701 to %2713%2C when I got the Subaru%2C had the same kind of gear ratio - turning out %5Bi%5Ddid%5B%2Fi%5D mean shifting in the middle of the maneuver%2C but that only took one hand and about half a second%2C so it was perfectly manageable.%0D%0A%0D%0A-----%0D%0A%0D%0A%5BI%5DThe most wonderful thing about BBs%0D%0AIs BBs are wonderful things%0D%0ATheir sides are made out of iron%0D%0ATheir guns are made out of pain%0D%0AThey%27re crashy smashy bashy flashy fun-fun-fun-fun-fun%0D%0ABut the most wonderful thing about BBs %0D%0AIs there is more than one%0D%0AThe%7Ere is more than one%21%5B%2FI%5D
10|3|3|||1||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|Peter Eng||12:36:44|07/14/2016|%3E%0D%0A%3EOh%2C yeah%2C that%27s a bit of the Civic odyssey that I forgot to mention.  %0D%0A%3EI half-jokingly proposed to my salesman%2C when the scale of the problem %0D%0A%3Ebecame obvious%2C that we should get an aftermarket unit for %5Bi%5Dit%5B%2Fi%5D %0D%0A%3Eand then make Honda eat the cost as a warranty repair%2C but then we %0D%0A%3Erealized that that wouldn%27t work because most of the controls for the %0D%0A%3Enew Civic%27s air conditioning are only present as software in the AV %0D%0A%3Eunit on the EX model.  Which is why when someone over in the TIA board %0D%0A%3Esuggested that a redesigned KITT could just put all of those control %0D%0A%3Ebuttons into touchscreen software%2C I stifled a bark of %0D%0A%3Enot-really-amused laughter. %3A%29 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AI can see your point.  On the other hand%2C it isn%27t like somebody%27s going to be pulling out KITT%27s systems to put in a backup camera option. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0APeter Eng%0D%0A--%0D%0AInsert humorous comment here.
4|1|0|||||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|JFerio||22:39:43|07/13/2016|%3EIt%27s full of nice little touches%2C stuff that automobile marketing %0D%0A%3Epeople collectively label %22surprise and delight%22 features.  The plug %0D%0A%3Ein the 12V power socket%2C which would have been a cigarette lighter in %0D%0A%3Eearlier times%2C isn%27t just a chunk of plastic %28though it did come with %0D%0A%3Eone%2C it%27s in the glove compartment%29%3B it%27s a little flashlight that %0D%0A%3Ekeeps itself charged off the 12V system while it%27s plugged in there.  %0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27ve got a couple of unused 12V ports in my Subaru%2C I might just have to nip down to the auto store later this week and see if they sell flashlights just like that. It%27d be handy to have one on board. I can%27t see them not making them.%0D%0A%0D%0AI should probably also finally get a charging plug for the tablets as well%3B it would be useful to not have to worry about battery life on the next road trip. One of the 12V ports is actually inside the %22armrest%22 in the console%2C which is large enough to accept my tablet and close up %28but not my husband%27s%2C grr%29.
5|2|4|||1||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|Gryphon||22:51:17|07/13/2016|%3E%3EIt%27s full of nice little touches%2C stuff that automobile marketing %0D%0A%3E%3Epeople collectively label %22surprise and delight%22 features.  The plug %0D%0A%3E%3Ein the 12V power socket%2C which would have been a cigarette lighter in %0D%0A%3E%3Eearlier times%2C isn%27t just a chunk of plastic %28though it did come with %0D%0A%3E%3Eone%2C it%27s in the glove compartment%29%3B it%27s a little flashlight that %0D%0A%3E%3Ekeeps itself charged off the 12V system while it%27s plugged in there.  %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI%27ve got a couple of unused 12V ports in my Subaru%2C I might just have %0D%0A%3Eto nip down to the auto store later this week and see if they sell %0D%0A%3Eflashlights just like that. It%27d be handy to have one on board. I %0D%0A%3Ecan%27t see them not making them. %0D%0A%0D%0AIf not%2C %5Blink%3Awww.amazon.com%2FVOLKSWAGEN-7L6947175A01C-Cigarette-Lighter-Flashlight%2Fdp%2FB004VPX1TM%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1468464561%26sr%3D8-1%26keywords%3Dvw%2Bflashlight%7Cyou can get the VW one on Amazon%5D%2C and it fits what I believe is a standardized socket%2C so I don%27t see why they wouldn%27t work in other manufacturers%27 cars too.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
12|3|5|||||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|JFerio||20:41:43|07/14/2016|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jul-14-16 AT 08:42 PM (EDT)]%3E%3E%3EIt%27s full of nice little touches%2C stuff that automobile marketing %0D%0A%3E%3E%3Epeople collectively label %22surprise and delight%22 features.  The plug %0D%0A%3E%3E%3Ein the 12V power socket%2C which would have been a cigarette lighter in %0D%0A%3E%3E%3Eearlier times%2C isn%27t just a chunk of plastic %28though it did come with %0D%0A%3E%3E%3Eone%2C it%27s in the glove compartment%29%3B it%27s a little flashlight that %0D%0A%3E%3E%3Ekeeps itself charged off the 12V system while it%27s plugged in there.  %0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EI%27ve got a couple of unused 12V ports in my Subaru%2C I might just have %0D%0A%3E%3Eto nip down to the auto store later this week and see if they sell %0D%0A%3E%3Eflashlights just like that. It%27d be handy to have one on board. I %0D%0A%3E%3Ecan%27t see them not making them. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EIf not%2C %0D%0A%3E%5Blink%3Awww.amazon.com%2FVOLKSWAGEN-7L6947175A01C-Cigarette-Lighter-Flashlight%2Fdp%2FB004VPX1TM%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1468464561%26sr%3D8-1%26keywords%3Dvw%2Bflashlight%7Cyou %3Ecan get the VW one on Amazon%5D%2C and it fits what I believe is a %0D%0A%3Estandardized socket%2C so I don%27t see why they wouldn%27t work in other %0D%0A%3Emanufacturers%27 cars too. %0D%0A%0D%0AAmazon%27s handy widget claims it won%27t fit %28probably a lie%29%2C but they also have some decent options available elsewhere on the site at a slightly lower price.
