MyRate update

Since I signed up for the Progressive MyRate program in August, the little device has been plugged into the Subaru's diagnostic port recording our every move. Today for the first time I uploaded all the data to see what happened, and was really surprised.

First, at this rate we will get 15.7% off our next round of insurance, or about $80. Second, oh the data! The image on the right is the trip home from Valley Grove this weekend. Note the cruise control. You also get to see your number of trips, trip time, average risk level by time, driving time by day/week, average time spent at various speeds, millage, and sudden starts and stops - for every trip. Then it compares your data to the average myrate user, or to a demographic group (see 21-29 year olds at the bottom). Turns out we are actually safe drivers!

Progressive says they don't use the sudden start stop data for your rate though, that is for your own information (and to stalk your kids). The rate itself is based on your millage and what time you drive. They say that the most dangerous time to drive is from 12 am to 4 am, followed by rush hr/night time(4am-9am, 3pm-6m, 9pm-12am), then the rest is low risk.

So, I we get to save money, and get some cool information about when and how we drive. I like it!

The Volt lives!

Ever since I saw the concept for the Chevy Volt in January 2007 I have been watching for updates, and low and behold here it is! Final form, for sale in 2010. A little more standard looking than their concept car was, but still really slick.And all the fuel saving electric goodness is there too.

• A 16kWh battery pack that will run the car for 40 miles on electric only
  
• A 1.4L engine generator that runs on gas or ethanol to re-charge the battery while driving
• The electric engine produces 150 horsepower and a huge 273 lb-ft of torque that because it is electric is available instantly, rather than having to spin your engine up to 5,000 RPM. So acceleration is linear, compared to a gas engine where you start slow then speed up.
  
• Regenerative braking
  
• Great aerodynamics - but they didn't give any numbers
• 3 hr charging on a 230v outlet, 8 hrs on a standard 120v
• Costs about $1 to drive 40 miles.
  

But how much will it cost, and when can people buy it? No hard dates or numbers yet, but it should be out in 2010 and cost a bundle. But depending on how you drive, the fuel savings would be incredible. The photo here is a 20 mile radius from our house, so if we had a volt we could go roughly out to there and back with out using a drop of gas. Of course it is as the crow files, so road miles would be smaller, but you get the idea. So for 95% of the time we would have a $.02 a mile car, and that would turn into a 40mpg car ($.10 a mile) the rest of the time. Now that's cool!

MyRate

Hmm, seems that Progressive Insurance has a new program out called MyRate that is a PAYD (pay as you drive) system that is more common in Europe. Since we don't drive much, and since I try to hypermile as much as I can, I have always thought this was a good idea.

But now that it is here, I am not so sure.

It works by installing a computer into your OBD diagnostic port under your dash, that every car built after 1996 has*. The device records the speed and time at which you are driving, and sends it wirelessly to Progressive who then analyzes the data to determine your insurance rate which can be between 40% off or 10% more. So if you have lots of hard stops and starts, drive a long way, and drive at night, it will cost you more. But if you drive easy, not much, and in the day time, you get a discount both in gas and insurance. They also have an online tool that shows you at least some of the data they collect, and compare your driving to others.

But do I really want Progressive knowing how I drive in order to save a few bucks? Isn't that a bit self imposed big brother-ish? What if that info is used against me for some reason? Plus then I couldn't get my ScanGuageII that I have wanted that tells you everything that the progressive device does, plus much much more.

Like I said, hmm...

*Side note, if any mechanic tells you that new cars are harder to work with "because of all the computers" they are BSing you. The computer is telling them almost exactly what is going wrong.

Not MPG - GP1kM

That's Gallons Pr. 1000 Miles - a better way to understand fuel savings. Why? Because most people (including me) imagine fuel savings as linear, meaning that every 1 MPG saved is less gas used no matter your vehicle. So going from 25 mpg to 50 mpg should save more than going from 10 mpg to 20 right? Not true, and you can see why in this video from Duke University:



Here is a graph shoing how many gallons you use over 1000 miles in cars ranging from 10 to 100 MPG. As you can see, it gets exponentially more difficult to achieve a 50% reduction in fuel usage.



Of course, if you can go from 10 mpg to 50 mpg that would be the best, but if you have the option of upgrading one of two cars, go for the low MPG one first!

