I’ve been fortunate to meet up with a legend in the Stunt world of Hollywood. Cole Mckay a veteran stunt man of 25 years in the film industry.

I had been trying to meet up with Cole, for close to two years and had spoke on the phone several times and I might add he is great guy. There is a reason why he is always working.

We have this image of what cars can and can’t do via movies and commercials. Well, being on the other side he definitely had a different perspective. If you have ever noticed cars driving really close to each other, usually in car commericials, they are creating an effect of precision.  Those type of drivers usually come from the Autocross field (driving around pylons as quick as can be). Whereas the stunts are from a different animal. No pun intended.

As Cole put it “They work with 6 feet, we work with 6 inches.”  And he means it.

As I have some ”stunt” work under my belt I asked him how to do certain stunts. One is the Rockford, which came from Rockford Files. This I could do, no problem, with lots of space that is. Now, Cole goes over it, in great detail. He would take it up to 65 mph to start off with and end up 2 feet away from where he needs to be. I can definitely say I can’t do that, with that kind of precision.  That’s mastery in itself as there are people nearby. And if you ever have looked at the statistics in car magazines, they usually have the acceleration, braking distances, etc. Let’s say, a 4000lb vehicle will stop at roughly 130-150 feet and to come 2 feet away is nothing short of amazing.

This is how the title of this article ties in with safety. Cole was telling me about rolling (flipping) the car. First thing he does is cut out the air bag (as it can break your nose) and only uses a waist seatbelt and leans over to the other seat and grabs on to something, usually a strap. Sometimes, it has a roll cage, sometimes not. Sometimes he wears a fire retardant suit and sometimes not. The last stunt he rolled the car through an explosion. Further, Cole told me of a time where he did three in one day. And were worried about what exactly?

The point I’m making here is that driver education, in my eyes, will be senior to safety. Of course, this take practice. I’ve always been a proponent of enhanced driving skills/schools and definitely not run by the government.                     

We have taken the driver out of driving. A couple of years ago, there was an article on these car journalists that drove a 1990 M3, first generation of the M series being offered by BMW. Well, they couldn’t drive it. They had relied on technology so much that they had forgotten how to drive. Go a a generation before that where seatbelts weren’t even mandatory and I’ll show you a driver. Those days are over, that’s for sure. 

Conversely, we are going in the direction of magnetism, which means eventually, we won’t have to keep our hands on the steering wheel  or even keep an eye on the vehicle in front of us. Moreover, we are also designing and building 2 seater track cars, for the weekend to get back the experience of driving.

So, which is it? Safety or the experience?

I know what Jay Leno would say.

