Car Talk 4: The Richard Hertz Rent-A-Car 500

[max225]

Houston is the most diverse city in America. What’s your point ?

I understand it is a huge metropolis with ocean access, the center of Texas energy concerns, cutting edge medical facilities, and the like. It is also the town zoning forgot, endless sprawling acres of concrete, and the weather is ATROCIOUS. Airboat weather in the concrete jungle. Despite being born there, I have issues with Texas in general, and you would have to pay me epic sums to live there. I understand that a city of over 2 million offers employment opportunities in abundance, but Texas sucks, imho, and is not, in general, what springs to mind when I think "culture."

Just like San Francisco, there is good with the bad, there are operas and symphonies and bums shooting up and crime and and and. Subjectively, Houston is not a desirable location to me, nor is most of the entire state of Texas, Austin and San Antonio excepted.

It is an unlivable city made livable (similar to your current desert hide out) on top of that it has been an amazing melting pot of different cultures within this country that somehow someway worked out. With that it became an incredible melting pot of cultures that shows off how much our society actually works in absorbing others and still keeping american values. It is truly an incredible city, from a cultural aspect.

[Davestr]

Mid-Engine Corvette Plagued With Delays, Could Launch By This Summer With a Very Corvette Price -- https://jalopnik.com/mid-engine-corvett ... 1833247405

--This will be a pivotal moment for Chevrolet, as it’s the next big step in positioning the Corvette as a world beater for a fraction of the cost. While we’re relatively sure the C8 will cost quite a bit more than the current C7 generation Corvette, Hagerty’s sources appear to be quite confident that the base model price will be somewhere in the $60-70 thousand range. Considering the current base Stingray starts at $55,900, that’s not too far of a reach for most buyers.--

Corvette prices are pretty meaningless. Because currently, they have 10-15,000 sitting on the hood. So the MSRP is anything but relevant since it is obviously far more inflated than the transaction price. And the nay sayers will say... well GM DOESN"T HAVE TO DISCOUNT, so MSRP IS MSRP. But the sales volume is WAY down even with this crazy MSRP reduction, so the car is simply not selling in the volumes anticipated or GM is willing to take a margin cut on it.
https://kerbeck.com/

CUV - boxes for all my friends it seems. Buy a Vette means losing and or keeping it forever....

[Davestr]

Talking shit about BMWs
Talking shit about colorados first now
Talking shit about Subarus
Talking shit about Mazda
Talking shit about
Talking shit about :golfr:
Talking shit about first now

We're an interesting bunch.

[max225]

Corvette prices are pretty meaningless. Because currently, they have 10-15,000 sitting on the hood. So the MSRP is anything but relevant since it is obviously far more inflated than the transaction price. And the nay sayers will say... well GM DOESN"T HAVE TO DISCOUNT, so MSRP IS MSRP. But the sales volume is WAY down even with this crazy MSRP reduction, so the car is simply not selling in the volumes anticipated or GM is willing to take a margin cut on it.
https://kerbeck.com/

CUV - boxes for all my friends it seems. Buy a Vette means losing and or keeping it forever....

LESBIHONEST, the masses LOVE cars depending on brand/condition/cost they can be immense status symbols and also bring their owners immense joy. Those are undeniable facts but

That said, the "normals" that want to prioritize their lifes differently buy cars that are CUVs, the CUVs make perfect sense. They are nearly as economical as cars, they have better visibility, they fit more shit even though they are the same footprint etc. Performance? that doesnt' matter to some people and it shouldn't if everyone cares about performance we'd be flying strapped to rockets.

I don't hate CUV buyers that is a logical choice.

For myself I currently want performance+DD ability+Comfort. My prism for cars changes based on my life situation as do most others, but if you wanted to do a social study as many of the manufacturers do. You realize that things like transmission and lack of safety are real issues that don't sell cars. So screaming about it and talking about how I will be burried in a 1979 corolla is just insanity in my eyes.

If you don't like the way things are, plenty of options/choices. We live in an amazing time of excess.

[Davestr]

I dont have CUV's. They are real and are a choice. I try to buy what I like and can effectively utilize overall. Its all personal overall but the Jones factor assists as well. Keeping up with them............

[D Griff]

I understand it is a huge metropolis with ocean access, the center of Texas energy concerns, cutting edge medical facilities, and the like. It is also the town zoning forgot, endless sprawling acres of concrete, and the weather is ATROCIOUS. Airboat weather in the concrete jungle. Despite being born there, I have issues with Texas in general, and you would have to pay me epic sums to live there. I understand that a city of over 2 million offers employment opportunities in abundance, but Texas sucks, imho, and is not, in general, what springs to mind when I think "culture."

Just like San Francisco, there is good with the bad, there are operas and symphonies and bums shooting up and crime and and and. Subjectively, Houston is not a desirable location to me, nor is most of the entire state of Texas, Austin and San Antonio excepted.

