I’m going to need a new car pretty soon. My 2006 Ford Taurus has passed the 150K mark, and survived two accidents, one that came pretty close to totaling her. But she’s been a steady commuter car for the last eight years even though now the engine roars like an approaching herd of elephants, and aesthetically the car is only a step or two above cars that are cobbled together out of different colored panels. Red Green once built a Hummer by Duct-Taping two K-Cars together. For me that might be a step up.
On the one hand I’m looking forward to a new car. We’re thinking an SUV. I like the power and maneuverability of a sedan, but an SUV will be more practical for our longterm family goals. And truthfully I’m a tall guy and it might be nice to drive not quite so close to the ground. I’m looking forward to the basic media plugins that mean I’ll finally be beyond the need to burn CD’s, and might be able to control radio stations from the steering wheel. GPS is also probably a must.
The only thing I’d wish for a new car (besides having better rear visibility than most new cars I’ve seen), is something that wasn’t so technologically complicated. As the recent Wired story shows us, we can put all sorts of fancy new features into cars, but they can also be hacked. I don’t really trust car companies to be good at software, and even with my old car there are many systems that can only be serviced at the dealer. I know it’s better for fuel efficiency and the environment to have emissions sensors, and it’s convenient to have sensors in the wheels telling you when the air pressure is too low, or when you might need an oil change. But the car is something we’ve been making for over a century, and part of me thinks that like handcrafted Amish wood furniture, the old ways are the best ways.
How about it blog-world? Got a car you’re driving that you love?
[BTW] : Ben Trube, Writer 