Driving is a thing we now have to do when the digital world hasn’t found a way to transport us. There was a time when getting behind the wheel signaled freedom, and now it’s just a chore. But for those of you who want to know why some of us still crave a drive, here are a few suggestions to rekindle your own love for driving.

1 – Learn to Drive a Manual Transmission:
Eventually the manual transmission will cease to exist. Dual clutch automatics are already faster and more efficient than the best stick-shift driver. But nothing connects a driver to the engine and movement of a car more than a clutch pedal and rowing through the gears. Learn to do this well and you’ll appreciate and feel things in an automatic which you never noticed before.

2 – Let your car talk to you:
Cars have become distracting places. With great stereo systems, touch screens and navigation there’s very little motivation to feel what’s going on with our two-ton automobile. Unfortunately it’s easy to go numb to the experience until something unexpected starts to happen. But before you lose traction or find yourself struggling to stop in a sudden traffic stop, go out and drive undistracted on an open-road or open parking lot. Feel the weight shift of the car when you change directions. Notice the dip of the nose when you slam on the brakes. Find the place in the RPM where you really feel the engine surging. Every car, no matter how boring, gives off information and learning the language of your vehicle will make you safer when things go wrong and happier when you have an open road.

3 – Drive a great road:
With Google maps and various mobile apps, it’s now easy to find a squiggly line on a map for fun driving. Just as traffic can sour even the greatest car, winding down an empty scenic road can make even a mini-van more fun to drive. BMWs “Ultimate Drive” App allows users to add their own ideas, taking the pressure off of doing the exploring yourself. And once you find a potential road try going for a drive around 8pm on a weeknight, or before noon on a Sunday.

4 – Clean your car:
Just like a date with your spouse can remind you why you first fell in love, a clean car can remind you why you bought it in the first place. When a car is cluttered and dirty it seems run-down and uninteresting. And inexplicably, clean cars seem to suddenly run better than they did before the wash. This is a great mystery of the universe, but see for yourself if it isn’t true.

5 – Take a Driving Course, or try AutoCross:
Driver’s Ed may be the only driving instruction most people will ever receive, and that’s like learning to play chopsticks on the piano. Like everything else, more experience and instruction allows you to get more out of driving. Most of us learned the basics of car control, but the capabilities of a car are far beyond the average driver. Most race tracks offer single or half day courses which can safely introduce anyone to high-speed driving. And for an even cheaper alternative, find a local car club hosting an autocross. These park-lot hosted mini-racing events are safe, low speed, and generally welcome anyone in any car that runs. But if you go, find the best driver there, ride along with them and get them to ride with you.

Bonus points: Learn to Heel-Toe:
Car reviewers talk about “heel-toe” shifting like the holy grail, but it really isn’t some mystical art. Simply put, when a car has properly spaced pedals it’s possible to hit the brakes with most of your foot and nudge the gas at the same time. While this might sound dangerous to some, it allows the engine to be revved and prepared for whichever gear the driver chooses. The dance of a good downshift, with clutch, brake and gas all in play as the driver finds a gear with one hand and turns with the other is not only graceful to watch, but simply satisfying and fun to do well.

The Awarning is this: If all we ever do is commute in our cars, we’ll forget the reasons driving is fun. Enjoying driving more makes each of us ambassadors for the automobile, the stick shift, and the canyon road. Use it, or lose it.

But letting car repairs slide can cost you more than you might think. Certainly there are things that break and can be tolerated, but these little things have a way of contributing to wallet-killing issues. I’ve seen bouncing, rusted, oil-burning hulks limping down the road and thought… “how does an owner let a car get to that place?”, but I know it started with a series of little issues the owner decided to tolerate.

Saving money on your car quickly becomes a slippery slope because minor systems are often absorbing the wear of more expensive major devices. This problem was given a new poster-child recently when our very talented camera-man was rear-ended at a stop light. The other driver was clearly at fault, especially when he explained what happened:

This man knew the brakes on his car had gone bad. Not only had he not fixed them, he had decided to compensate by using the car’s transmission to handle all braking. This meant that stoplights now required a sudden shift into “Park”, and sometimes he misjudged the timing.