13|4|12|||1||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|Gryphon||20:46:00|07/14/2016|%3EAmazon%27s handy widget claims it won%27t fit %28probably a lie%29%2C but they %0D%0A%3Ealso have some decent options available elsewhere on the site at a %0D%0A%3Eslightly lower price. %0D%0A%0D%0AI think it only says that because it hasn%27t been explicitly told that it does%2C and they%27re hedging their bets.  Even VW%2C on their parts website%2C will only commit to it fitting 1998 or newer cars%2C but I mean%2C it%27s a 12V automotive appliance plug.  They%27re all the same.  They%27ve %5Bi%5Dbeen%5B%2Fi%5D all the same since at least the 1960s.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D
14|5|13|||||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|JFerio||23:49:15|07/14/2016|%3E%3EAmazon%27s handy widget claims it won%27t fit %28probably a lie%29%2C but they %0D%0A%3E%3Ealso have some decent options available elsewhere on the site at a %0D%0A%3E%3Eslightly lower price. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI think it only says that because it hasn%27t been explicitly told that %0D%0A%3Eit does%2C and they%27re hedging their bets.  Even VW%2C on their parts %0D%0A%3Ewebsite%2C will only commit to it fitting 1998 or newer cars%2C but I %0D%0A%3Emean%2C it%27s a 12V automotive appliance plug.  They%27re all the same.  %0D%0A%3EThey%27ve %5Bi%5Dbeen%5B%2Fi%5D all the same since at least the 1960s. %0D%0A%0D%0AThis was figured%2C hence my comment %22probably a lie%22. Hedging bets and covering posteriors and all that business practice jazz.
9|1|0|||||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|SmkViper||10:23:47|07/14/2016|Funnily enough%2C I actually purchased a Ford C-Max a couple of months ago%2C replacing a 14-year-old manual-shift Focus. It has a bit of a wider turning radius than I%27m used to %28not surprisingly%2C it%27s a larger car%29 and the trunk space feels a little smaller due to the battery pack in the back%2C but otherwise I%27ve felt it%27s been a fantastic car.%0D%0A%0D%0AGranted%2C I looked at the plug-in Energi model and decided I didn%27t want to put up with the greatly reduced trunk space%2C so I didn%27t attempt to drive that one to get a good comparison %28plus I have an apartment%2C so the plug-in feature doesn%27t help me any%29. However I did drive one of the new Toyota Priuses in comparison which... was still kind of sluggish. From what I understand Ford decided to sacrifice gas mileage to put some more horsepower into the gas engine which is why the C-Max ends up performing better. And heck%2C I still get in the mid-40s MPG around town%2C 50%2B on a good day.%0D%0A%0D%0ANot entirely sure what you%27re referring to with the small doors - I%27m pretty tall and don%27t have much issue with them%2C and I don%27t feel quite like I%27m folding myself into the car like I did with my Focus.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd the automatic features are really nice. I still think it%27s magic that the wipers turn on automatically based on how much water is on the windshield. %28Yes%2C I looked up how it actually works%2C doesn%27t change the fact that it%27s cool%29 Plus the thing will parallel-park itself which is great%2C considering I absolutely HATE parallel parking.
11|2|9|||1||RE%3A Achtung--K%C3%A4fer%21|Gryphon||14:48:29|07/14/2016|%3ENot entirely sure what you%27re referring to with the small doors - I%27m %0D%0A%3Epretty tall and don%27t have much issue with them%2C and I don%27t feel %0D%0A%3Equite like I%27m folding myself into the car like I did with my Focus. %0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s not a height thing%2C but rather a matter of width.  In a lot of four-door cars %28particularly the smaller Fords%29%2C the front seats are mounted so that back ends up being a few inches behind the B-pillar%2C and when you%27re as wide as me%2C wedging yourself in and out of there without being able to pull the steering wheel off%2C F1-style%2C gets a trifle wearing after a while.  It wasn%27t a catastrophic fail %28as%2C for instance%2C the door%2Fseat geometry in the Mazda 3%2C which is tragic%29%2C but it got annoying over the two months I had the rental Focus%2C and a test drive of the C-Max was enough to show that it would have been pretty much the same situation.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAnd the automatic features are really nice. I still think it%27s magic %0D%0A%3Ethat the wipers turn on automatically based on how much water is on %0D%0A%3Ethe windshield. %28Yes%2C I looked up how it actually works%2C doesn%27t %0D%0A%3Echange the fact that it%27s cool%29%0D%0A%0D%0AThat reminds me of another thing I noticed about the C-Max%2C actually%2C which is that the greenhouse is %28proportionally%29 %5Bi%5Denormous%5B%2Fi%5D.  Which is great for visibility%2C it%27s like a tiny van%2C but I wouldn%27t want to have to try and keep the inside of that windshield clean. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EPlus the thing will parallel-park %0D%0A%3Eitself which is great%2C considering I absolutely HATE parallel parking. %0D%0A%0D%0AMy mother is turning the age where you have to go and re-take your driver%27s test pretty soon%2C and she lobbied for me to buy the C-Max or a similarly equipped Focus so she could use that feature to cheat on the test.  I allowed as I doubted the examiner wouldn%27t notice that.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D