Sincerely,

Lawrence Ribeiro

The other day I had my car aligned (4 wheel alignment) after replacing pretty much my entire suspension. A friend recommended Johnson’s Alignment Service out of Torrance. All I can say is WOW! (I usually, don’t write about a specific shop, but was truly impressed with the product and service that Johnson’s offered and in some cities these types of shops don’t exist, unfortunately). You’re probably thinking…big deal? Well, it was a big deal for the fact I haven’t seen a shop like this for close to twenty years! Most technicians have been there 10+ plus years and knew their stuff. Totally “old school” but for the right reasons.I spoke to John, the Manager and spent a little time with him on the phone and he asked me what components that I had put on. John knew the products cold. Having said that, once I arrived…it was all Porsches, BMW, SAAB and a truck, yes, a good ol’ Chevy pickup.John asked me how I wanted it set up. I told him that I don’t race the vehicle anymore and suggested “aggressive street driving”. Now, I’m going to water this all down. This is like asking me how I want my steak - rare, medium or well done, as well as getting the salad dressing on the side. He catered to my needs. There is sort of rule is these type of setups…better handling applications increases wear and tear, more so, in how it is aligned. In other words, an aggressive set up will make you look like Jeff Gordon or Mario Andretti, but you’ll need a pocket book like Trump, because it will wear down your tires faster. Conversely, a good, standard alignment will give you longevity, better than factory handling (I will talk more about this later), better gas mileage, etc. Further, with these “old school” techniques they work out all the components over and over and yes, over again. With these typical shops that you get a 4-wheel alignment, which is done electronically and can have you out in jiffy- 30-40 minutes, tops. At Johnson’s he worked on it for 2 hours straight! And let me tell you, even though I replaced the entire suspension, it wasn’t until the alignment came in effect that the car was, frankly, a new car. In fact, I felt, that I had to learn how to drive the car again.John told me what was out  and let’s just say for argument sake that the tire can go in roughly dozen plus positions and multiply that with 4 wheels, are you getting the math on this? Well, to make a long story short there were considerable amount of things that were out and when he explained it, it’s almost like I was driving a tractor out on the freeway. Three words: Night and Day. As I mentioned earlier about factory “settings.” The manufacturer gives tolerances and parameters to work with and as long as you are within those “boundaries” you are good to go. In other words, when you get a brand new car whether it is an Audi or Yugo, professionally speaking, they will suck. As I mentioned, there was a BMW 5 series, it was brand new. Another gentlemen had just bought a Porsche Cayman (one of the best handling vehicles in the world) that he was putting the finishing touches. In fact, he was doing something a little bit more advanced-corner balancing. In laymen’s terms, this is like getting an adjustment from your Chiropractor, so that your hip is in place and that the legs are moving freely and going back and forth to legs and to hips, but in the cars perspective, from corner to corner and yes, OVER and OVER.Lastly, as I mentioned that an old pick up had an alignment done. You see, it doesn’t matter what you are driving and alignment like this WILL pay for itself from decreased wear and tear on your tires to better gas mileage. I almost felt like I ripped John off, from how much he charged me. Now, how often does that happen when you take your vehicle to the shop?Sincerely, Lawrence RibeiroFor more info about our services call, toll free 1-866-583-4711

I recently interviewed my mechanic , which nowadays the term Technician is becoming more prevalent. I asked him several questions. Kirk has been a mechanic for 25 years and has seen everything, as well as the evolution of technology.

First question: If there was one thing you said you would tell your customers, what would that be?

“Doesn’t matter what I say, it always come down to time and money. So, my importance is servicing the customer well.”

Second question: What cars/vehicles do you recommend?

“Japanese. Toyota, Honda, Nissan” Kirk claimed. I asked him why? “They are reliable, well built and simple.”

Third question: If there was one thing that you could say to the manufacturers to improve their vehicles, what would it be?

“Keep it simple. The basics like changing the oil or light switch has actually become a bit of a process. Mercedes seems to lead the pack. They’ve over-engineered simple things. This is where the Japanese stand out.”

Question four: If you could improve your industry what would you do?

“Increase education in unison with equipment for everyday uses. There are some hi-tech pieces of equipment that require time and money to master.”

I asked Kirk how he felt about apprenticeships. He claimed that smaller shops couldn’t compete with big dealerships, as they can’t ship their guys to get training. It’s a catch 22. 

Mechanics operate off the “book.” The book determines the length of the job. For example, if the book states 3.5 hours to replace the brakes, they charge 3.5 hours times the shop rate, which most cases with dealerships is $90.00+. The kicker is that it only takes 1.5 hours and they still charge you for 3.5 hours. I can definitely confirm that this is the case at least 80-90% of the time. And mechanics make a commission. They are not by the hour. Service writers are the same too. Here’s the catch though, and this makes sense, most times I had to bring the vehicle back, time and time again.  In other words, they rush through, as that is the incentive. Personally, if work needs to be done, I like less middlemen.

In conversation Kirk said something interesting. He had mentioned that Infinity had bought 10 cars in the area with different mileage on them. They would send them back to Japan in which their engineers would take them apart and evaluate each part individually for wear and tear. I’ve spoken to the Chief designer of Toyota FJ cruiser and he claimed that Toyota never strived for the perfect car, but they do strive for improvement. So, when I hear stories of buying 10 cars and sending them back for evaluation, they obviously take their work seriously.

You get what you pay for, so why not get something that has a good start to it.

