According to me.

That might not mean much to the manufacturers but to you, oh faithful reader, it should mean the world (insert sarcastic tone here).

Over the course of 2011 I drove some pretty fantastic cars (MINI Countryman ALL4 S, Ford Explorer, Porsche Boxster S Black Edition, Aston Martin Vanquish, Mercedes-Benz SLK, Range Rover EVOQUE, Ford Flex Titanium, Nissan 370Z Nismo, VW Beetle, Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, and I could go on and on…), but there was one in particular that stood out above all the rest.

And it wasn’t a MINI (shock and awe, I know).

Of all the cars I got to pilot over the course of 2011, on in particular stuck in mind — and still sticks today. I find myself daydreaming about the Orange Valencia paint job, the spinning turbos and the out-of-this-world handling. I spend minutes on end staring at photos of this particular car on my lap top (and, in fact, have it as my desktop wallpaper at home and at work). There’s something truly intoxicating about this vehicle. Something addictive. Something otherworldly.

And I’m not the only one who thinks so. My (esteemed?) colleague, Matt St-Pierre, at Auto123.com feels the same way; and apparently so does Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear (so I’m in very good company in my opinion).

Haven’t figured it out yet?

If I could offer an award for the 2011 Car of the Year (it would be accompanied by a small M-shaped, gold coated trophy, of course), it would undoubtedly go to the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe.

Here’s a bullet-point rundown of the reasons why this car is so majestic (because I know you internet readers love lists):

- Small package, big power;
- It’s all in the style, baby;
- Handling (this ride gives MINI a run for its money);
- Oh the attitude;
- And the drive…

Oh, the drive. Piloting the BMW 1 Series M Coupe is absolutely fantastic. At the risk of repeating myself (for those of you, oh faithful readers, who follow me on Auto123.com, I apologize for sounding like a broken record), this car begs to be driven like it was stolen. There’s something about the 1M Coupe that makes you, the driver, feel invincible. It makes you feel like you could get away with it all behind the wheel.

And you almost can.

Tight styling, amazing German engineering and an exhaust note to die for made this particular vehicle stand out above all the rest. Unfortunately, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe will only see a 1-year production (ending this March *tear*), but I feel blessed to have driven this limited-edition mini powerhouse of a car.

This M gives the M3 a run for its money and runs the risk of dethroning the M3 as the best M out there right now (of course, I haven’t driven the new M5 yet …).

Small, sophisticated and sassy all at once, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe is undoubtedly my 2011 Car of the Year.

To pay tribute to this fabulous little ride, here is a gallery of photos care of my ever-talented husband, C:

True, this isn’t the most practical car (my boy, Owen, would probably only be comfortable in the back seat till he hit 10 or 11 years old), but it’s the ideal weekend joy ride toy. There’s nothing else like it.

I truly love me some M driving, and BMW didn’t disappoint with this miniature powerhouse.

Drive on,
- M.

A rear only a mother could love...

Sometimes standing out from the crowd isn’t the right plan of action. While making an impression on the general public is generally the goal of any automaker’s design team when launching a new car, there are limits I think we need to address for future models.

I think it’s a bit of a catch 22, actually. Us auto journos are constantly complaining about mundane, hum-drum, “normal” models being released by bigwig companies (*cough*Toyota/Honda*cough*); while companies like Nissan, MINI and Land Rover push the envelope on design and we complain about that too.

There’s just no pleasing us, apparently.

Last week, the brand new 2012 MINI Cooper S Coupe showed up at my office — while I’d just started my maternity leave. With a slumbering 4-day-old baby at home, I hopped in my WRX and made my way to the office (to say hi to colleagues, of course…).After making the rounds and freaking out all the boys in the office with my labour stories, I made my way down to the parking lot to get acquainted with the MINI Cooper S Coupe.

Here’s the deal: It’s a MINI. And we all know how I feel about MINIs — so right there, it’s a winner. I took it out for a spin and let me tell you, it drives just like a MINI should and was a blast. I did, however, feel slightly claustrophobic with the lower roofline. And the blind spots are quite astonishing for a MINI.

The need to make this one “different” from the rest of the MINI lineup has kind of tarnished the glowing love I have for the brand.

Now, pick your jaw up off the keyboard; I didn’t say I didn’t like the MINI Cooper S Coupe, I simply said something was off.

