2012-15 Chevy Sonic Review

Chevrolet's New Small Car is Pretty Good, But it Could be Better...

Fun and quirky styling can only make up for so much.

First off, this is a nice little car from Chevy, much better looking than the Aveo it is replacing. But what is this car and where does it actually come from? Well, to start off, its only called the Sonic in North America and a few other countries. In every other country (besides Australia) its called...the Chevy Aveo. Yup, its essentially the same old car, still being made in Korea and now in Russia as well. So even though it may still essentially be the same old car, it has received a face lift and is now a fun and quirky budget economy car.

So here they are:

And here is the Hatchback:

Different Styles:

The Chevy Sonic came to North America in 2012 as both a sedan and hatchback. It first came with only a 1.8L 4 cylinder engine with either a 5 speed manual or a 6 speed auto. In 2013 they added a 1.4L turbo as an option on the upper trims with either a 6 speed manual or 6 speed auto. Interesting fact, the hatchback is technically a subcompact in size, while the sedan is a compact and they should be compared to cars in each of their respective classes.

Styling and Comfort Impressions:

Both the cars are almost identical, the only notable difference is the hatchback version has a slightly higher roof-line. 
These are actually pretty cool little cars. I like the look of the big lights in the front and back, and the over sized wheels actually fit well. The super blunt nose may not look as sporty as other cars in the class, but the overall shape and accents keep it fun. 

The windows are a little small for my liking but I do like how the hatchback incorporates the door handles into the upper window side. 

Now for the inside, both the sedan and the hatch have the exact same styling:

Up front it looks quite cool for a car this small. Mostly hard touch plastics but the "stainless steel" around the radio, air controls and on the wheel makes it look sorta futuristic. The motorcycle style dashboard might take some getting used to, but once again, pretty cool looking. I would like a more normal layout of the dash, but this one works fine, nice and bright too. The front seats are nice and supportive, an armrest for the driver is a great option. Even though the cars are quite small, they are relatively high which helps with headroom, that being said, even with pushing the driver seat almost all the way back and mostly all the way down ( a comfortable driving position for this car) my hair was basically touching the roof. 
The sound system sounds good, and there are many options for the radio and media in the middle of the console. There are a very impressive number of features and colors that this car can come with. Like a 'brick' color, sorta makes it feel like a football, especial in leather. 

Now lets move to the back seat. And it all goes down hill from there. First off, I cannot fit behind myself driving. Im not talking about being uncomfortably tight, like I literally just could not get my legs and feet into the tiny space that was left. Now, if the seats are pushed mostly forward ( not a comfortable position up front for anyone) then you can fit back there and its not that bad, lots of headroom and enough room for 2 people definitely. This is more of a major issue when you consider that the sedan is technically in the compact car class and the lack of room is ridiculous. The hatchback has a slightly larger feel to the inside due to the higher roof line in the back. The trunk in the sedan is adequate, not the largest in the class, but ok. The hatchback is slightly shorter, but once again, the gain in height makes up for it. 

Overall visibility is ok, the sides come up quite high and due to the dash being high and the slope of the hood, you cant really see where the front actually ends. Visibility is slightly better in the hatchback but large rear head restraints don't help.

Driving Impressions:

Now the Sonic can redeem its self a bit. The Sonic comes with either a 1.8L engine standard, or the optional 1.4L turbo. The later is the one you want for a few reasons that Ill get to in a bit. 
First the 1.8L engine with the auto trans. Its surprisingly good around town, not too loud, not too rough. It seems to have enough power but once you get onto the highway its another matter, it just sorta runs out of steam. It seems like the trans has enough gears, but the engine just doesn't have enough power. 
How about the 1.4L turbo you ask? Nice. Its just that simple, around town you have plenty of power, not too much turbo lag, a nice sound coming from it ( usually has a more sporty exhaust), and once you get onto the highway you still have plenty of power. Is it a bit louder than the 1.8? Of course, its a smaller engine, but with the added bit of fun, its worth it, unless you will be doing a lot of highway driving, then the drone might get a bit much. But a few more nice things about the turbo are that you don't need premium fuel even though it is a turbo, and that you actually get better MPG than the 1.8L, even though you have a better performing engine. 
Now the rest of the car while driving. Due to it being such a small car is has great handling, not a lot of roll in the corners, its a tad louder than other cars in the class, but most of that can be from the different wheels you can get with it, and depending on the trim, it may have a stiffer feeling ride. 
Due to its small dimensions it is very easy to park.
Take note, the 1.8L comes with a timing belt, while the 1.4L turbo comes with a timing chain, another reason to go with the 1.4.