Lawrence Ribeiro

For more info about our services call, toll free 1-866-583-4711

Ultimately what a consultant does is look out for potential clients. From this perspective, there are so many variables in purchasing, leasing, financing a vehicle that if that something is missed, it could be detrimental in costs, mainly, but could have some long term effects as well.

There are plenty of consultants in the engineering and construction world as there are variables. He may offer some solutions or sidestep a few situations. Like the engineer can advise the companies in who, what, where, how…the Auto Consultant can do the same in an unbiased fashion. It could be recommending certain vehicles or not; dealerships; technicians; accessories; recommendations, etc. 

Currently we have some financial woes in the Real Estate industry and Banks are being affected as well. Dealerships are now starting to feel the repercussions of the former. For example, leasing has changed somewhat. The 12k miles was usually a standard in leasing a vehicle per year; of course you can modify that intially, but most people don’t know that. So going into the deal and taking a hit is never a good way to start. What they are doing now is coming up with a set figure, consistently, 32k miles for the term of the lease, which means they save 4k in mileage. So, if you have to pay 4k times .15 cents, that’s an extra $600 per car. If you have a high volume dealership that will translate to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Just like anything else, you have to be one step ahead of the game and there are plenty of things that you need to be aware of.

Financing is another avenue, you need to have that all worked out BEFORE you even step on the lot or you can be taken advantage of. A current credit report that is FICO scored, not FAKO. Yes, there is a difference, because if you go in with a FAKO, their finance guys will walk all over you. Text book for these guys. Further, have financing in place with your Credit Union and if you don’t have a Credit Union account, then get one.

 Sincerely,

Lawrence Ribeiro

For more info about our services call, toll free, 1-866-583-4711

As a friend pointed out to me it’s “Consumer”Electronics Show. Meaning, there were consumers as to opposed to Professionals/Retailers. Also, the moniker “Nerdstock” has been used and appropriately so. As I went to report the Automotive aspect of it, I realized that they were pretty much the same as the SEMA show as far as electronics and computer related products were concerned.

One thing that has been hot is Real Time Traffic Navigation/GPS systems. If you are familiar with Traffic.com or Sigalert they operate off a satellite and heat (from the exhaust). Translation…they update the traffic every five minutes. Well, they have incorporated that feature as well as the history the commute/location. If you ever have used a Mapquest or something similar it never factors that in and is pretty much off, if there is no traffic. So, the combination makes it much more accurate. However, the three that I did see went about it a little different in the approach and had different features. Also, and I’m not sure if this was because it was in a building or Vegas, because the lag time was noticeable in their smaller units. My final comment is look for the features, monthly costs and actually look at the processing speed of it. After all that’s usually the guidelines in the electronic world-smaller, faster and cheaper.

Radars, a subject that I haven’t researched for many years. As in the mid-90’s I received more tickets with it than without it. My thought process is that, at the time, the radar/laser guns cost 70k and how would something from $70-$300.00 beat out a  $70k unit. That’s just logic, but as the majority of the buyers are males in their late teens and early twenties. Those are the highest group of speeders and accidents. So, in other words you market to that group and it’s pretty much sold. As the rep from Cobra explained to me that the officers and guns of the world operate at certain frequencies and basically bypassed it by going to another frequency. It’s much more technical than that, but that’s the gist. And since their guns have gone down in price the equilibrium is greater. However, because they are cheaper, police radars, there are many of them. Just on my trip to Newport Beach, there were a group of motorcycle cops and most of them had a radar gun close by. I would recommend doing your research on this by way of Consumer Reports, an unbiased resource. As a guideline radars operate on distance, around the corners and over the hill and as you may have guessed that’s where they hide, excuse me reside. Further they all have the same processor/detector, if you will. What you are paying for is the bells and whistles, like better illumination, speaker, compass etc., which makes sense as it now grows out of the early twenties group to a an older group.

Don’t speed or don’t get caught, at least until you see the next issue of Consumer Reports.