BMW "GINA" concept

I saw this video for BMW's new "GINA" concept car and was really blown away. The skin of the car is made of fabric with arms underneath to control the contours of the design. It is worth watching just to see the headlight open at 2:18. Wow!



Benefits beyond style include some serious weight reduction, and the ability to change aerodynamics on the fly to best match your speed and performance requirements. Perhaps $4 gas is just the ticket for a real automotive revolution.

2002 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport Review

Well we have had the car for a few weeks now so here is my review! The only thing I can't talk about is a long trip, that will have to wait until summer.

We were fortunate enough to have some of the worst weather of the winter hit after we bought the car, and without it I don't think I would have as complete an opinion as I do now. Basically, this car will get you anywhere you want to go. It is built for adversity. It loves adversity! The big fog lamps, the rear window wiper with fluid, big windshield, ABS, and of course the all wheel drive have pushed through all the muck we have gotten this spring without question or complaint. It already saved me from one accident the day we bought it, and that was on slick wet roads. On the Volvo and other rear wheel drive cars, if you turn on a icy road the rear end keeps going in what is called over-steer (top). This can be quite fun in my experience, if you can control it. The Saturn and other front wheel drive cars lose traction on the steering wheels and so can't complete the turn in what is called under-steer (below). This is never fun. My time on ice in the Subaru was that green line on both examples. Just round the curve. The all-wheel drive always has power down on the road somewhere so you always have control of the car. The flat four engine produces a nice range of power on demand and gets you where you want to be when you want to be there. It doesn't have the WRX's turbo boost that throws you back in your seat however. Oh well, I don't need premium gas either.

That all said, it is not a luxury car. The cup holders are poorly thought out. One pops out directly above the center console and the other is quite small in the center arm rest. Stuff sometimes rattles inside and everything is plastic. The shocks are stiff and tall so you can feel every ta-tak ta-tak ta-tak of the road. The sound system was upgraded which is great, but they did not opt for keyless entry or alarm so to open all the doors you have to do it from inside the driver or passenger door. The layout for some of the controls is confusing. Why they made the cruse control and fog lights buttons in a place where you can not see them, right next to each other, and the same shape I will never know (see arrow).

But, none of that matters because the car is just so incredibly solid you really don't care about cosmetics. Everything is about the driving. Those hard shocks might get annoying but they keep you firmly on the road at all times and tell you exactly what is going on under the car. The throaty engine roars to life when asked, and settles down quietly for cruising. The visibility is fantastic thanks to the flat engine that allows for a very low hood making you feel like you are right on top of the road. The back end can haul tons of stuff, and the seats fold down to give you even more room. In short, it is exactly the car I wanted! Look for us in it for a long time to come.

New Subaru!

Yup, there it is! All bought and paid for and Winnie approved. After living with it for just a few hours I can say that it drives just great! It clings to the ground, the steering is very responsive and it has good acceleration with a pleasant rumble. The brakes are strong, and the visibility is phenomenal. I think the suspension has just the right amount of travel to it. You can feel what your tires are hitting, but it is more like feedback from the road and less like just running over bumps.

When I was driving it home I thought it was a shame that I wouldn't be able to really try it out on some curvy roads because it just felt so fun to drive! Well, ask and you shall receive because two blocks later some lady who's line of sight was blocked by a parked bus pulled out of a driveway just a few feet in front of me - too close to stop. She slammed on her brakes placing her directly in front of me in the new car (on the way home for the first time no less) and I did too, along with whipping the wheel to the left to get around her. The car jumped sideways it moved so fast, and I was past her. The ABS kept everything in line even on the wet road. The only vision I got of the other driver was her bracing for impact! So, slalom on 50th street.

What else, on the way home we had some low level fog, so Megan hit the fog lights And suddenly the lines in the road were clear again! And here I just thought they looked cool.

So, it is my opinion that this car can get through just about any weather you throw at it. I look forward to having it for a long time and I can't wait to drive it again tomorrow! I hope I don't use too much gas this month...

New car? New Car!

You did what??

Our new 2002 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport

Well we bought a new (used) car. Today. After the last entry said we were planing on it in a few months. And after I was certain I wanted a pre 2002 model. No money has exchanged hands yet, and we wont get to take it home until after San Diego (oh yeah, I forgot to mention that we are going to San Diego next week) but I feel very good about the deal. It has higher milage, but it just had a lot of work put into it, the #1 being new head gaskets that are impossible to replace on these engines. The only problem I found was the alternator sounded like a bearing was going out, so that will need to be replaced some time. But that is an easy fix on these cars. Other than that, the entire car looks pristine inside, outside, and in the engine. Especially after mucking around the the nasty dirtyness of the Volvo engine with its oil leak, I think it is great! Of course it is 13 years younger than the Volvo.