Overall:

There are only a few reasons why I would like this car. It looks cool,  the interior is cool looking with lots of options and colors ( same with the outside), but it looks a bit cheap as well. It also drives quite nice for such a small car. If I knew that 99% of the time it would only be me or 1 other passenger, this would be a fantastic car. But if you have more than 1 friend or family member then these cars just wont work for you. There just is not enough room in the back seat for 2 normal sized people unless tiny people are up front, and its not wide enough to fit 3 people, even kids. 
Add the fact that it is still the really cheap Aveo, and this may not be the best car for you if you need this to last a long time and be a people mover as well. There are other options out there that have a bit more room and wont fall apart as quickly. This is not a top pick in my books.

Facts/ Figures:

Sedan:

Price ( for mid trim level): $19,000+

FWD

MPG (approx*): (1.8L: 24 city, 34 highway) (1.4L Turbo: 25 city, 36 highway)

Cargo room (approx*): 14 CuFt

Length: 173''

Width: 68''

Tank Size (gal): 12.2

Miles on one tank (using combined MPG figures): 378

Average used price with 60,000KM or less: $13,000+ **

Hatchback:

Price ( for mid trim level): $20,000+

FWD

MPG (approx*): (1.8L: 24 city, 34 highway) (1.4L Turbo: 25 city, 36 highway)

Cargo room (approx*): 19 / 48 CuFt

Length: 160''

Width: 68''

Tank Size (gal): 12.2

Miles on one tank (using combined MPG figures): 378

Average used price with 60,000KM or less: $14,000+**

* when I say "approx" I usually am using the numbers given by the actual manufacturer or Consumer Reports, minus 1 to be a bit more realistic. 

** its is noticeably harder to find a used model with the turbo engine at such a low price.

Links:
Chevy USA
Chevy Canada

Please comment or follow if you like these reviews so I can find out what you ( the internet) really wants to see in these reviews.

Thank you,

J.K.

2011-15 Hyundai Elantra & 2013-14 Elantra GT Review

Hyundai's sure have come a long way, they are now at the top of their class, and for good reason.

Due to these two cars' similarities Ill cover both in this post.

The Elantra was redesigned for the 2011 model year and man did they do a good job. This one redesign inside and out quickly catapulted Hyundai's from being cheap economy cars, to great looking, comfortable, and feature packed competitors in every class. In Canada, where smaller cars are more favored, the Elantra quickly rose to be one of the top selling cars in the country, and for good reason. I mean, just look at it:

Different Models / Styles:

When it was first redesigned in 2011 the Elantra was only offered in the sedan style. However, in 2013 they added a 2 door coup style and a 5 door hatchback called the GT (which will be discussed in more detail later). The GT is not to be mistaken for the Elantra wagon called the Elantra Touring which was sold from 2009 to 2012. The 2 door coup is almost the exact same as the sedan, but with 2 less doors. All cars either have a 1.8L engine with a 6 speed manual or 6 speed auto trans or starting in 2013 with the GT they added a 2.0L engine that became optional on the sedan and coupe in 2014.

2011+ Elantra Sedan:

Styling / Comfort Impressions:

This is no doubt a great looking car from the outside. A nice front and rear end with flowing curves to connect the two. It doesn't have as much of a blunt nose that many other smaller cars in the class do which is nice. The windows are a bit small and the rear trunk rises quite a bit but overall this is a very nice looking economy car from the outside.