Lastly, computers are an area where there will be huge advancements over the next few years. Ford and Microsoft have joined forces and created SYNC. They also have similar creations in the new Alfa Romeo and Fiat, so it will be global in no time. The term infotainment center is something  I need to write up on. Essentially, it’s the heart of all your fun, music, GPS/navigation, cell phone(blue tooth) connections, etc.; and Lexus has pretty much been the standard to which all others are compared to. With SYNC it makes it expandable and of course is windows based. In other words, you have all those other features that they have in Lexus’s Infotainment systems, but with SYNC you could operate with just a thumbdrive.

This IS the future. Most households have all the basics -computers, cell phones, ipods etc., but in cars this is virtually untapped. So basically there is so much that can be expanded upon that other companies can create new products to accomodate this new found concept. Remember, when the ipod came out…there were other companies making new docks, speakers, containers/covers etc. This is just the start of it.

In closing, with the technology moving so fast that last years lastest and greatest are becoming has beens. Intel is working on computers/chips where basically it would create an instant wifi connection. So would that effect Starbucks/T-Mobile, you won’t need hotspots. Verizon, Sprint, etc. wouldn’t sell their wifi cards, which are usually around $100 per month.  With SYNC I could see an application being downloaded to a thumbdrive that accomodate some sort of traffic monitoring system, which would eliminate fees from Navigation/GPS companies. In other words, the sharks eat the barracudas as the shark is higher on the food chain.

This will be frightening fast how these things will be incorporated in our lives and because we are trying to eliminate driver error-this will go hand and hand with going driverless in the next few years.

Ladies and gentlemen start your engines…I mean computers.

Lawrence Ribeiro

What exactly is an Auto Consultant? For me, I know what it means, but for others it means something else.

A consultant is an Expert or Professional that gives advice, guidance, etc., so that one can achieve a result with the least amount of grief, all the while being proficient and effective.  Funny thing, they don’t all operate the same in this sense.

If you look at the heirachy of the Auto Industry, there are a few positions. However, there is the retailer and the consumer, from the viewpoint as the consumer. As a dealer, the manufacturer is the wholesaler. That’s right, dealers buy the vehicles from the manufacturer. That’s why some of them get caught with their pants down at the end of the year and they have those blowout sales (mainly domestics). In terms of the manufacturer, everyone below is a customer. .

I recently had some “conversations” with one of the Big 3 here in the States; and it was actually painful dealing with them, whereas a similar situation with BMW, which I’m not afraid to say was a pleasure. One, The red carpet treatment…the other a nightmare. Night and day. Incidentally, the client had bought four vehicles in a row from them, which makes it really off. I wonder why most of my recommendations are foreign?

You are probably wondering how the two connect, the manufacturers and Auto Consulting. Very simply, will the manufacturer stand behind their product? Period. So, when I come across this type of situation it has to translate into confidence in the product and customer satisfaction/service goes a long way.

As the reliabilty happens to be a staple in what people need and want in a vehicle there has to be some backing from the manufacturer.

From my end, I have to see what the customer/client doesn’t see. We go over a 30 question questionnaire, but in my space, there are hundreds of questions I’m asking myself. As a result, they have a tailor fit vehicle.

Sure, there are other Auto Consultants, but they may operate in different aspects of the heirachy or concentrate more so on the price. Not here. The right vehicle for the right person- for the right price.