And it goes back to this need to be different in the industry. MINI has a good thing going for it. The Cooper hatch is a fab little car, there’s very little (if anything) wrong with it. When they released the Clubman, it was to answer a need for more space. When they released the Countryman, it was to answer a need for space and an AWD platform.

Now with the release of the Coupe they’ve answered a need… for a car that drives pretty much the same as the hatch, has room for two only and sports a roof that looks like a backwards baseball cap.

Because clearly there are a ton of customers who asked for that specifically.

MINI wants to reinvent itself to keep its line fresh and appealing to the market, particularly new buyers. However, a car like the MINI doesn’t need to do that to stay relevant. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

Yup, that's the rear roofline...

And MINI aren’t the only ones to embark on this radical design journey. Take the Nissan Juke for example (what WERE they thinking?) or even the Range Rover EVOQUE, both of which shocked the general public and auto journalists the world over for their outside-the-box looks.

So, is the need to be different pushing automakers in a direction that’s too far removed from anything the public actually wants? Or are they going to change the face of the automobile for good and change the definition of “well-designed?”

Drive on,
- M.

Blogging world, meet my little pea: Owen

Oh faithful reader, I’m back.

As promised, I’ve re-entered the blogging world thanks to the arrival of my new backseat driver: my son, Owen.

That’s right, now I can add “mother” to my list of accomplishments (at least, I hope I can count it as an accomplishment; two weeks in and it seems to be going well…). The past nine months have been an up-and-down roller coaster ride of emotions in all aspects of my life.

Since May of this year I’ve been a full-time automotive journalist with Auto123.com as well as being pregnant with Owen. We flew to Vegas, Munich, Toronto; drove to Quebec City; and even took a trip to Cuba. My boy is already a world traveller — fantastic.

My time at Auto123.com got me behind the wheel of some pretty awesome rides over the months from the brand new 2012 VW Beetle to the 2012 Porsche Boxster S Black Edition and everything in between (for all my reviews and writing on Auto123, check it out here!). And for the entire wild journey (even behind the wheel of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe), my boy was along for the ride.

It makes me proud to think that my unborn child was able to participate in such exciting adventures with me over the past few months. And now he’s arrived and he’ll be able to see the adventures right along with me, and I can’t wait.

I never considered myself much of a “mother” figure. I’m not a kid person (ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you I’m not one to fawn over babies or children in general…). I’m an only child and I didn’t grow up around young kids. So, bringing this baby home has been quite a shock for me.

But so far it’s been pretty amazing.

I know it’s going to be a huge learning curve — this motherhood thing — but I’m ready to take on the challenge.

And even though I’ll be away from the office for the next 7.5 months, it’s going to be hard to stay away from the automotive world (especially when my son is rocking the latest baby gear covered in cars and he looks so at home and comfy in the backseat of the WRX).

So, oh faithful reader, I am back. Don’t worry, this won’t turn into a baby-centric blog. However, Owen will play a role in my entries now that he’s my new little backseat driver. Let’s just hope he approves of my driving skills (and if he doesn’t, he can keep his opinions to himself).

I’ll leave you all with photographic proof of Owen enjoying his very first ride in the WRX on the way home from the hospital:

Enjoy the boxster engine rumble like I knew he would

Drive on,
- M.

Chillin' with the 2012 Beetle in Berlin, Germany

Oh faithful readers, I have returned to you (if only for a brief moment)! I know you’ve all been lying awake at night wondering what horrible fate may have befallen yours truly as I’ve been silent on here for some months, but I’m here to tell you all; fear not! I’m still very much alive and well, and working hard!

Without dragging this out too much, here’s the lowdown on my latest life pit stop (and it’s a big one, let me tell you!):

First off; I’ve finally made the transition to full-time automotive journalism. A few months ago I blogged about career changes and taking that plunge, well I did it. As of May, I have been working full-time for Auto123.com. Because of that, I’ve had very little time to dedicate to anything else and have been channeling all my automotive creative juices into my work there. Thankfully, I have my own blog on Auto123.com that I would love all of you, oh faithful readers, to check out.

Since starting with Auto123.com I’ve been to Las Vegas and Berlin. I’ve driven everything from a Tundra to a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe to the brand new Lexus CT200h (which I’ll have this week). This job, so far, has been everything I’ve wanted to do for years in the auto industry but was never able to do as a freelancer, and I’m thrilled.