The inside may leave some people speechless for a car in this class at this price point. To sum it up, its fantastic! Take a look for yourself:

Once again, I like the look of the lighter colored interior, but even I will admit that the black / dark grey looks pretty good in the Elantra. 
One thing that I have never figured out is how they manage to give passengers so much space in a relatively small car. The Elantra has tones of head and leg room up front and in the back, with great seats. I had no problem finding a comfortable driving position with the many seat adjustments as well as a tilt and telescoping steering wheel. I also was able to sit in the back seat comfortably with the front seats pushed all the way back. The seats have a slightly higher quality fabric to them than most other cars in this class, and leather is an option. Also, you can get tones of features in this great little car, like heated seats in the lower trim levels. In the higher trim levels you can also get the rear seats heated!

The front and center console look like they should be on a much larger and more luxurious car, and they essentially are; the Sonata, Elantra, and smaller Accent share the same basic design for the front and it really helps with the upscale look and feel of these cars. Smooth flowing lines with soft touch materials and large easy to see and use buttons are great and when upgraded to the multimedia screens you also get a back up camera, which is nice as I will mention later. The sound system has 6 speakers that sound quite good, nothing outstanding but for a compact car to have 6 speakers standard is pretty good. One thing I did not particularly like was how low the air and temperature controls were located in the console, they are a bit of a reach from the wheel while driving.
One complaint I have about the Elantra sedan is it's relatively poor outward visibility. The window sills are quite high on the sides and the trunk lid is very high meaning you cant see much through the rear view mirror. This lack of visibility almost makes it necessary to upgrade the radio set up to include the back up camera.

Driving Impressions:

The Elantra sedan once again is very comfortable on the inside and finding a good driving position should not be a problem. Once you do find it the steering wheel is padded and comfortable to grip with optional radio, cruise, and other controls. The 6 speed auto also comes with a manual shift gate which can be fun in certain situations. The 1.8L engine is smooth and the auto trans does it's job well but there are some times where you will wish for more power. When loaded up with people the engine does strain to get up to speed, but with just one or two people it is quiet and refined, even at highway speeds. Overall the car is very quiet while driving with little road or wind noise, it has adequate power and a very tight turning radius. 
For the 2014 model year both the sedan and 2 door coupe also have an optional 2.0L engine with the same transmission, as the Elantra GT has it as its standard engine I'll cover its performance there.
Due to the small-ish windows and high trunk lid, visibility while driving is slightly compromised, meaning you really should / need to upgrade to a model or package with the camera.

2013+ Elantra GT (hatchback):

Styling / Comfort Impressions:

The GT shares its platform and looks with the sedan, besides the hatch on the back, and the open mouth look of the front, the outside is quite similar. 

The inside is also similar to the sedan, but it does have a few noticeable differences. First is the front console, keen eyes will notice that the middle air vents are located higher and are larger. The A/C and other temperature controls are pushed higher and the center stack has more of a vertical drop than a slope down like the sedan, along with straight edges instead of a slight curve (bulge) in the middle. The controls are all located a bit higher so it makes them easier to reach than in the sedan while driving.

Other than that, the front is still the same roomy, comfortable space as the sedan. Its in the back where the hatch starts to make a comfort difference. While in the sedan I had just adequate headroom ( the extra legroom meant I could slouch down a bit), in the hatchback I have more than enough headroom plus that awesome legroom! Another nice change the hatchback brings is slightly better visibility. While the front windshield and front side windows are essentially the same, the back windows are a tad larger and instead of having a high trunk cutting into the view through the rear view mirror, you have a nice wide window, the only thing blocking some of the view now are the head restraints and the seat backs. But that can be solved easily by removing the head pieces or folding the seats down.

Obviously there is now a much more versatile trunk and cargo area due to the added height and fold flat rear seats. While the GT actually is 8 inches shorter than the sedan, the overall hatchback design provides much more cargo room.