Sadly. I am not kidding.

Let’s cut to the heart of the problem – if you can’t afford the roughly $200 to get your brakes in working order, then you really can’t afford the $2000 when your transmission obliterates itself at some stoplight in your near future. An automatic transmission was never intended to stop your car for you. Apparently I need to explain that stopping is the singular job of the relatively inexpensive brakes. Believing you’re saving money in this situation is like shooting yourself in the foot to distract from the pain of a paper-cut.

The little things most of us overlook in our cars probably won’t make them dangerous or set us up for a credit-melting list of repairs. But cars are a complex inter-weaving of many simple systems. Disrupting the balance begins a domino effect and in a short time your perfectly good car can descend to jalopy with more “cute quirks” than normal working traits.

I’ve seen this too often. And I know I’m guilty too.

But I also know something else quite surprising: When your car is running well it’s much easier to enjoy, and even love. Even one little quirk can get under your skin and ruin your four-wheeled love-affair. So the Awarning is this: Don’t put off fixing your car. Spend that little bit of money making your ride work like it’s supposed to and it will thank you by…. Working. And it will keep you from leaving your transmission at a Stoplight.

Any time a substantial amount of snow falls, communities come to a halt and people hunker down, terrified to get behind the wheel. Those who don’t live in snowy climates are expected to be unprepared. In regular trips from Los Angeles to Mammoth, California, I’ve put on my fair share of tire chains and watched plenty of people slide off into powder filled ditches. But for a large part of the country, every winter will have snow, ice, and difficult driving. However, snow driving doesn’t have to be a slip-sliding chore.

Everyone in a snowy climate should have a good pair of winter tires. Many people say to us “But I have All-Season tires,” and that’s like saying you have the perfect wardrobe because all the tags say “One size fits all”. When any product tries to do everything it falls short of the ones which are purpose built, and tires are no exception. And when it comes to the next snow day, a true set of winter tires will revolutionize your driving like nothing else.

We aren’t here to debate which snow tires are best, as forums everywhere are happy to argue that for any individual car. Nearly every manufacturer makes a worthwhile snow tire that will trounce the best all season rubber when sleigh bells ring. Even brands you’ve never heard of (Triangle, anyone?) are known to make winter tires with traction which will surprise you.

Keep in mind the fact that your ability to control a car in on a sunny day in July or a blizzard in January comes down to four index-card sized patches of rubber. A great all-wheel-drive system can’t overcome a lack of friction. I watched an Audi A4 sliding backwards on a slight hill as all four tires slowly spun. The driver was doing his best with careful application of the throttle, but his tires simply couldn’t find anything to grip. I skirted by him without a problem, and it wasn’t the superiority of my AWD system or my driving. I have winter tires.

So the Awarning is this: Don’t plan to slide through a few tough snows just so you don’t have to buy winter tires for your ride. Spend the money to buy some worthwhile rubber for both summer and winter. It will hurt at first, but then you’ll go through tires half as fast! Plus you’ll have more confidence in any weather. But while you’re at it, don’t expect proper tires to make up for really poor decisions behind the wheel. They’re rubber, after all, not a get-out-of-physics-free card.

Do you have winter tires? Tell us an insane winter mishap. We welcome your commments!

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The truth is that every car, no matter how amazing or horrible it may have seemed at first, has features we love and ones we despise. Cars are like people in this way, all different and all imperfect. And just like people, a car becomes a integral part of our lives and we grow to love them. If you have a car long enough, you’ll even love its faults.

All of us have a friend or relative who owns a car with a list of “rules” or things you have to remember to use the vehicle in a normal way. My in-laws own a car with certain doors that only open from the inside, specific window switches which only work in one direction, and a procedure to work the transmission. Yet, they love this car because it was the first really nice car they bought. And twenty years ago when they bought it, it was nice. Now it’s simply terrible. But if I say that, it will start a fight.

Our cars are an emotional purchase. It’s like a marriage, where you test drive lots of models before picking one to be with until one of you dies. Of course, every car we look at will get us to work and take us everywhere we want to go, but one of the options just excites us more than the rest. And because we choose cars with our hearts as much as our wallets, most people can’t handle any criticism of their choice.