So why the change upwards? Well the price was right and there were lots of changes in 2002, but the most important was in safety. They increased the body rigidity dramatically so in the event of a crash the car wont crumple. It also improves handling. Watch this video from the British TV show 5th Gear to see why this is important. And to see why the Volvo is far less safe than a smaller car with a body designed to crash.

Ok, now the goods.
- Automatic
- Active all wheel drive (shifts the power to where it is needed)
- ABS
- Air Bags
- CD + upgraded sound system.
- AC
- trailer hitch
- power everything
- jumbo fog lights
- 15'' alloy wheels (chris likes)
- Roof rack (I plan on taking off the cross bars until they are needed to improve sound and aerodynamics)
- Rubber cargo area (for cargo or corgi!) + spare 12v outlet
- fold down seats

It is going to be amazing to have! The visibility is incredible, you feel like you are sitting on the edge of your seat over the road. And it handles like it is glued to the ground - just like a Impreza should. Sure it doesn't have the kick of a WRX but I asked it to go a few times, and it was happy to oblige with a nice strong even acceleration. It can haul stuff, and should make getting around the cabin a dream.

I can't wait to take it home!

A new (used) car?

So the target to buy a new car is sometime in April or May, before school is over and before we head back up north again. I think we will go back to two cars for the summer and then probably sell the Volvo (if I can part with it) in the fall. A few thoughts on what traits I am looking for in no particular order:

- Good gas milage
- reliable
- easy to find parts
- cargo room
- cabin/camping worthy (can it hold a canoe?)
- tough
- good handling
- fun to drive
- not older than 1999, or over 120,000 miles.
- alloy wheels (don't know why, but hub caps really annoy me)
- Anti-lock brakes
- Oh yea, price.

And here is the list! One obvious thing, they are all Subarus. I guess I am a sucker for the all wheel drive stick-to-anything chassis and rally inspired style of all Imprezas. So from oldest to newest:


1999-2001 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport
This slightly funny looking car (well all Subarus are supposed to be funny looking) has it all, and I have been looking at it for a long time now. A smaller car with good gas millage (23/29), especially considering it is all wheel drive. It is 6'' higher than its non-sport version and has anti-lock brakes. So, it can get out of snow drifts, turn on snow, and stop on snow! Nag - those vents on the hood are non-functional. Lame. But it still puts out a respectable 142 hp. Click here for a great slide show.



2002-2003 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport
A huge re-design took place for the 2002 year with the addition of the "bug eye" design. Again, the differences between the base version (TS) is a few minor things like ground clearance and fog lamps. But gas mileage is down 10% from the older model at 20/26. The added weight, but more importantly horsepower rose from 142 to 163.






2002-2003 Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon

The real deal. Remember those fake hood scoops? Well no more. This scoop leads to a mean 2.0l turbo and churns out 227 hp. And the gas milage is still very comparable to the regular version, at 19/26. But it requires mid-grade gas minimum because of the turbo. Of course, if you use it to its full potential and keep the turbo spinning you will see a much lower number. But this thing is supposed to be an amazing car, and won all sorts of awards when it came out. Car and Driver named it the car of the year.


Everything above 2003 gets well out of our price range, even though my favorite is still the 2004 model. So where am I leaning right now? Its the first option, the older Impreza Outback Sport. Better gas mileage, and less expensive. But it still has airbags and anti-lock brakes. Inside is the engine from one of the most common cars on the road in Minnesota, the Subaru Legacy, so repairs should be easy.

So thats what I have been thinking about. Odd thing though, I have yet to test drive any of them! That could throw a wrench in the works. Thoughts are welcome!

Bond, your car is ready

Well there are crazy concept cars but the sQuba takes the cake, and in large part because it really works.

Ok lets see what do we need to make it a true bond car?

- Lotus Elise? Check
- Driver-less functionality? Check
- Floats? Check
- Submarine? Check
- Maneuvers underwater? Check
- On board SCUBA system? Check
- All electric? Check.
- Missie launchers? Errr, well no but you might be able to fit those on the real version.