So, as you can see, I’ve been hard at work building a career that I’ve worked so hard to achieve. And yet, that’s not the only thing I’ve been working at.

As of December of this year, I’ll have a brand new little backseat driver joining me on all my trips. My husband and I are expecting our first child, a baby boy, and we couldn’t be happier. It’s all a bit overwhelming, shocking, fantastic, scary; you name it, and that’s what it is.

And, of course, everything happened at once (offered the job at Auto123.com and found out I was pregnant all in the same week), so that kind of took precedent over this blog as well.

And so, it is with a heavy heart that I have to tell you all, oh faithful readers, that I’ll be leaving the blogging world for a few months (but you should all be used to my absence by now … that was all a part of my master plan!). I promise I’ll be back after our boy enters the world; I have a feeling I won’t be able to stay away from the writing world for long, even though I know I’ll be a bit busy with him.

And don’t think this blog will suddenly turn baby/mommy/diapers all of a sudden. Ugh, no. It will be as car-related as ever. I mean, come on, this is my son we’re talking about here. He’s just going to add a whole new dynamic to the way I see the automotive world. I’m already making sure he’s going to be dressed the part:

Clearly I’m dragging this post out like a long goodbye … and it kind of feels like that. But I do promise, oh faithful readers, that I’ll be back while I’m on maternity leave. Fear not!

And in the meantime, please feel free to follow my work on Auto123.com — I promise it’s of the same caliber, just on a different site! And as always, you can reach me on here (leave a comment) or via email (miranda.lightstone@gmail.com) with any and all car-related comments or just to say ‘hi’.

Thank you all for your continued support, comments, critiques and fantastic support. I’ll see you all in a few months.

Drive on,
- M.

Blissfully, the sun has finally arrived in Montreal. Just when we thought it would never come — and truly after a week of solid cold, horrible rain, it seemed like it never would. But it has. Thankfully it has.

All week I’ve been behind the wheel of Infiniti’s latest incarnation of the G37, the IPL (Infiniti Performance Line). It’s a beefier, sportier looking version of the well-known coupe with a much more aggressive front end, sweeping spoiler off the trunk and the traditional growling exhaust note. In it’s deep charcoal paint with a bright red leather interior and dark grey rims, this car was meant to be noticed.

And yet, it wasn’t.

Despite the barking exhaust and clearly sport-bred attitude, it didn’t get so much as a second-look all week. Save for one Infiniti G35 owner who felt the need to tail me for my entire journey home one evening, riding up beside me, then dropping back to watch the back, then sidling up beside me again.

Then the sun arrived and it all changed.

Saturday I spent the day running errands around my neighbourhood and within a few hours I received more than a dozen double takes, three “nice car” comments and a full-on head-snap oh-my-God-what-is-that-coming from a guy walking on the street as I downshifted from 3rd to 2nd.

And it’s not like I got the car cleaned — it was still rain stained and dusty. And yet it was as if I was driving a shiny, brand new car.

I thought about this for a while when I got home. Was it because the weather was nice and we were all finally out of our bad-weather funks and able to see the world around us instead of retreating into our own thoughts in the hopes that it would all go away?

Or was it maybe that because everyone had their windows open that they could hear the barking exhaust note and therefore immediately paid more attention to the Infiniti IPL?

Exhaust note plays a major role in the attraction of a car, or at least it does for me. So I’m more inclined to think that that played a major role in the IPL’s sudden popularity. I was tempted to get the IPL cleaned while I was out, just to see if the attraction would raise tenfold thanks to the shiny paint.

Summer has a strange affect on drivers. Apart from completely changing our driving skills (aggressive anyone?), it also changes how we see one another on the road.

This is especially true for Montreal. We are a car-loving city and when the warmer months arrive, so too do our best and brightest cars. From souped up Civics to one-of-a-kind supercars, they’re all out on the road, and we’re all taking notice.

Perhaps the IPL’s popularity was due to the lack of “nice” cars on the road as of late — that we were all so starved for a sporty vehicle that the IPL was enough to get everyone going.

Either way, I enjoyed the momentary fame in my neighbourhood — and I gotta say, even if I disliked the unsmooth sport shift paddles, the downshift exhaust notes were enough to make me keep using it.

Drive on,
- M.