I’ll give you a great example. The Subaru STI…great product. One the best bang for your bucks. However, you will not get the frills, just the thrills. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. What they don’t realize with this particular vehicle, is that the tires have a treadwear of 140. What does that mean? Well simply, the lower the number (treadwear), the faster it will wear out. However, you will get the performance-that’s for sure. So, what does THAT mean? That means that you will be replacing your tires every 6 months, with that treadwear. You see, the car was designed with those tires to maximize the performance and it would be best to have those tires. The manufacturers spend millions in the fine tuning of the vehicle. So, what turns into being the “Best bang for the buck” seemingly might get struck. Further, those tires are not cheap. You can count on paying two times more, at least than an average performance tire. What’s the solution to this? Find the right combo. Maybe you spend a couple of grand more, but over the period of the car ownership you’ll save a lot more. Lotus Elise, similar situation. Great performance, if you are munchkin (you can’t be more that 5′9″ in that car and sit comfortably). In fact, I had to take off my shoe so that the gas pedal and brake didn’t hit. On a side note, the tread wear is 60, which means you’ll be changing your oil with your tires, every 3000 miles.  Not cheap. And you never want to go into a driveway/parking lot wrong or hit a pot hole. Both will be very costly. Another factor with the STI(Subaru) -it’s all wheel drive AND Turbo. What does that mean in terms of insurance? Well, lets just say let’s hope Daddy has a trust fund. Solution, find something without the Turbo or the AWD. Again, on a long term basis you will save thousands and possibly get a nicer/upgraded car.

Someone will undoubtly send me an email telling me I’m wrong or off saying that they are amazing vehicles. Well, I’ll save you the trouble. They are both AMAZING vehicles, but they may be not for my clients. That’s all.

Remember, there is no perfect car. There is only a perfect car for you!

I’m off to CES (Consumer Electronic Show) in Vegas , so I can better service my clients with cutting edge Automotive technology.

Lawrence Ribeiro

Going into in the New Year people tend to make some sort of resolutions. So, I would like to share some info that may make you look at the New Year with a different perspective. I’ll spare you with some story how this came to be, but to let you enjoy ride and hopefully put a couple smiles on your face.

1) Moonshiners(Drivers/Transporters of Moonshine) of the past used to have a switch for triggering off the brake lights when going around corners. Generally, this was a night practice and if you ever drove close to someone at night you can anticipate what’s going on by how they brake. So, as the police were chasing the drivers, being really close, they would hit the switch, shutting off the brake lights and the police would go into the ditch or into the trees.

2) Up until the mid 1950’s , licenses were issued to Truck Drivers and Chaffeurs. Why you ask? Well, they were both transporting “goods.” Yes, we are known as goods in the traffic world. So, what is traffic? Isn’t that what we see every time going to and from work everyday? Yes and No. There is more than one definition of traffic obviously, but when you go to traffic school…How are you affecting traffic, for lets say speeding? Well, the truth of the matter is that “traffic” in this sense means commerce. This goes back to the Truck drivers and Chaffeurs, transporting=traffic. A few years back I received a ticket for going over a double lane, no one was hurt, as I was in the middle of nowhere. After everything was said and done, the police officer said “nice doing business with you.” He was on the force for 20 years, I might add. Then I went to “traffic” school.

Just a few years ago the oil companies sued the State of California. Basically, the oil companies trucks were being harrassed and obviously it was starting to affect business. The complaint was “interfering with commerce.” They sued and won the $100,000,000 dollar case. It was the biggest RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act in American History. So when you think of traffic sitting on any freeway, just think of the other definition. And please don’t take my word for it…do your own homework.

3) In the State of Florida they have had successful speed trap campaigns impersonating anyone from construction workers to Santa and his little helpers. They claim that they save lives. However, what is never discussed is the revenue aspect of it. In the L.A. area, traffic cameras alone produce $1,000,000/year, PER camera. Secondly, Police Officers do get paid for going to court and of course that’s double time, if they are not on the job for the day. One way or another they are getting your money. And when you do go to court, it’s 95% poor minority groups who just can’t afford the ticket.  And if you do get a ticket and you decide not to fight it or go to traffic school it will stay on your record for 3 years and that will affect your insurance.  There is a difference between Ethics and Justice. Reaping the “benefits” from Justice when what he ot she really needs is Ethics. Then it’s done on his determinisn not the “Mans.” Conversely, I have nothing against the police. If something goes down that is really ugly, who is the first people you call? After all, these guys can and do take a bullet while being on the job, for you. 

