https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlhSgUh_6VY

Jason does his deep dive thing into the Land Cruiser that provides some really interesting history on the product you might not be aware of. Definitely worth a watch.

The geese discuss the refreshed Toyota Sienna and how it compares to the other minivans on the market. They also have an interesting discussion with the car's engineers on the new updates and how Toyota has tried to keep this vehicle competitive with SUVs, including the AWD system, extra ground clearance and higher seating position. Imo this car makes so much sense for so many families, and the hybrid system is an excellent bonus.

YouTube video here.

I noticed this a while ago, but this article put me over the edge into rant. When a vehicle is made to go off road, certain aspects of a vehicle that make it good for daily driving directly oppose it being good off road.

For example, having a solid front axle is a massive benefit because you eliminate CV axles that often fail off road, you have a stronger differential that handles locking differentials better, and its easier to lift the vehicle.

But when an automotive journalist use to driving family car gets in a vehicle with a solid axle, they'll bash it for poor handling (because all live axles use recirculating ball steering for many reasons), and poor ride. This is fair to mention briefly, but they fail to mention the reasons for this (that I mentioned above). This is especially bad because companies that stick true to purpose play at a disadvantage in comparisons with other models that don't prioritize what they claim to do.

They forget to judge it for the genre it is designed for, they judge it for how it fits the average person. This is logical, most people dont and wont use a 4x4 like it's advertised, but it misses the point.

You can sell more school buses if you make them into SUVs, at some point you have to accept that nothing can be good at everything. Automotive journalists shouldn't judge a Ferrari 296 against the practicality and ride of a Rav4 anymore than they do with a Grenadier.

Yet they do constantly (judge 4x4 like they're daily drivers). Look at any publication not focused on 4wd, and it'll have categories stacked for road cars (that sports cars will ace because a race track is a road), handling and ride comfort. But they wont have ground clearance or approach angle as a category.

This isn't even mentioning the multiple times where publications staged 4x4 rolling over to fit a narrative cough cough 60 Minutes/Consumer Reports. Most popular car media (youtubers included) is heavily biased against off road vehicles, and no one talks about it.

As a result nameplates disappear or get watered down, and segments basically become the domain of 1 or 2 models. We also miss out on vehicles sold elsewhere.

https://youtu.be/7D3XoD_VJxA?si=qSpbNPB9QEhug96f

In this video, Ryan takes his Ford Ranger Raptor to his snow-covered mountain test course to test the winter capabilities of his Ranger Raptor.

With conditions being slippery and wet, Ryan takes this opportunity to showcase how the Raptor performs in certain cases, such as in steep inclines and declines, with little to no traction. Though the Ranger Raptor does do well for the conditions that it meets, one interesting note that stands out during this test is Fords traction control/throttle management system, where Ford actively cuts throttle to mitigate any slip, even when turned off*.

Is this a "feature", or could it be too interfering that could lead to hazards (as seen in the video)?

Edit: *Forgot to mention that he turned off traction control.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksSlKzyuaVM

it is very iconic that nobody bothered posting this here since the video came out 10 days go. great improvements comparing to the last gen and the main competitor, lc300, isn't even available in the NA. kinda tells you how dire the situation nissan is in right now for the NA market.

also, i wish nissan could just bring the patrol here instead of keep using this localized/neutered version.

This might seem like a silly question, but is the TVR Griffith going to happen...at all? The car was first announced/unveiled in 2017. It received praise at the time, and it seemed likely that production would indeed happen, since it was backed by the Welsh government, or something. Well, a bunch of stuff has happened since then, like a problem at the factory where production was meant to be housed in, I think the roof caved in. Then Covid hit. To my knowledge, the Griffith is still meant for production, without any official announcement of a cancellation having taken place. I know the odds aren't great, but it's a running prototype, designed by Gordon Murray and it uses a Cosworth-modded engine. I mean, it that not enough to find new investors if the need arises?

I bought my Mustang brand new (pictures on my page) on February 17th of 2024, and traded my MK7 GTI for it. It has every single option besides performance pack and magride and is paired with the MT82-D4 6 speed manual. The MSRP was $56,250 and I paid just under $51,000 due to Ford's A plan (Ford employee pricing, uncle is retired UAW). I bought it to be my daily and do the occaisional track day.