Driving Impressions:

The GT is similar to the sedan in how it drives as it shares many of the same components. However, it does have a 2.0L engine instead of the 1.8L in the sedan which; even thought it is about 100 lbs more than the sedan, gives it enough extra power so it doesn't feel like it is struggling to get up to speed when there is more than one person in it. Otherwise it is just as refined as the sedan: quiet, comfortable, smooth, but with the added benefit of slightly better visibility and a rear wiper which is always good for anything but stellar weather. 

Both the 1.8 and 2.0 engines use timing chains instead of belts meaning less costly maintenance needed. 

Overall:

I really like these cars. They look great, come full with features not usually available so easily in cars in the class. They are very comfortable and drive nicely as well. Due to the slightly better visibility, added power, and more versatile cargo capacity of the hatchback Elantra GT, it gets my vote between the two. So if you are looking for a great economical car on a budget AND you want it to look like it costs quite a bit more, these are the cars for you.

Facts / Figures:

Sedan:

Price ( for this trim level): $20,000+

FWD

MPG (approx*): 27 city, 37 highway

Cargo room (approx*): 15 CuFt

Length: 178''

Width: 70''

Tank Size (gal): 12.8

Miles on one tank (using combined MPG figures): 396

Average used price with 60,000KM or less: $14,000+

Hatchback GT:

Price ( for this trim level): $21,000+

FWD

MPG (approx*): 27 city, 37 highway

Cargo room (approx*): 23 / 51 CuFt

Length: 170''

Width: 67''

Tank Size (gal): 12.8

Miles on one tank (using combined MPG figures): 396

Average used price with 60,000KM or less: $16,000+

* when I say "approx" I usually am using the numbers given by the actual manufacturer or Consumer Reports, minus 1 to be a bit more realistic. 

Links:
Hyundai USA
Hyundai Canada

Hope you enjoy these reviews. Expect to see reviews come every tues or weds and sat or sun.

J.K.

2012-15 Honda Civic Review

One of the top selling cars in Canada obviously must have the first official 'new' car review.

Note* all reviews will be based off the North American models. 

First off I must hand it to Honda, they redesigned the Civic for 2012 and it was a nice looking car, but then they showed us the 2013 Accord. The Accord was many leaps and bounds nicer looking than the 12 Civic. After getting enough feedback from consumers they redesigned the outside of the Civic ( also minimally inside as well) in less than a year and introduced us to a fantastic looking economy car. Id go as far as saying  it literally just looks like a smaller version of the Accord, which is saying a lot.

Besides the looks not much else changed for the Civic between 2012 and 2013, So I will mostly be talking about the 2013 Auto Trans model with references to the changes for the 2014 year.

I will also be talking about the mid-range models, the ones most people will be buying.

For a quick comparison of the changes made from 2012 to 2013, these pictures should help...

There's just something about adding a little chrome that makes everything better...

Different styles:

The Honda Civic has to be one of the most versatile cars out there. There should be a style that suits everyone. It comes in: 'normal' sedan and 2 door coupe, Si (Sport Injected) in sedan and 2 door coupe, Civic HF (High Fuel efficiency?) sedan, Civic hybrid sedan, and the Civic Natural Gas sedan.

The 'normal' ones come with a 1.8 liter engine and a choice of 5 speed manual trans or 5 speed auto.

The Si come with a 2.4 liter engine and a 6 speed manual trans and an upgraded and sporty interior.

The Civic HF is like the 'normal' Civics but with the hybrid styles wheels and other tweaks to make it slightly more fuel efficient.

The Civic hybrid has a 1.5 L engine with an electric motor to produce a total of 110HP. It has many different features in and around it to make it more fuel efficient, smaller tires, aerodynamic covers on the bottom to reduce drag and a special setting that the car can be put into to help you drive more efficiently as well. This hybrid is different from Toyota's as it is considered a 'mild' hybrid meaning that the gas engine will always be supplying power to the wheels, the electric motor is just there to help when more power is needed. This also means it is a lighter overall system than 'full' hybrids and is less complicated ( less things to break and go wrong).