Because Paul and I don’t live with the cars we drive, it’s easy to see the good and the bad before we grow accustomed to each. It’s the same as meeting someone who initially seems mildy attractive until you fall in love and conclude they are the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen. You were right initially, but love does strange things.

So with each review we release comes a new round of people who can’t state their displeasure fast enough. Comments which begin with “These guys are idiots… I own one of these cars and…”, it really doesn’t matter what follows after that because the result is always the same; We ignore it. We know that for some people, our fault-finding is the same as insulting their spouse.

But we promise you this: our goal is to offer honest first impressions so you the viewer can decide if you’d like to take this car out for yourself. Maybe you think it’s beautiful, and that problem with the transmission doesn’t bother you. Congratulations, and we hope you’ll live happily ever after until the doors don’t work and the windows won’t roll down. However, know that the same information may make another buyer run away screaming. And you’re both right.

The Awarning is this: Remember every car is flawed. Whether you own it right now, or only dream about it, the car you love has features that someone else wouldn’t accept. So embrace your love. We want you to love your car completely. But remember love is blind. And in the case of some really terrible cars, love is also deaf, mute, and unable to sense proper movement.

Do you know of a perfect car? Offended? Cheering? Tell us in the comments below…

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Rebadging:
This is the biggest waste of money and resources. Considering that every car comes from the factory with at least 1 badge telling you what it is, there’s no sense paying extra to tell us all what you’re driving. The car does this for free.

Because Carrera 4S wasn't clear enough.

OH, I missed the badge just beside the license plate - thanks!

In case I didn’t see the side or happen to be colorblind.

And interestingly, owners of expensive cars seem most prone to do this. If you’ve got too much money, why not just give some away. In fact, I’ll send you my address.

Pride & Politics
This category could almost be exclusively for the Toyota Prius, but it encapsulates all those owners who believe they must tell us why their car is wonderful.

Apparently you hate your car as well, because you've run it into enough things to mangle this plate.

Yes, you’re using less gasoline than the rest of us, but you driving a Prius is not saving the polar ice or stopping pollution.

9/11 was terrible, but the Taliban would be madder at you spending extra money for a license plate than your cars MPG.

Stating the obvious
This is only slightly less annoying than the rebadging problem. Except here I can’t figure out if the owner thinks everyone else is stupid, or if they themselves must be reminded about key features on their car.

Has someone ever looked at a Miata and thought otherwise?

Thanks, cause I didn’t notice the logo or the fact that you have no roof.

Those who mispronounce Porsche aren't going to get it by reading your plate.

Funny to you
An ever growing category of license plates which must make sense to the person writing the check, but are lost on the rest of us. These are the automotive equivalent of a “You had to be there” joke. And it makes the driver seem more suited for the short bus than behind the wheel.

Are you the owner of a hog farm? Pork processing plant? Or just a fan of clogged arteries?

Is this “For Sure” and I’m supposed to find it funny, or are you obsessed with Fashion and I’m supposed to be impressed?

Does that mean brown?

Now you might be saying “Hey… you guys use your personal plate on the back of cars you test”.  And of course you would be right. I am aware that sometimes personalized plates can work or serve a purpose.  We use them to tie our test cars together or in some cases to protect the identity of private owners.  And we know there are owners out there who successfully make a joke or statement with their license plate, but it’s about as common as snow in Los Angeles.

The real gems are the unintentional statements. The rare times when a state issued plate says something anyway. This is my current favorite:

In fact I think that applies to this whole topic. I’d like the information about what exactly is going on with these license plate owners. The 411 on What the F….

The Awarning is this: accept the fact that license plates exist and spend your hard earned money on something else. Anything else.

Seen an absurd plate? Have a great personal plate? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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In fact, it’s easy to tell when to stop: It’s right about the time when you’ve spent so much time and money customizing that you could have bought a far superior car than the mutant thing now parked in your driveway.

And in case you feared this was a merely theoretical shot across the bow… I have examples.

I only wish I didn’t.

First of we have this owner of a Nissan 240z. A great classic sports car and I applaud anyone for wanting to keep it running well. However, this owner seems to wish he owned a newer Z car but couldn’t bring himself to actually buy one.