Buying criteria/What else was I considering: I had a 50-55k budget and wanted something that was a solid step up from the GTI performance wise. Also, preferably not more than 2-3 years old. My non negotiables were manual transmission, RWD/AWD, and not a 4 popper. Nothing against them, just wanted something different.

I was inclined to stay with something European as I’ve always been more into Euro brands than anything else. The GTI also treated me well in the 50k miles I owned it (sold it with just under 100k on the odo). With this in mind the top contenders (besides the Mustang) in order from most to least likely were: 6MT Toyota Supra, F80 M3/F82 M4/F87 M2, 6th Gen Camaro, and C7 Corvette. I didn't go with them for the following reasons (to make it clear, I'd love to own any of these cars):

*I would have loved a Supra, however, every dealer that I called was either a long waitlist or 10k or more over MSRP. Pass.

*The M-cars were hard to track down in my area and I couldn’t justify the price for the amount of miles that were on them. Plus, not in love with that S55 exhaust note. Pass.

*I’m going to lump the Camaro and Corvette together. I come from a family that has bought exclusively GM for my entire life (dad has a C8 parked in the garage) so I wasn’t exactly excited at the prospect of adding another. The newest C7’s were already 4-5 years old and despite how objectively good of a car the Camaro is, the interior is dated and I’ve just never loved how it looked post 2018. Plus, I love the high revving character of the coyote in comparison to the LT1. Pass.

So, why did I buy the Mustang? As outlined above, the 7500 RPM redline of the Coyote was a huge reason. It is just a fantastic motor with so much character. Buying a new V8 muscle car in 2024 also makes the little kid in me happy. I also loved the exterior styling and was willing to give the screen a go. It also has extensive aftermarket support due to the similarities to the S550.

Buying Experience: VERY smooth. The dealer was great to work with. I was in and out in less than 2 hours including test drive, only hiccup was getting money transferred which was my bank’s fault.

Now, onto the review.

*Engine: The Gen 4 coyote makes this car what it is. The rev happy, naturally aspirated character of the motor is something you just do not get very often at the price point. It has more than enough power and if you do not respect it, you will get into trouble. While it is certainly not lacking in low end torque, go with the LT1 powered Camaro or Corvette if that is the type of thing you prioritize. It also 100% needs an oil cooler for extended hard driving, this can be added very easily but should be standard. Throttle response can also be a tad strange when cold but smooths out after the car warms up. Revs also do take a second to drop while shifting when the car is not up to temp.

*Transmission: The infamous Getrag MT82. I drove a dark horse and I will just come out and say the Tremec is the better transmission. However, the MT82 is not bad, and I mean that. The stock shifter feel is somewhat vague so I did swap this with an MGW and it was a night and day difference. Extremly close gate and very satisfying feel. You can bang gears very quickly. I do still get the occaisional 3rd gear lockout but this comes down more to my technique than anything imo. I will be getting a better twin disk clutch to alleviate the issue completely when the stock one wears out. Gearing is also long, the top of 2nd gear is ~70mph, 3rd is ~115mph and 4th takes you to the electronically limited top speed of 150mph. It has auto rev match but I rev match and heel toe manually everywhere I go. Clutch pressure is very manageable. The pedal box is not optimal for heel toe (gas pedal is below the brake and they are somewhat far apart) but I have size 13 feet so I make it work. Not really advertised, but the MT82 also has no lift shift. I make use of this regularly and love it.

*Suspension: Given that it doesn’t have performance pack or mag ride, it has very soft springs from the factory, even feeling softer than what was in my GTI. In my opinion, they are borderline too soft for the amount of power that this car makes and contribute to a certain amount of floatiness at high speeds. This is easily alleviated in the aftermarket but definitely something to note.

*Brakes: My car was optioned with the big brakes. 6 piston brembos in the front and 4 pistons in the rear. They take the skin off your face. Definitely a highlight of the driving experience and needed since it’s not the lightest thing.

*Handling/steering: Every youtube reviewer has something to say about the steering being numb in this car and I honestly just do not think it's as big a deal as it's made out to be. Yes, it doesn't communicate as well as other cars, but its not like an old school muscle car where you have no idea what's going on with the front end. It is not ideal, but more than manageable. There is also a fair amount of body roll. With all of this being said, I still feel comfortable tossing it into corners and cannot wait to see what it feels like after modifying it.