Finally there is the Civic Natural Gas, which is similar to the 'normal' version but the engine is modified to be filled and operated by natural gas instead of liquid gasoline. 

Due to the price differences progressively going up for each model, I will be talking mostly about the 'normal' Civics as they are the most popular and accessible economy car on a budget.

Styling / Comfort Impressions:

As you may be able to tell from the intro, I like the look of this car. It may not be super flashy but it is a good mix of modern looks and timeless design. It has relatively large windows for its class which give it pretty good visibility and a open feeling from the inside and out.

The inside between the 2012 and the 13/14 remains the same except for a bit of added chrome trim around the air vents, the radio and shifter, which definitely helps give it a slightly higher-end feel. It has a mix of hard and soft plastics but they feel good and look good, not cheap.

It also comes in a beige or light gray interior colour scheme, which to me look a little better, brighter and help the radio pop a bit more. The inside, just like the outside, seems to look just right for a car of this price in this compact car class. It doesn't look or feel cheap, but at the same time, it doesn't look luxurious or come standard with many features that some other cars in this class do. To me, this isn't much of a drawback, I feel this car fits in perfectly into the class and if you are looking for a smart looking car on a budget, this should do just fine.

In the front, the seats are comfortable and well supported with manual or electric adjustment setting to insure that everyone can find a comfortable driving position. I'm about 6' 2'' and I found a comfortable driving position with plenty of headroom.

All the controls are large, easy to use, and in good reach. If you decide to upgrade to the 7'' touchscreen radio and multimedia display, it looks bright and easy to use.

The back seat. First off, A very important test that I do in every car is find out if I can fit behind myself comfortably while the drivers seat is in a position that I find comfortable driving in. I figure I'm a relatively large guy, if I can be comfortable behind myself almost anyone else should be as well.

That being said, I can comfortably fit behind myself. The rear seats are also comfortable and well supported, I don't think I would be too unhappy spending a long road trip back there. They are also relatively easy to get in and out of due to lots of foot-well space and large door openings. 

The trunk is relatively large, not the largest in its class, but still plenty large enough to fit a hockey bag or a few golf bags, or an assortment of suitcases. It does however have quite a narrow back seat pass through once the seats are folded. To put anything large / long through you will almost for sure have to have the whole seat folded down...

Driving Impressions:

Here is where there is a difference between the 12/13 model years and the 14, at least for the auto trans. The 12/13 have a normal auto trans with 5 speeds. While driving, this trans felt good, smooth and provided the power when I needed it without the engine making too much noise. The 2014 models have Honda's CVT ( Continually Variable Transmission). For those of you that don't know what this is, it essentially replaces all the different gears with a set of pulleys. The result is that if you put your foot down from a stop all the way up to highway speeds, you will essentially not feel the surges that normally come from the auto trans changing gears, and the RPM will stay in about the same position until you reach that speed. There are some people that are die-hard car fans and they hate these new CVTs, but in my opinion, its different for each manufacturer. Some are good and some are bad ( loud, lag, power sapping) but Honda's is one of the better ones out there. However, if I had the choice, I would still pick the regular auto as that is what I'm used to. For new time drivers, it may be better to get the ones with CVTs as they will slowly become the standard auto trans in cars soon. 

Overall the Civic has plenty of power from its 1.8 L engine, the ride is smooth and controlled, it has a tight turning radius, and solid wheels and brakes for stopping. Civics also use a timing chain instead of a belt meaning the engines need less costly service on them.

The Eco button that the 13/ 14 models have does change the driving dynamic a fair amount in the city and highway, by dumbing down the throttle response combined with the changing lights on the dashboard (to show how Eco friendly / aggressively you drive) it really does mean you can drive this car quite efficiently. 

Overall:

Great little car that looks good and drives well. Its sorta a shame though that it does everything well, but nothing outstandingly well, making it a very mid range car that many may glance over. But don't, because a car that does everything well, and is made by the very reputable Honda, means that this car will last you a long time with little worries.