Take a close look at the engine. Notice that bolted in behind that radiator is the heart of a 350z. And apparently there was a sale on sheets of honeycomb metal, but I think this is the first time they’ve been used as “engine dressup”. Oh, and in spite of what the label says… that engine isn’t supercharged.

But if this were just an engine swap it could be excused, this Franken-Z goes on. Look closely at this shot and you’ll see that’s the rear window of a 240, but the wheel, cluster, dash, and console of a 350z.

Luckily the owner attempted to give this mutant a name. Yet sadly, that leaves us more confused. The “M” badge makes us think BMW. And the 3.5 reminds me of the old Mustang 5.0 badges, yet it seems both numbers are from different parts bin, sizes and fonts.

This contraption is like the sixty-year-old with so much plastic surgery she doesn’t look twenty, she looks like the Joker’s second wife. I shudder to think what this car cost to cobble together, and I’m wondering if it’s too late for a refund.

And next we have a mystery. Take a good long look. What car was this before it was struck by obsessive bad taste and a wallet with extra cash?

I admit that’s a tough angle, so I’ll help you out. This, dear reader, is a Mid-90s Mitsubishi 3000GT. A decent car, but certainly not good enough for obsession or bad enough to deserve treatment like this.

Besides the basic shape, so much has been changed on this car it boggles the mind. Those headlights look entirely out of place (they original lights bisected the hoodline and were a completely different shape.) And the front fascia seems to have openings from a range of manufacturers.

Yet most inexplicable is the vinyl. I admit I don’t know what possesses a person to decorate their car with vinyl in the first place… but deciding it should look like wood paneling takes a special kind of headspace. Who does this?

Apparently, this guy. That’s him leaning up against the rear quarter panel. I’ve seen this disaster on display many times, and he never leaves this car. He waits, hoping someone will get close enough so he can tell them of his fantastic handy-work. Or maybe point out the yellow and black leather interior with enormous exposed speakers. And he’ll definitely want you to see the random dragon logo on the back.

How much did this cost? How many far better vehicles could be purchased for the same amount? I could have asked him, I realize, but I was afraid of becoming sick on his vinyl.

Not that it would have really hurt anything.

So the Awarning here is clear. We encourage changes which make your car stand out from the pack. But please keep a running tally and assign someone as your resident skeptical accountant. Once your crazy plans reach “better car” levels of time and cost… do yourself a huge favor… Buy a better car.

Call us. We can help you.

Seen something absurd? Share in the comments below.

This reminds me of the commercials, “I’m no rodeo clown, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night,” therefore I’m an instant expert, right?

As part of GM’s bankruptcy restructuring, Edward Whitacre Jr. has been installed as new chairman. Mr. Whitacre’s impressive business acumen was the clear consideration for his new position, most notably his stint at AT&T.

However, one of Mr. Whitacre’s first admissions was that he, “doesn’t know anything about cars.” “A business is a business, and I think I can learn about cars. I’m not that old, and I think the business principles are the same.”

I can assure you they’re not, Mr. Whitacre.

Cars have become a literal and metaphorical vehicle for moving money from one place to another. One of the largest expenditures for making a car is the cost of healthcare for the workers who build it. Thank you, Mexico.

In most cases, the cars we own could be kept and driven for 10-15 years or more. Sometimes they break beyond repair, but the main reason we want a new one is because we get bored. The Instant Generation has added to this, especially with the advent of Bluetooth and navigation systems. Our cars provide a measure of practicality, which differs greatly for everyone, but soon it doesn’t fit our lifestyle anymore, we’re tired of the color, or it’s not fast enough. Maybe we just crave the allure of driving a new car.

What this means then, is that cars are more than just toasters, toilets or phone service. They are an extension of oneself; a personality expressed to the world, a hierarchical class and a very clear representation of our priorities, not to mention a barometer of economic prowess.

Because the American car industry tends to treat automobiles like any other product, notable men such as Malcolm Bricklin, John Z. DeLorean, and most recently Henrik Fisker have been so overcome with passion they’ve embraced the difficult task of launching their own car companies. Despite facing the hurdles of design, engineering, build quality, manufacturing and government regulation, they strive to create a more excellent automobile. This requires someone who really loves cars.