4)EDR’s Event Data Recorders A.K.A. “black boxes.” Black boxes have been used for many years by airlines. When a jet/plane goes down they are able to get info as to what, where and what happened based on the recording in the Black box. What the insurance companies and lobbyists are striving for us to get this implemented in cars too. So, what does this mean? Well some day you’re speeding, the EDR, will conveniently transmit the data and within a few days you’ll receive a ticket in the mail. Pretty efficient, eh? The insurance companies would save billions! Also something on the backburner, taxing us on mileage. There is talk about it and it’s right behind the EDR’s. So, be aware of it so if it does build up speed you can do something about it.

5)Did you know Los Angeles had one of the most efficient and largest trolley systems in the world? Up until the late 1950’s that was the general mode of transportation. Let’s look at the big picture here?? General Motors, Firestone and Standard Oil (currently Chevron) , basically eliminated their creation-NCL (National City Lines). Here you have the Biggest Automobile Manufacturer in the world, Firestone, the biggest Tire manufacturer in the world and the biggest Oil Company-Standard Oil, which I might add “was” owned by the Rockafellers (this is heavily documented). Would it be a safe assumption that they were good business men in their respective fields? So, if that is the case, this had to be a pure business decision. Well, 50 years later, we sell more cars here than anywhere else in the world, worst traffic in world and you definitely can’t have the other two without oil and gas…Can you? I hate to say the word conspiracy, but this a little beyond the norm.

There was  movie/cartoon loosely based on this “Who Framed Roger Rabbit“. Compound this with lack of synchronization of it’s traffic lights and we have a constant nightmare, in which Angelenos call their “commute.”

In looking upon next year, maybe look at it from a viewpoint that things are not ideal and what you can do to make it a better place for all.

Cheers,

Lawrence Ribeiro

What do Tom Cruise, Viggo Mortenson, Julia Roberts, Mark Cuban and Leonard Dicaprio have in common? Other than being stars and having a good chunk of change, that’s about it. I had the pleasure once to meet up with Tom Cruise, Christian Slater and Penelope Cruz. He introduced himself to me, as if I didn’t know who he was, but that was beside the point. Nice guy, Christian too. So, what does one of the most famous people in the world drive? For Tom it was a tinted out Land Rover; Viggo Mortenson a small Toyota pick up (older); Julia an older Forerunner, Pathfinder; it was a couple of years ago, Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Infiniti G35, and finally Leonardo Dicaprio (Toyota Prius).

The point I was going to make is that if you are rich or famous, the vehicle doesn’t always reflect that.

I’m working with one of the Hosts from Wired magazine and she is green conscientious and wants to do her part for the environment. Also another associate of mine who is on the new James Bond flick claims that the James Bond’s Aston Martin was not to wise on his part (environmentally speaking). He too drives a Prius. That’s coming from a guy who actually drove THE James Bond car. His version of the Sports car is the Tesla, the Host of Wired too, if she had the choice.

What about the hip-hop/music scene…here anything goes. It’s probably where Bling Bling came from. What do you think Kanye West or 50 cents drive? I don’t think they are too overly concerned about the environment. Whatever floats their boat, but they obviously worked hard or got shot in the process.

Athletes. I saw a special on Teemu Selanne (Stanley cup winner-Anaheim ducks) at his place. The guys garage was filled with Exotics (Lamborghini, Ferrari, etc.)

Then the infamous Garage King, Jay Leno. I would start off with what he doesn’t have. If there ever was an aficionado, it would be Jay. The word around the campfire is that he has a Hangar at the Burbank airport. Must be nice.

There is a saying in L.A. “You are what you drive”. Apparently not. That comes from people who don’t have any idea of who they are, mainly.

If that was the case what does that mean about Viggo and his older Toyota pick up? Sure, a car can enhance your image - good or bad.

Showing up at an appointment as a plumber and driving a Porsche or a “big time” producer showing up in a Pinto with four different colors of paint on it is definitely not good for P.R. (Public Relations). You want to match the car to the respective fields.