Facts / Figures:

Price ( for this trim level): $19,980+

FWD

MPG (approx*): 27 city /37 hwy

Cargo room (approx*): 12 CuFt trunk

Length: 179

Width: 69

Tank size (gal): 13.2

Miles on one tank (using combined MPG figures): 422
Average used price for a 2012-14 Civic with 60,000KM or less: $15,000+

* when I say "approx" I usually am using the numbers given by the actual manufacturer or Consumer Reports, minus 1 to be a bit more realistic. 

Links:
Honda.com
Honda Canada

Hope you liked this first official review of a 'new' car.

Once again, any suggestions or comments on how / what you would like done for these reviews is greatly appreciated. 

Also, a follow would be nice :D

J.K.

Posting Schedule

I will try to have at least 2 new posts per week. Usually one in the middle and one on the weekend.

So get ready for a new one tomorrow!

J.K.

Current Cars, Two Extremes

Here is a little bit of how I look at cars, using the two I drive most often right now.

First is the 2006 Chevy Impala. My sister nicknamed this thing Titan, cause its HUGE! ( the pictures are of my actual Impala)

To get a little insight into why we bought this car in the first place, It was originally supposed to be a car for my mom. She liked to sit upright and did not like bucket seats, so with those stipulations it sorta narrowed down the search quite quickly. Also, SUVs were out of the question, except the Honda CRV. 

But, it eventually came down to the Impala or the Toyota Avalon. Unfortunately she also didn't really want leather seats, so the Impala it is! Another reason that we chose the Impala was the fact that it has a timing chain instead of a timing belt. meaning it would almost never need servicing ( usually a decent price every 100,000 KMs). We found it on Autotrader.ca for a reasonable $10K with only 73,000KMs on it.

It has been a pretty good car to us, both me and my sister went to the same university in the states. So this thing had to haul a lot of stuff back and forth to Ohio ( we live just outside of Toronto). This is where the Impala really shines, it is definitely a highway cruiser. We had the LS version with the optional 6th seat, essentially making the front row a bench seat. But when that seat wasn't being used, it was a giant armrest, fantastic for the 6+ hour drives.

Also, I gotta give it props to having one of the best stock stereo systems Iv ever heard. 6 speakers and an AUX input for the ipod.

So this car was quite a nice place for long trips, the 3.5L V6  cruising around 2,000 RPM with plenty of power on tap, nice big seats with good adjustments and big windows for great visibility.

The only problems with the Impala were of course fuel consumption in the city, hard to park in Canada ( not so bad in the US due to wider spots), and for some odd reason really bad rear seat leg / foot room. It has thick front seats with a flap that hangs down in the back just completely getting rid of any good space back there.

For a few facts about the Impala:

• aprox MPG: 19 city, 29 highway.
• cargo room (cubit feet): 18 trunk, 39 total
• 200 inches long, 73 wide
• 17.4 gal tank
• average miles on one tank: 417 - about 670 KMs ( note: I figure this number out literally just by finding the middle number between the city and highway figures and times it by the tank amount, so in a sense I'm being very conservative on the estimations, better to be pleasantly surprised than disappointed and angry...)
• FWD of course

So there is the one extreme, huge, like very huge sedan with tones of power, more than I would every really be able to use. Its a good car, but I like to push my cars, and why have a car that you can never truly find its limit?

Now, for the other...

A 1992 Toyota Camry that was my grandfather's until he couldn't drive anymore. My sister nicknamed this one Sir Percy Percy....

Ours is white and let me tell you, this car was kept in perfect condition, never driven in the winter (until I got it), well maintained and had extra protective layers added. Also my grandfather clearly knew what would be good to have a in a car because he got every bell and whistle added in this thing besides the leather and V6 engine. It has a power front seat, power windows and locks and AC, all working great from the early 90's! One odd thing that my grandfather added which I am glad he did, was larger than normal tires. Im not saying a larger rim size, they are still 14 inches, but he actually put tires on that had more rubber and space between the rim and the edge, meaning they are much more cushy on the road and it coasts a lot better.