First off, my apologies oh faithful reader. I know I’ve been absent for quite a while. Life has taken off for me and this week was the beginning of a (hopefully) long career as a full-time auto journalist.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt so at home in an office space before. The general office chatter is all auto-related, my cubicle was decked out in a welcoming Subaru STI poster and car paraphernalia surrounds me all around the office space. Fantastic. I don’t feel like I’m slacking off by browsing multiple car-related blogs and news sites — or like I’m wasting my employer’s time and money because I’m supposed to be doing that.

How amazing is that?

I began my week behind the wheel of a Chrysler 200C and promptly made the change to an Infiniti IPL G Coupe. I’m glad I made the switch, and you’ll have to check my online review on Auto123.com for more details in the coming weeks. However, I do promise to give you, oh faithful reader, a bit of sneak peek beforehand. I’m waiting for the incessant rain to stop so I can snap some shots of the beastly looking 2-door.

While I’m only two days into my new endeavors, I already feel confident that I truly did make the right decision, and I had to share the news with you, oh faithful reader.

I also wanted to share with you my experience behind the wheel of the 2011 Ram 1500 Laramie. It’s been a while since I was in such a large vehicle (I believe the Ford SVT may have been the last and I absolutely loved that truck, as you know).

When I first spotted the green monster in the Dodge parking lot I admit, I was hesitant about how I’d like it.

I’m not going to lie; I’m a Ford fan. The F-150 sets the bar in my opinion and every other company is scrambling to reach their level. And yet, I was impressed. Dodge did a fantastic job with the interior design and it’s a truck that drives like a car.

Does that defeat the purpose of a truck? I’m not so sure and it’s something I’ve been thinking about. If you own a truck, do you want it to feel like a sedan? Or do you want it to be big and laborious? I’m not sure because I’ve never owned, nor have I ever wanted to own a pick-up.

While I ponder this point (and you hopefully do too), here’s a vehicle I was definitely impressed with:

Drive on,
- M.

The New York Auto Show is currently underway and amongst all the unveilings, concepts and car girls the World Car of the Year was unveiled. And I have to say, I am so pleased with the winner (a first, I know).

As gas prices continue to rise and our awareness of the world around us and its diminishing health, it’s normal that the rise of electric cars and alternative energy has taken centre stage across the automotive world. However, electric cars are often glorified for the wrong reasons (or simply to attract attention, i.e., MotorTrend’s Car of the Year pick). However, as the technology becomes more rampant and at the forefront of vehicular design, electric vehicles are going to truly steal the limelight — and if they’re anything like the World Car of the Year winner, I say good on them.

Electric vehicles are a hard sell for me, and I’ve said this before. I love the power and brute force of a fuel-injected engine. Give me lots of Vs, a turbo or a supercharger and I’m a happy driver. Slap a battery in a car, take away all sounds of an engine and make the throttle nearly unresponsive and I’m going to fall asleep behind the wheel. And yet, I’m still intrigued with the rise of electric vehicles and know that (thanks to cars like the Tesla) the possibility of performance battery-powered cars is soon to become a reality.

The Chevy Volt may have won Green Car of the Year, but I somehow think World Car of the Year is so much more prestigious. I mean, this year’s winner outshone the brand new Audi A8 (stunning) and the new BMW 5 Series (superb vehicle). And to know that it won against cars that are substantially more luxurious, higher-performing and more expensive makes this win so much more incredible.

Alright, I’ve kept you waiting long enough, oh faithful reader.

The winner of the 2011 World Car of the Year title is none other than the Nissan LEAF.

I really am pleased that this little 4-door, battery-powered number took top honours. It fully deserves to win this title and Nissan has truly created an incredible little car with a 150km range. With zero emissions and a design that’s sure to appeal to many (it looks a bit like a Versa, no?), the LEAF truly is a winner in all respects.

I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of one of these and really see what it’s all about. I hope I’m not disappointed by the lack of power, but then again an EV isn’t about power, is it? It’s about saving the planet, saving your money and being a better person. Hopefully the stigma of Prius drivers will remain with the Prius and LEAF drivers can be a bit more humble in their pompous planet-saving ways.

Congrats and kudos to Nissan for creating and delivering the LEAF a truly revolutionary vehicle.

The leaves will fall in Canada this autumn, with the first Nissan LEAFs set to arrive then. (Aren’t I clever, oh faithful reader?)

Drive on,
- M.