The question of course is this useful at all. Well, in the event that you are being chased by a villain and need to loose them fast, is there any better way than to drive in the canals of Venice? Or Between desert islands? I didn' think so.

Below is the video of the thing in action. Skip ahead to see their chubby James Bond take it into and then under the water.

EVO vs STI

I have not written about this in a long time, but since Subaru "killed my car with the new Impreza, the opposition has delivered. Mitsubishi showed off its new 2008 Lancer Evolution today and yeah, that's a winner. Compared to the bulby large nosed goo from Subaru (below) this thing looks like what it is supposed to: a street rally car. So, put me down for the 2008 Lancer!

In the meanwhile the Volvo is humming along intimidating all in its path! And I got a complement for my old school Apple sticker in the back window the other day. It was on there when I bought the car and I thought I would get more comments from random apple heads. I guess Mac Addicts arn't what they used to be.

EDIT: Added question. How come any one who ever rides a BMW motorcycle always wears massive amounts of safety gear while people who ride low Yamaha rockets will ride with a helmet on and no shirt? Always wondered.

Ok, back to non-gear head blogging. Carry on.

Alternator charging the electriks

Yesterday I went to work on the Volvo and successfully replaced the alternator and belt. My Voltage reads correct from all points now, so the battery is charging, and all the electrics are running better than ever. It is still back in the garage but it should be back to regular driving this week. It was nice to drive it a little bit yesterday, everything about it is so familiar.

Being down to one car has been very easy for Megan and I. Once her internship is over in August, the saturn is going for sure. And then start thinking about getting a newer car than the volvo. The 740 is great but 270,000+ miles is getting a little top heavy! I also think I can sell it for what I paid for it over a year (and 12,000 miles ago) which was $750. Not a bad deal.

For the new(er) car, I really want something that drives well. Not that necessarily goes really fast, just something that makes me feel like I am driving and know where all four wheels are sticking. I really like driving, in the sense that I enjoy being in control of the car beyond using it as a means of passive transit. Not speeding (I am terrified of getting pulled over) but an emphasis on control, stability and acceleration. Oh and AC would be nice.

So for now, any one want to buy a slightly damaged, oft broken into, slow plastic car with no shocks? only 141,000 miles..


P.S. Link for LOL cats reference in the title and the picture.

No Blogging, Blogging!

I have gotten to the point that I have so much to write about, but have not written in so long, that I am just saving up the stories! Blogging constipation if you will. I guess its a good thing when I can say, 'I have been way too busy to blog!' vs. having too much time on my hands. So coming up in more detail are:

• Wedding blogging
• Fire blogging
• Cabin blogging
• Car blogging
• Beer blogging
• Bonsai Blogging
• Old friend Blogging

But for now a quick digest...

So did you know my friend Alex got married and I was in the wedding? It was quite the affair that took all time time from Wednesday to sunday two weeks ago already. My sister took the photos too, so those will go up later.

And on the way to the bachelor party my car died. The problem is electrical, I wont get into details, but it has a new battery now but that did nothing. Time go get greasy again! We also went to the cabin using my moms nice car (mm AC) and made me really start thinking about something a little newer. Personally I am wishing specifically and realistically for a 1999 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT. All wheel drive goodness that is quick too. Runs around $6,000. I would like to have it before winter time. But first I have to fix mine of course.

Megan and I had a great time up north. The burn area was amazing to see and I have tons of good pictures. In short, the place is beautiful and crazy green. The blowdown was ugly, this is beautiful. I can't wait to watch it grow!

I also tried our lavender homebrew we bottled last week. Its not done yet but is coming along. None of the strong lavender flavor is there but its has defused into light floral flavors. Next up: Belgian Chocolate Stout

Also, two new Bonsai! I just potted them last night and did an initial trim on one. One needs a better pot and one is just in an plain brown one that should be ok for a while. One is a white cedar and one is a paper birch taken from about 1/2 mile from where I harvested my old one. Pictures later!

I also re-connected with my old friend Sam from High School at Fort Snelling on the 4th of July. I have not seen him in over 5 years! He is a captain now, from the 1800s of course. Peace corps for him next, but not till November so hopefully we can get together before he goes.

Ok thats the digest blogging! More to come later and in no particular order.

One car?

