I just saw one of these yesterday. It was a notable sighting as I haven't seen one for years. Nowadays it's like seeing a Yugo or a Chevette.

I wonder if we'd think as much of 21st century Hyundais and Kias if we hadn't had this car as a benchmark to show just how far they've come.

The second generation design ruined the utility of this car. I was well into my Honda phase when this came out--had just bought a brand new first-gen Acura Integra--but I thought that this was a fairly decent car for what it was. A couple of acquaintances bought them and got good service out of them. But it was cars like this that made Honda the standout that it was throughout the 1980s. The difference between the top and bottom of the econocar market was just astounding then. There is nothing like that now, at all.

The measure of any touring bike is how you feel after a 1000 mile day. I see some real ergonomic shortcomings there for that kind of duty, especially the focus of weight on the lower back. Personally, I need my feet directly underneath me and a slight forward lean even for a 500 mile day.

Not a car manufacturer per se (altho they do build delivery trucks), but I always thought that Grumman could build an interesting sportbike. A little F-14 heritage would be appropriate.

I did on-road vehicle testin for Ford several years ago, and I thought the first generation of Ford's sync was amazingly well integrated, and did just what you told it to do. It did wonders with my 15,000-song iPod, though it took better than an hour to index it the first time. I hate to think that Ford has screwed this up in the interim.

When I'm on a motorcycle, the journey IS the destination. The destination is just the excuse.

That's the one. You have to be a relative old-timer to remember the Biker in the Bank. But I've been riding there since the mid-1980s, long before it was "discovered."

Now it's spawning a number of imitators, with "The Wolf" (Wolfpen Rd., GA180, near Suches, GA), "The Snake" (US421 near Shady Valley, TN), "Hellbender" (NC80 in western NC), and now the "Back of the Dragon," VA16 in southwestern Virginia.

What they all have in common is that reckless squids flock to the road, fling themselves off it, piss off the residents, and then the enforcement gets heavy and the speed limits drop. I am not at all in favor of publicizing my favorite roads. My all-time favorite is the Road That Shall Not Be Named.

It would have to be a Cougar wagon, just because of the oxymoronic name. I mean, really. A Cougar WAGON?

26.3 mpg with a supercab Ranger sporting the three-point-slow V6 and a five speed, interstate driving through Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia last weekend. Pretty good for a pickup that you can use as a real truck for hauling and towing. Nothing you can do about the uphill pulls, but the Georgia overdrive helps a lot on the downhills. Oh, and the ScanGaugeII has really helped me tune my foot for economy driving.

Since Tanshanomi didn't post in his accustomed genre, I'll pick up the slack for the two-wheel contingent.

Morbidelli: the moto-equivalent of an Etceterini. Great racing heritage, and if you think six-cylinder bikes are cool but smallblock Boss Hosses are excessive, how about this 850cc V8 gentleman's sport tourer?