Its hard to describe to people why I love driving this car but I think its because it has less technology in it ( which to people who know me sounds odd as I love new Tech). There is less between what I'm doing in the car and what the car is actually doing / is able to do. I can feel where the limits of this car are and that's nice to know. It may not be a rocket off the line, and it may run out of steam trying to pass on the highway, but its comfortable, easy to maintain and very reliable. Due to it being an old car, it also has great visibility due to huge windows

Some basics about this car for me:

• I put in new speakers and a CD player with an AUX input ( sooo much better than the aging system in there)
• It has a small 2.2L 4 cylinder with most likely less power than a new Corolla now.
• Its surprisingly roomy front and rear, with plenty of foot room ( come on Impala...)
• A 3 speed, plus overdrive, auto transmission that definitely needed one more gear
• Really soft suspension. Like, I'm not sure what would happen first, the car rolling over around a corner or the tires coming off their skinny rims...

Now, it might sound like im ripping a lot on this car, but its these quirks that make me love it, like I said, I know the limits of this car and can see that for its original purpose and how it was put together, it does everything perfectly.

Some facts:

• aprox MPG: 18 city, 28 highway. I would say these are actually better in real life as i can drive farther on one tank with this than the Impala...
• 188 inches long, 70 wide
• 18.5 gal tank
• average miles on one tank: 380 ( I have gone much farther...) - about 611 KMs
• FWD of course

Well, so there you go, I had to condense the reviews a bit since I was covering two cars, but now you can get a little idea of how my other reviews will go. Since I will be doing other reviews for individual cars, they will have a few more details ( interior impressions, reasons for comfort, visibility, how they drive in certain situations...)

Also, the future reviews will have a little less personal memories or reflections in them and should be more factual.

I hope you guys like it and check back soon for the first post of new cars ( new could be a year or two old, as long as its the most recent design / model) 

J.K.

Hello and Welcome

Lets Try Something New

Hi Internet,
If you are reading this that means you have decided that this blog / page could be interesting or useful to you, or at least I hope that's why.
First, lets get some basics down about me and the blog:

1. I have never done a blog before so this is going to be a learning process for me.
2. I am in no way a fantastic writer, there may be spelling, grammar, or other odd mistakes that you may find while reading my posts, Ill do my best to eliminate them. Helpful / nice suggestions are appreciated.
3. With that being said, most of my posts will be more factual and to the point. Something I'm hoping readers will appreciate.
4. My posts will mostly be covering cars of various types. Occasionally I may add a post or two covering awesome tech or something similar. Basically it will always be about some sort of technology, so don't worry about really random stuff clogging it up.
5. For an idea of how I could possibly have a bias on the cars and topics here is where I'm coming from ( obviously I will try to stay unbiased and mostly factual). From what I can remember my family has had : Some old random Chrysler or other "5 point star" van (dead) , 
   
   2 Honda Odyssey minivans ( 1 dead, 1 still here),
   
    2 Subaru Legacy wagons ( 1 from the late 90's and 1 from the early 2000's (both dead)),
   
   A 2003 Kia Magentis (Optima) (sold),
   
   a 2006 Chevy Impala (me and my sister's sorta first car),
   
   and most recently my Grandfather's 1992 Toyota Camry ( my first official car).
   
6. As of mid July we are in the process of selling the Impala for something smaller.
7. I read a lot of car reviews and combined with extensive test drives + research I think I can say with some confidence that I know a fair amount of each of the cars I will be reviewing. 
8. With that being said, once again, I will be trying to keep these posts relatively brief and will be talking about the main points of the cars that I feel most people actually care about when trying to compare against which ones they should get. ( any other suggestions are appreciated)
9. Any pictures I add will most likely be ones I find on Google, I will try to post pictures of the cars that are relevant to my posts ( if I'm talking about a base line model, I will not just post pictures of the highest trim levels.
10. I will do my best to keep adding new posts ( hopefully 1 or 2 per week) and respond to anyone asking questions.

Well, that's it for now. Keep a look out for the first post in the next few days ( hopefully)

J.K.