*Interior/Tech: Now, onto what many see as the elephant in the room with this new generation, the interior. Now, I cannot convince you it looks good, that is purely subjective. What I CAN say is that I have found it extremely easy to live with and use every day. The screen is always responsive, never crashes, and is very easy to navigate. Wireless carplay works great as well. Climate control is always present at the bottom of the screen and easy to access. As much as everyone complained about it, I have been pleasantly surprised with the infotainment's consistent usability and quality. The gauge cluster customization is also very good.

The seats are very comfortable, even on long road trips. I drove it 8 hours one way and was happy the entire way.

The lowlight of the interior space is the plastic used on the lower panels and various intermitent rattles. The plastic scratches easily and you can tell it is lower quality stuff. The rattles are not terrible but they are there, usually can't hear them over the exhaust. These are not things that bother me very much but definitely something to highlight.

*Maintenance: I do all of my maintenance myself. The only pain in the ass thing is dropping the front belly pan to get access to the oil filter. I think there are 17 little 7mm bolts but not bad with a mini impact to zip them out. Transmission fluid and diff fluid were also extremly easy to change. When looking at the motor and everything's location, I think this will be a very DIY friendly car to own long term. Nothing is in a stupid location, water pump looks like it would be a 15 minute job, etc.

Issues

Ownership has not been without it's issues. The first was the passenger side door handle had a piece loose. This was fixed under warranty no questions asked.

Secondly, and more importantly, I was getting a clicking noise from the rear end on take off. Come to find out, this has been an issue going back to the S550's and the fix is a new axle and wheel bearing. I took it to the dealer and they replaced both sides under warranty. The shitty thing here is the tech left the bolt on the rear toe link loose so when I stepped on it, it felt like the rear wheels were disconnected from the car. Very unsettling feeling. They refused to look at this, saying all was well. I was sick of dealing with them so I jacked up the rear of the car to check the torque and the bolt was damn near finger loose. Also, it was coincidentally the first bolt I put my torque wrench on. Not the car's fault but annoying nonetheless.

Lastly, I have some paint flaking on my mirror caps, I have not had the time to get this fixed as of yet but plan to soon. Obviously under warranty.

Summary

Overall, it has been a great daily. It is extremely comfortable and eats up highway miles. I drive like a baboon and still average about 20mpg. Not bad if you ask me. The performance is also nothing to scoff at and once I get the chance to take it on track, I have a feeling it will have a lot to teach me.

Before buying this car, you have to undertsand what it is and is not. This is not some ultra refined vehicle or track weapon that you can get in and go effortlessly fast. It demands your attention and is not perfect dynamically, but it is fun becase of these flaws. It has taught me a lot about handling a rear wheel drive car and will continue to. (It is also endlessly entertaining doing donuts and sliding around corners on fresh snow)

Compared to my GTI, I will say that this is not as refined of a vehicle. There is more road/wind noise along with the occaisional interior rattle as outlined above. I will be honest though, the GTI was so refined it got boring after a while and I cannot wait to see how I can improve some of the handling/suspension related gripes through modification while retaining the Mustang's character. To sum it up, I can say a lot of things about the Mustang, but saying it's boring will certainly not be one of them.

Feel free to ask questions, I'm sure I missed things.

https://youtu.be/65VmDfQPcZU?si=ONRew2-XXOt9z3mt

He goes around visiting his "friends" that own and operate different businesses and shows us how it all works, installing and testing multiple exhausts on his 992 GT3. It reminds me so much of how Mr Rogers used to take us to factories and show us how the world works.

From your own experiences, which was the smoothest riding car in these classes?

• Compact sedan
• Midsize sedan
• Luxury sedan (except flagships)
• Compact SUV

I have some issues with my neck so I've been curious about this. The best riding car I've been in recent memory was a rented Chevy Malibu of all cars! BMW X1 was terrible. Mercedes C and E also felt somewhat firm. A new Lexus ES was smooth but felt firmer over potholes than I expected.

Alongside the 5.0-litre Ford Coyote V8, which is offered in naturally aspirated and supercharged forms, a ‘performance orientated’ 2.0-litre will soon be available.

A year earlier than expected. Looks like it uses a 118 HP EV motor in conjunction with a special 2.5L boxer (presumingly atkinson cycle). The whole system sits within a new transaxle with a front differential gear and an electronically controlled coupling, and should improve fuel economy about 20% while also improving performance. It’s no XT, but it should be an improvement over the current 8.3s 0-60 (or 8.9s 5-60, probably the more pertinent number). Excited to see how these work in the real world.