There’s a great story about George Hamilton and it epitomizes “enhancing your image.” He was somewhat big in the 80’s, for you younger people. The short version is that he was working at a mortuary, so one day he convinced his boss to lend him a big black Cadillac, used for funerals, and he spent a good portion of his savings to buy an expensive suit. Once he had this he drove to the studios, with a chauffeur of course. When he arrived he let the guard know that so and so was here. The long and short of it was he promoted himself as a famous actor from Italy. It paid off too. He sold himself, but for the right reasons and only you know what your right reasons are.

Lawrence Ribeiro

Every year countless articles come out…Top ten cars froms Road and Track,  Edmunds.com , Consumer Reports, etc.. And they all have valid points. However, Consumer Reports buy their vehicles so there isn’t any favoritism to the manufacturer and that translates into the consumer quite nicely. Car magazines, well, sell magazines, so they pretty much don’t have a choice but to promote the latest and greatest. This is where we differ.

With my clients we go over a 30 question questionnaire, before we even get started. After that is done they have a say on what they can’t do without - reliability always comes up. Don’t worry they won’t all be Buicks, but like Consumer Reports points out, statistic wise, each year there are improvements over the last year. So, what I’m trying to say is that there will be rarely a new car that makes my list, no matter how much it has been engineered, hyped and tested.

The primary factor I have considered is reliability. However, each one of these vehicles bring something to the table.

1) Acura TL: year after year this car improves and still looks good. Handles well and is more sporty than you think. Good overall executive/younger family car. It has all the basics.

2)Infinity G35/37 Perennial engine winner by Wards (An engine/trades magazine). I met with Mark Cuban last year and the man was driving a G35, even though he is self-made billionnaire. Enough said. Google it, you won’t find too much slander on this car. Two years in row, Best Car of the Year, by a couple of popular magazines.

3) Toyota Prius. I don’t think that I’ve met a person yet that didn’t like their Prius. Great gas mileage-mid 40’s and very reliable. Not the greatest looker, but the next generation will be a great advancement, as far as the looks go. Like the saying goes “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.”

4)Mazda 3/Speed. Best bang for your buck. Reliable, powerful and still affordable. If you have a need for speed and a smaller savings account this is an option.

5) Porsche Boxster S, look above, if you don’t have a bigger savings account. Further, it has superior handling of a Super car, with considerably good gas mileage. Great for refinements, bad for bells and whistles, but that’s not what Porsche is all about. The last two years reliability has not been an issue. I guess after 10 years in the making they finally got it right. Pure fun with or without the top down.

6) Toyota Camry (not hybrid). Year after year this car comes through. A staple in the reliable car world and for some time too. Not much can be said, as everyone already knows it’s the one most reliable vehicle out there. Makes my job easier.

7)Audi A3, another continual engine winner year after year, the 2.0 liter, reliable, smooth and powerful. Audi’ s famous interiors and handling all in one great package. Best bang for buck, as far as refinement and fit.

Honda Fit, second year around. Great gas mileage, good handling, good interior…etc. ALL for under $15k. No brainer if you have a tight budget. Good things come in small packages.

 9) Lexus LS460. ALL the bells and whistles; and then some. This vehicle is the quintessential vehicle, as far as technology, think NASA, but with comfy seats and a really great sound system. There is so much technology in this vehicle that no other car compares and further it all works well. Reliability and a plethora of features with great customer service- a system/product that has gotten them to the top.

10)BMW 335. This vehicle is the exception to the rule. I rarely recommend a vehicle on it’s first year outing. However, two things, the 330 was last years model, so it had the same body/platform, but a different engine for 2007(335). It just so happens that the engine was also on Ward’s best engine list. The combo worked. Here you have a great combination for refinement, power and handling, but it would also be great for a commuter or roads trips. The car is complete and solid.

Honorable mentions:

Mini Cooper (S), Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Subaru WRX/STI, Scion TC, Hyundai Azera, and the Audi RS4.

Hopefully next year for Domestics. Sorry guys.

The most reliable manufacturer, hands down, Toyota and their subsidaries. Don’t take my word for it, ask your mechanic.