Credit: Mo5176/Flickr.com

Winters are long, cold and tough in Montreal. I’ll be the first to admit I absolutely loathe the weather and the temperature. Every winter I question my own sanity for staying in this God foresaken country where I have to spend 20 minutes prepping before each outdoor venture, no matter how short just to save all my extremeties from frostbite. It’s a tad wearing after the third or fourth month, let me tell you.

But, come April/May, things change. The snow blissfully melts away (and so too do our roads, leaving gaping caverns in the asphalt, but that’s a topic for another blog), and our city comes back to life. After months curled up in hibernation, Montrealers emerge to greet the sun with open arms, and so too do their cars.

Montrealers are known for their love of cars. We might not be as rich as Toronto, but we sure do like to spend what money we do have on the cars we drive. And that’s clear to see on any sunny, summer day in the heart of downtown Montreal. From Bentleys to Ferraris, and maybe even a Lamborghini or two, they prowl the streets in all their glory, leaving a trail of gawking pedestrians and jealous motorists in their wake.

I love walking downtown in Montreal in the spring, just after the first big thaw.

Right now, we’re still in a bit of a cold streak. Temperatures are hovering around zero and there’s still a chill in the air. But the snow is officially gone and the sun is hot, so spring is definitely on its way — which means Montreal’s vehicular stars are waking up from their winter-long slumber. And while you might not see them right away, you’ll most definitely hear them.

Montrealers like their cars because they like to drive. And when that frost leaves the ground and the summer rims and rubber come out; watch out.

I love walking downtown and suddenly hearing the deep exhaust rumble of an Aston Martin DB9 reverberating off the buildings, or the sharp bark of a Ferrari F430 ripping through the busy downtown streets. Even the growling, distinctive note of a Subaru STI makes me smile. Finally, they’re all back on the road and they’re all being driven with gusto because the roads are dry.

Forget flowers blooming and trees budding (they just make me itchy and sneezy anyways), I know spring is in the air when my head is constantly whipping around to catch a glimpse of the car attached to the aural symphony approaching.

Drive on,
- M.

I’m sure you’ve all realized I’ve been a bit silent the past few weeks after a fairly busy March month of madness and posts. I apologize, oh faithful reader, but life has been a bit chaotic as of late and until I sorted through everything and made sense of it all I thought it best to wait to make any announcements.

For anyone who follows this blog regularly (and I thank you from the bottom of my heart if you do!), you’ll know that when I started this blog a little over a year ago, I’d just plunged myself into the world of freelance writing. I was “self-employed” (a glorified term for unemployment at times) and branching out as an auto journalist as much as I could.

While my previous full-time job had allowed me to indulge in automotive writing, it wasn’t that way all the time. I was an editor for a men’s magazine and dealt with every subject matter from fashion to sex to travel and finally, cars.

From freelance I jumped back into full-time employment. Freelance was a bit too sketchy for my taste and C’s and we wanted something a bit more stable for our mortgage. So, I took a position as a full-time communications writer for a very large engineering firm here in Montreal. It’s been a great 7 months here. I’ve learned a great deal about corporate writing, and engineering as a whole. I think it’s a fantastic addition to my resume. However, I kept my feet stuck in the auto world and continued to blog and freelance for a local newspaper’s car section and produce video car reviews for WatchMojo — because I couldn’t keep away from cars.

For years now, really since I graduated University, my goal has been to work in the field of auto journalism full-time. Sure, I already call myself an auto journalist, and I believe I am. But I’m an auto journalist on the side and a communications writer full-time.

Or at least I was.

Writing has always been my passion (as I’ve said multiple times before, and I’m sorry if this is boring for you all, but it must be said again). It’s something I truly love to do and something that, thankfully, comes naturally to me. My years of experience as an editor and writer have only helped to perfect and hone my craft and I feel like I’ve reached a point in my career where I can say I am a damn good writer. (Yes, that’s the sound of me tooting my own horn).

And it seems I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Even after all this time, effort, hard work and passion, I still find it strange to be wanted. Now, this might sound like a self-confidence thing, but trust me it’s not. I simply feel that there are so many talented writers out there, if I were an editor or publisher, I’d have a helluva time choosing the ideal writer for my publication.