The very last person at GM who actually cared about cars and the excitement they generate was Bob Lutz. During his years at Chrysler, the man created the Dodge Viper. He flies his own jet, smokes cigars like they’re vitamins and has giant cojones. The End.

Bob knows what compels a buyer to choose one brand over another. Nobody at GM seems to care anymore—GM is now merely a mechanism to provide jobs and a pension. Now that it’s mostly government owned, it will be forged into an economic recovery vehicle, not the world-class, industry leading juggernaut it once was. Doesn’t anybody know that GM produces cars, ones that should be significant, beautiful and appear as rolling sculpture to stir the soul? Nope. Now it’s just a place to work.

If GM is to be successful in its turnaround, it must distinguish itself and put someone in charge who is a ‘car guy’ (or gal). Someone who has passion for cars. If GM no longer employs people who understand cars, care about great styling, encourage new engineering advancements and environmentally friendly manufacturing methods, it will soon cease to exist. Enough of the rallying GM commercials telling America that everything will be okay. Putting a National Economic Policy coordinator in charge of restructuring GM’s only adds to the problem.

The Awarning is simply this: be offended. We are obligated to do better. Where have all the car enthusiasts gone? Is there anybody left? Hello?

If you’ve heard of the Chevy Volt, the Tesla Roadster, or the Fisker Karma then you know how much electrics have reached public consciousness. And while those cars want to seem normal in spite of their powerplant, cars like the Mitsubishi “iMiev” are coming which would have seemed impossible on US roads in days past.

And I can’t help but think this is all great marketing and nothing more. Electric cars are presented as the end of pollution and the best way for man to reduce our “global carbon footprint”. Combustion Cars have been raised to the highest level of scape-goat. But in truth, they are not even close to the biggest culprit, only the most visible.

Heavy Industry, specifically coal-fired plants, are the biggest creators of CO2 and “particular matter” which man spews into the atmosphere. Take all our cars, park them, and we’ll still be killing the planet by running our lights and microwaves, dishwashers, TVs, and PS3s. We don’t see how all that power gets created, but over 40% of US electrical power comes from coal-burning plants. And elsewhere in the world, demand for coal-fired plants is increasing.

So if the whole world went to electric cars we haven’t solved the problem at all. We’ve just shifted the blame.

If you’re climate conscious, it’s easy to glance at the car in your driveway and think “I need to do my part”. Yet, we never think of turning off lights or investigating the source of our electricity to bring about climate change. If we all plugged our cars in at night it would require more electricity than we’re using now! Those Coal-burning plants would keep cranking away in some other county, state, or country and creating the pollutants we think we’ve stopped.

It’s the Prius-factor all over again. People believing that the choice they can see makes a bigger difference than the consequence they don’t see.

The Environment News Service keeps track of all the powerplants across the U.S. and their pollutant output. In a year, powerplants create about 2.5 Billion tons of CO2. That’s billion. With a “b”. Meaning 12 zeros. Car output is a thimble in the ocean by comparison.  In fact, all transportation combined makes up less than 16% of man made CO2.

Now we aren’t saying down with the electric car. We aren’t even saying gasoline is the only way. New technologies are exciting and worthwhile. I find the Tesla roadster riveting, and I can’t wait to drive the Volt and Karma. But if the goal is for us to pollute less, then lets worry about the things which cause the biggest problems.

Electricity doesn’t just appear at your outlet. And Coal isn’t clean, no matter how many billboards and commercials tell us otherwise. Electric cars aren’t our savior, any more than gasoline cars are our villain.

Thanks for reading. And while you’re here SUBSCRIBE, so you don’t miss a moment.

And you can add YOUR voice to this topic by leaving a comment below.

This weekend I witnessed two cars whose creation was so wasteful and logic-defying that I wanted to share them with you.

Both cars smack the same question out of you before you can stop yourself: “What is that?”