Lawrence Ribeiro

A couple of years ago there were several journalists that had to drive the 1990 BMW M3, first generation of the M3 series. As the common enthusiast knows the M series vehicle is pretty much the standard for handling. However, this generation didn’t really have any bells and whistles, in fact, I believe, ABS “was” the feature. Needless to say after driving current modern cars they had a real hard time driving it. The truth of the matter, current modern cars, even bottom of the barrel type of vehicles have more technology and precision then the archaic first generation BMW M3 series, but to point out that the driver is still king if one has the ability. In other words, a good driver with technology will improve greatly whereas the average driver will just suffice, because of the technology. So, like the car, tires, whatever, it can enhance or detract from the driver’s ability. A good little tip regardless of car or ability is to find the right position of the steering wheel and the driver and secondly really pulling tight on the seatbelt once you are secure in the right position. This is alone will improve ones driving ability by about 10-20%. So, what is the right driving position? Well for one thing you want to drive with your shoulders and not your arms and be closer to the steering wheel. This may look and feel uncomfortable, but will greatly enhance your ability as a driver. Google it.

Just like driving position and being strapped in securely, roads are another thing to watch for.

The roads depending on the environment and climate will dictate what the road or asphalt or aggregate (basically concrete) is made of. For example, in colder environments the road will expand in the summer and contract in the winter, like the Midwest, out East, Canada like conditions and conversely in wet conditions like Seattle and Vancouver, exposed aggregate (concrete with little rocks that are at the surface) or like in L.A. , a lot of concrete with grooves. So what? Well, knowing the difference can cause you to be more alert to the situation and therefore correct or enhance your driving ability.

I’ll give you a couple of examples from different climates. First cold environment, handle great in the summer as they stick really well to the tires, but in the winter it contracts and doesn’t get as sticky, actually becomes hard. That’s why ice, black ice and snow can stay on it. I’ve actually been in a certain circumstance where I was “just” driving, not fast, and the car did a 360 degrees turn then went straight onwards as if nothing ever happened. Like I said, great in the summer, with probably the best traction. In my younger years to put the vehicle up on three wheels, was easy, basically the three tires were able to grip enough. Don’t try this at home kids.

Vancouver, very wet and a lot of exposed aggregate. The thing about this and this was very weird as this will cause accidents. You buy some new tires, you think you have traction, but you don’t. Why? Well the surface isn’t in full contact, number one, and secondly, the rocks that are smooth just slide off the tire. Of course you modify the tire accordingly. I’m just trying to convey the concept of reading the road. Note: Just south of the border, between Blaine and Bellingham has to be one of the worst roads in North America for snow. Each county or district may have it’s formula for the road composition, but in a real scientific way of communicating this…is that it sucks!…a lot! Obviously, people of the Northwest are not used to driving in snow, but if even taken it slow would get themselves in the ditch pretty quick. Remember the I-5 and I’m talking right over the American side, it changes for the worse.

Now, in L.A. the concrete and it’s not everywhere, but because Earthquakes are prevalent concrete is used, especially on the freeway. So if its summer it doesn’t change-contract or expand and it’s very hard, again, finding the right tire will enhance or detract from that. Of course, sedans, mid size vehicles, SUV’s generally won’t feel it, but if you have a car with less rubber (low profile tires- the distance between the rim and the ground is less than the average tire and you will feel it.) And the grooves that are in the concrete dissipate the rain, after all, L.A. is the desert and the rain doesn’t absorb like it would in the Pacific Northwest area, hence, the grooves.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are so many factors. With this data it should give you a better assessment on buying the right tires or car for that matter and to read the road to get the most out of your vehicle. On another blog, I’ll get into angles or banks as they call it. With this data you know where to position the car for maximizing the performance…if you look at Nascar tracks, they are banked (have a steep angle and because of this they can go faster, gravity basically-in a nutshell.)

Just like the journalists earlier, they had a rough time, but like the guy or gal that can’t have the ultimate car, he or she can enhance his skills and by going to Autocross events or just go out in the country and have some fun. Remember, you have to walk before you run.

Think IdyIIwild, CA and have fun!