It is an unlivable city made livable (similar to your current desert hide out) on top of that it has been an amazing melting pot of different cultures within this country that somehow someway worked out. With that it became an incredible melting pot of cultures that shows off how much our society actually works in absorbing others and still keeping american values. It is truly an incredible city, from a cultural aspect.

Dude, have you ever been to Houston? It is fucking awful and by far the worst/only not good large city in the US. Everything Desert said is pretty much spot on, it's a massive slab of concrete with no natural beauty, no good weather, awful traffic, no great architecture or really much of anything to see. I have spent at least six weeks of my life there and actually sought out anything good (coworkers did the same) and pretty much came up blank. To top it off, on my five year US driving tour, it was the only place I ever had a break in or saw interstate closures due to ice.

[D Griff]

Talking shit about BMWs
Talking shit about colorados first now
Talking shit about Subarus
Talking shit about Mazda
Talking shit about
Talking shit about :golfr:
Talking shit about first now

We're an interesting bunch.

[D Griff]

Don't forget:

Talking shit about Tesla if or

[max225]

Don't forget:

Talking shit about Tesla if or

Tesla wasn’t as unilateral with me and Johnny somewhat defending and Dave absolutely destroying them

[max225]

It is an unlivable city made livable (similar to your current desert hide out) on top of that it has been an amazing melting pot of different cultures within this country that somehow someway worked out. With that it became an incredible melting pot of cultures that shows off how much our society actually works in absorbing others and still keeping american values. It is truly an incredible city, from a cultural aspect.

Dude, have you ever been to Houston? It is fucking awful and by far the worst/only not good large city in the US. Everything Desert said is pretty much spot on, it's a massive slab of concrete with no natural beauty, no good weather, awful traffic, no great architecture or really much of anything to see. I have spent at least six weeks of my life there and actually sought out anything good (coworkers did the same) and pretty much came up blank. To top it off, on my five year US driving tour, it was the only place I ever had a break in or saw interstate closures due to ice.

Twice. I liked it.

[Desertbreh]

Dude, have you ever been to Houston? It is fucking awful and by far the worst/only not good large city in the US. Everything Desert said is pretty much spot on, it's a massive slab of concrete with no natural beauty, no good weather, awful traffic, no great architecture or really much of anything to see. I have spent at least six weeks of my life there and actually sought out anything good (coworkers did the same) and pretty much came up blank. To top it off, on my five year US driving tour, it was the only place I ever had a break in or saw interstate closures due to ice.

Twice. I liked it.

Wow.

[Johnny_P]

Can confirm. Houston and Dallas blow. Houston especially since the weather is horrible.

[troyguitar]

My dad has been to Houston for about a month or two total this year and said it sucks. I've never been

He is moving his boat from there to FL this year, one year was enough to out of Houston.

[Desertbreh]

https://talkingdrumsblog.wordpress.com/ ... ton-sucks/

[Desertbreh]

Counterpoint:

https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment ... xploration

[wap]

https://talkingdrumsblog.wordpress.com/ ... ton-sucks/

I perversely love this.

[max225]

Counterpoint:

https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment ... xploration

Not going to argue my earlier point with you guys. Every place has shit. Just like every car has shitty qualities. Knowing the good and the bad is what any mentally capable person will do.

[Desertbreh]

Counterpoint:

https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment ... xploration

Not going to argue my earlier point with you guys. Every place has shit. Just like every car has shitty qualities. Knowing the good and the bad is what any mentally capable person will do.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, even here. You may not be the last guy on here who I would think would give Houston a positive review, but you are pretty damn close. Marshal Zhukov is like an onion.

[max225]

Not going to argue my earlier point with you guys. Every place has shit. Just like every car has shitty qualities. Knowing the good and the bad is what any mentally capable person will do.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, even here. You may not be the last guy on here who I would think would give Houston a positive review, but you are pretty damn close. Marshal Zhukov is like an onion.

I love America. Come at me bro

[Desertbreh]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, even here. You may not be the last guy on here who I would think would give Houston a positive review, but you are pretty damn close. Marshal Zhukov is like an onion.

I love America. Come at me bro

It is one of your more endearing qualities no doubt.

[max225]

I love America. Come at me bro

It is one of your more endearing qualities no doubt.

I’m not saying it’s better than certain other places I called out including sf. But love it’s different qualities, I love this place.

[Apex]

Miata
Is
Always
The
Answer

[Gberg2119]

Model Y shown off last night and we have no posts shredding it yet?

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Model Y shown off last night and we have no posts shredding it yet?

It's just a tall Model 3. Same as the X vs S. I think it looks stupid but it'll probably never be produced anyway.

[wap]

Miata
Is
Always
The
Answer