First we have this:

And I’ll tell you what it is – It’s an old Ford Ranger Pickup. With a Lift Kit. Then a Ford 5.0 liter V8. Then topped off with the body and interior of an old Nissan 240. To make matters worse, it was on display amid supercars and rare pristine exotics. It’s like a bloodstain on the Sistine Chapel. I was going to take pictures from all sides but realized my eyes hurt.

So, we’ll move on to this:

Have you guessed what’s under that enormous catfish-mouthed body kit? The hood is the give away. This, is a Toyota MR2 Spider. A tiny mid-engined Miata competitor now dressed up to look like a wilted Ferrari F50. And it case you didn’t notice it fast enough, it’s painted Gallardo Green – a color so retina-searing it only works on Lamborghini’s.

The back had quad pipes, and was 50% wider than the original car. That’s one exhaust pipe for each of the car’s cylinders, and the rearward visibility of a forest at night. Again, I would have taken more pictures, but none of us need to suffer more.

The Awarning here is clear: When customizing your car, get opinions from someone who knows cars and can tell you when you’ve lost your mind. Oh, and if you have enough money to spend this much changing your vehicle – just go buy a better car.

Share your own unbelievable sighting in the comments!

Seems to me we should teach proper driving etiquette in school and take out calculus. You’ll never need any math you can’t do on a cell phone calculator, but you’ll encounter plenty of drivers acting like a bully who ran out of Ritalin.

Any drive on my favorite mountain road reveals another person unaware of common driver courtesy. Everything from trucks to sport bikes cruises this windy stretch of blacktop so it’s pretty obvious they all can’t take hairpins at the same speed. That’s why the road has turnouts.

Oh, sorry. I know I lost some of you. Let me explain.

A turnout is that extra large paved shoulder you just passed. Because this is a two-lane road with mixed traffic, the highway designers created ways for slower vehicles to pull over and let faster vehicles pass. I realize this is a new idea to many of you. I know this because I’ve watched you stare at me in your side-mirror and completely ignore the last in a line of six opportunities to use said turnout.

So as I roll along in my sports car, trapped behind a mini-van full of family, I see other cars bunching up behind me and I start to wonder. What’s the use in keeping someone behind you? It’s not that you can’t see the cars stacking up. I’ve caught your eye more than once as you look back to see that I’m still trapped with no way around. Yup, we’re still here.

If this were Europe, I’d flash my brights. Just a quick friendly flick of light to let you know, “Hey, I’m back here and wanting to go faster than you. Would you mind letting me by?” Doing so won’t incite riots, just a slide out of the way. Elsewhere this isn’t the car equivalent of an obscene gesture. It’s just proper driver communication to help keep traffic flowing.

This ain’t Europe.

The last time I flashed my brights, the person systematically trapping me actually slowed down. And, I’m surprised he didn’t have a wreck because he spent nearly 90% of his driving time looking at me in his mirrors instead of navigating the road. And when I finally had the chance to pass, he sped up!

All this has me thinking. What sick joy do we get in keeping a faster driver imprisoned behind us? Is this payback for a childhood of being picked last for kickball?

When the sign says “Slower Traffic Keep Right”, that’s not a challenge. It’s not the highway patrol’s attempt to insult you as a driver. Each car and driver handles speed differently. Pull the minivan over. Or let your sports car get passed by that Camry playing tag with your tailpipe. No one will think less of you. I’ve done it. Only thing hurt was my pride.

Recently I was riding with a friend as they drove down the left lane of the freeway. Cars were swirling around us, darting up behind and then passing in the lanes to the right. And the driver suddenly revealed the problem when they said “I’m going plenty fast enough for the fast lane. If they want to go faster they can just go around.”

Bingo.

We’ve been lead to believe that our personal “fast” should apply to everyone else. And we’re taught that the “fast lane” is the one on the left. When we think we’re going fast we get all the way to the left. It would help if the signs said “Stay Right Except to Pass”, but they don’t, they say “Slow Traffic Keep Right”. And none of us believe we are slow.

We’re all slow sometimes. The wrong day. The wrong car. Or when you’re hauling the entire Peruvian Rugby team in the back of your mini-van.

Deal with it. And pull over.

Look, there’s another turnout coming up in a ¼ mile.

Is this driving you crazy too? Share your stories in the comments.