Cash for Clunkers

[TJ_98370]

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[WestSideBilly]

[TJ_98370]

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Did anybody not see this coming?
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DETROIT (AP) -- GM, Ford and Chrysler reported September sales declines on Thursday, revealing a tough hangover from this summer's Cash for Clunkers buying spree......
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[deejayoh]

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[WestSideBilly]

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[WestSideBilly]

I've always felt (and still do) that kids should be required to pass their driver license exam in a vehicle without power brakes, ABS, or power steering, a manual transmission, and about 80 horsepower. 90% of drivers wouldn't even get out of the parking lot (which is about right, since most new drivers shouldn't be anywhere but a parking lot based on their meager training). Along the way, random quizzes should be done - "what did the sign we just go by say?" "what color car is in the lane next to you". Miss too many, you fail.

Modern cars are way too easy to drive and they discourage people from focusing on the task at hand. I won't lie, I've done a lot of things while driving that aren't driving related, especially in the long desolate stretches of interstate between cities. But the problem is when people take that level of inattention and keep it in the city. As mentioned in Jalopnik, the issue is that the cars are so good that most drivers don't have good risk assessment anymore. And this isn't a "kid" thing, I see a lot of older drivers making high risk/low reward decisions while going 70 MPH on I-405 during rush hour.

[WestSideBilly]

Also, thanks for the tire article. Pretty much what I was getting at. And as an engineer, I hate big wheels because they have so many negative consequences, and in most cases don't even look that good.

Anecdote: My car requires staggered (different width front and rear) 16" tires. 5 years ago there were typically about 50 good tires in the proper sizes; there are now fewer than 10. And good luck finding a decent 14" tire...

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