I’d like to think that what happened to me a few weeks ago was the result of years of hard work and dedication to a field of work I was always just skirting the edges of; auto journalism. Sure, I’ve been as fully involved as I can be. But my full-time employment has always been in another field. Which sucked. (Eloquent, I know.) But I’m inclined to think it was a combination of luck and fantastic timing.

A locally owned and run automotive publication approached me about working for them full-time as one of their core journalists. It’s an online magazine available in French and English and published across Canada. They’re a big deal and do very well. In fact, I used to freelance for them a few years ago.

So, when they approached me and told me what they really wanted from me, I was floored. Sure, I kept my cool during the meeting, but in reality I was absolutely freaking out inside. Fr-eak-ing OUT.

The BMW Blogger job didn’t pan out (for other reasons you’ll all learn about in a bit, I promise), and that seemed like the dream job for me. But it also meant changing my home and my life. Which would have been a bit much.

When I told C about the offer he was almost as happy as I was. He realized what it meant for me; finally working full-time in the field I’ve worked so hard to be a part of since graduating journalism school. My parents felt the same way, and thankfully so did my boss the day I quit my full-time position as a communications writer at the engineering firm to be a full-time automotive journalist.

Sometimes the long road of life is full of blind corners and foggy patches, but this time I feel like I’m a nice open stretch of perfectly paved road with nothing but gorgeous scenery and no speed limits ahead. My journey as a full-time auto journalist begins May 2nd and I am absolutely beside myself with anticipation and excitment.

Oh faithful reader, hard work does pay off. And I can’t wait to keep that hard work up to continue to prove myself in this uber exciting field. And I’ll be sure to keep you all posted on the ups and downs of this new career route — because there are bound to be some!

Drive on,
- M.

Credit: Hakan Dolstrom/Flickr.com

Normally, I try not to get into debates like the price of gas. I am, by no means, politcally knowledgeable, nor do I keep tabs on worldwide affairs as much as I should. So I’d end up sounding like a bit of a twit if I started railing on about the oils in the Middle East and blah, blah, blah.

However, when it dents my wallet the way its been doing so as of late, I feel the need to say something.

Unlike most people, I never know how much I’m going to pay at the pumps from week to week. I say this because unlike most people who can take a guess at the cost because they A) Know the size of their tank and B) Know they’ll drive their vehicle the same amount, I do not know either of these things.

Take this week for example. While I’m ecstatic to be driving an elite Range Rover Sport Supercharged, I am less than pleased at the vehicle’s 20.2L/100km mileage readings and the no-doubt ginormous tank I’m going to have to fill with premium gas on Thursday morning that’s going to cost me a bloody fortune.

I wish I’d had a Ford Fiesta this week.

And next week will be no better. I pick up a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup. And I cringe to think what gas will soar to the moment I drive it off the lot.

In Montreal we are seeing an average gas price of $1.30/litre. That’s ridiculous.

I remember when I had my first car (my “first” car that was actually my parent’s that I borrowed a lot), the Nissan Sentra GXE and I used to get upset if it cost me more than $25 to fill the tank. Yup, those were the days. When gas was in the 0.70-cent range and everything was right with the world.

I don’t have the knowledge or the history to explain how or why the prices are soaring the way they are, but I have a pretty good idea it’s all about the oil companies hitting us up where it hurts. They know they’re in danger of losing money and business with the (slow) rise of electric vehicles and alternative power, and I think they’re just panicking.

And with panic comes response, and as we panic because of their panic, we only make it worse.

Supply and demand, remember?

No matter how many “don’t pump gas on XXX day” emails and Facebook invites I get, I’m still going to put gas in my car. I’m not going to stop driving. I can’t. I live in the middle of nowhere and I need my vehicle. I do not live 5 minutes from work. I cannot bike to my social gatherings, nor can I walk to the grocery store. It’s not going to happen.

And I know I’m not the only one.

So, no matter how much we bitch and complain about the price at the pumps and how much we hate oil companies and their money-grabbing ways, we continue to play into it and so it will never change.

It’s going to take a monstrous effort for prices to drop at the pump. Either that or an all-over crash of everything economic in the world (again, my lack of economic knowledge and world facts is shining brightly through — there’s a reason I write about cars, oh faithful reader).

And that’s why I try not to complain about the price at the pumps. Sure, I’ll be shocked and a little pissed when the prices jump, but I don’t go on and on about it because I’m still going to pay. And that would be a bit hypocritical of me, now wouldn’t it?

Drive on,
- M.