Car musings
Nov. 8th, 2021 10:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nosrednaydujStopped by a VW dealer today, to look at an ID.4. It has the flaw that all modern cars have of just too much fancy garbage. Like, in order to turn on the reading light you just touch it, but since there's no tactile feedback, it makes a clicking sound. But, that clicking sound doesn't come from the light, it comes from the audio system of the car. Somebody implemented making a clicking sound in the audio system when you touch the light to turn it on. Bah humbug. But, all modern cars have this kind of crap.
It has an advantage over the Tesla Y and that more stuff is controlled by non-touchscreen items, such as cruise control. The Tesla S also has some stuff on the steering wheel and in other places on the dash besides the touchscreen. Unfortunately, the ID.4 is a little bit shorter in the back (cargo space with seats folded down) than the Prius V, and that might mean that Ken's bike doesn't fit. I think my bike will fit, but I think both of us need to put our bikes in the Prius and consider what would happen if we had 5 fewer inches of space. It might be the killer on this deal.
Separately, the Leaf has been having range problems, because it's eight years old and still has the original battery. Turns out there's a place in the Boston area which does battery pack replacement using cars which have gotten in crashes as the donor packs. So we're in line for this. It's a little bit like waiting for an organ transplant – you need to wait for somebody to crash their car.
My theory is that what we need is to get a Tesla or other long-range electric car that has four-wheel-drive, can tow, and can fit bicycles in the back, and improve the battery of the Leaf well enough that it can go most places in the Boston area and back without needing to charge, and then maybe we can do without the Prius. We rarely need three cars at the same time. When Jocelyn is here, then we need more cars. So maybe we'll hang onto the Prius until she's done with college.
I started going to work! I went once last week, and will go again this week. But if I'm only going one day a week, we can arrange it that Valerie or I drop Ken at the train station if it happens to be a day where he can't bicycle, and on the other days I pretty much don't need a car.
Of course, with the car shortage, it's likely none of this will come to fruition for several months. But it's good to start planning now, before the SUV decides to randomly croak on us. It is 15 years old, making its imminent demise much more likely.
It has an advantage over the Tesla Y and that more stuff is controlled by non-touchscreen items, such as cruise control. The Tesla S also has some stuff on the steering wheel and in other places on the dash besides the touchscreen. Unfortunately, the ID.4 is a little bit shorter in the back (cargo space with seats folded down) than the Prius V, and that might mean that Ken's bike doesn't fit. I think my bike will fit, but I think both of us need to put our bikes in the Prius and consider what would happen if we had 5 fewer inches of space. It might be the killer on this deal.
Separately, the Leaf has been having range problems, because it's eight years old and still has the original battery. Turns out there's a place in the Boston area which does battery pack replacement using cars which have gotten in crashes as the donor packs. So we're in line for this. It's a little bit like waiting for an organ transplant – you need to wait for somebody to crash their car.
My theory is that what we need is to get a Tesla or other long-range electric car that has four-wheel-drive, can tow, and can fit bicycles in the back, and improve the battery of the Leaf well enough that it can go most places in the Boston area and back without needing to charge, and then maybe we can do without the Prius. We rarely need three cars at the same time. When Jocelyn is here, then we need more cars. So maybe we'll hang onto the Prius until she's done with college.
I started going to work! I went once last week, and will go again this week. But if I'm only going one day a week, we can arrange it that Valerie or I drop Ken at the train station if it happens to be a day where he can't bicycle, and on the other days I pretty much don't need a car.
Of course, with the car shortage, it's likely none of this will come to fruition for several months. But it's good to start planning now, before the SUV decides to randomly croak on us. It is 15 years old, making its imminent demise much more likely.