Now that life has settled down a bit as far as jobs and summer, Chris and I are back to seriously discussing going down to one car. It's a little silly to need two cars when I work two blocks away, we are on a "hi frequency" bus route, and school is less than 2 miles away. We also recently discovered that parking at the lofts might get tight now that everyone has moved in, as there are 167 lofts and only 133 parking spots. People can just park on the street for now, but come winter with snow emergencies, etc, it would just be less hassle to only have to worry about one car. Not to mention we would pay less for gas, insurance, etc........

Thoughts? Encouragement? Discouragement?

Cary fridays

A few things came across the wire that are car related so I will post them at once.

First I was able to do some minor car repair on the Volvo this week when a headlight burned out. I am starting to remember why its fun to do car work in the summer, its warm! No fingerless gloves, no runny nose, no touching cold cold metal. Now its just back to unscrewing stuff!

The second bit comes from AutoblogGreen in the same vein as the air car I posted a while back. This has sort of the same idea of using alternative technology to store energy, it's a hydraulic truck. Developed for UPS, it is great at storing energy on short trips because hydraulic pressure can capture up to 70% of the breaking energy compared to a weak 30% with batteries. The down side is it can't hold nearly as much as a battery, thus the city usage only. Its also huge, so truck use only for now. They claim 39-74% fuel gains depending on how they run it. What if the UPS truck got better gas milage than your car?

Lastly, from Autoblog, another hilarious car mod gone wrong. Lets just say the idea of a spoiler is to technically act as a reverse wing, forcing the rear of the car down onto the road to obtain better traction at speed. This poor sap not only made his car look dumb by adding a silly post-production mod wing, he added it backwards thus slowing his car down a ton (think parachute), and lifting the back end off the road. I wish I could have seen it.

EDIT: From the AutoBlog comments section, "...the driver's hair was also cut really short in back, but he had really long bangs in the front..." heehee..

They killed my car...

EDIT AND UPDATE: Via AutoBlog the photo on left is PhotoShopped to a degree. So there is still hope!

The Subaru Impreza WRX has never been about good looks really. You can leave that to a BMW 3 series or what ever. Its been about the blistered fenders, the aggressive stance, the corner crazy 4 wheel drive, and the near functional rally racer appeal of the thing. Thats why I have always liked the look and feel of them any way. Well now the 08' model is out (left) and what an ugly freaking car. And boring too. Its like a Mazda 3 that had a happy meal. Ug.

So, until they fix what they hath wrought, I will stick to my 2004 WRX (with the low scoop and spoiler). Here she be:



EDIT: Or to be practical the RS model that loses the turbo (along with 65 horses and the hood scoop) and several points from your insurance premium as well. Lighter on gas too.

LA here I am!

Well here I am, over 24 hours in Los Angeles. So far it has been how do you say, ridiculous? Day one was was drinks and then sushi and then bed. I landed here at 9:10 PM right on time after a great flight from MPLS. Today started out by going to brunch with Cletus's friends by the beach, exploring the beach a bit, and then going off to visit a house Cletus is working on in the hills here. Quite a spectacular project I think, a house that is worthy of the views its windows take in. Then off to another party overlooking the beach, and so on. Ridiculous? certainly. Fun? Absolutely.

Also, my initial and overwhelming first impression of LA is what I call car porn. I'm going to get linky because to post pictures would be too much. For example, what I consider to be a fantastic car, the BMW 335i is an entry level car here. Consider it an Honda Accord in Minneapolis terms. Then when you start getting good you get a Mercades R230 that I rode in today, then thats ok because when you start turning heads you want a Lamborghini, and in my personal opinion, the only thing that makes my jaw really drop is seeing a Farrari drive by. Oh an some Porsche 911's drove by too. It has been one day, and about the only car that I have not seen is an Enzo. Yes, this all = car. porn. Apparently, my STI (EDIT:better photo) and Evo are not real popular here. I just saw a few today. But thats ok, they are meant for tougher stuff. Snow, gravel and mud are not in high demand here.

Ok, enough gushing about cars. I have been having a great time here. I have been thinking a lot about my future and business and what I need to know to move forward. It is all thought provoking. Tomorrow its off to college where Cletus will be teaching and I will try and unpack some of what I learned today. Its an adventure thats for sure!

Short history of Formula One

I had heard about this Shell Oil ad a bit ago and now its out. It cost almost $4 Million to make and involved clearing the streets in parts of Rome, NY, Sydney, Hong Kong, Rio and Monaco. Each city features the solo running of a Farrari F1 car each from a different era.

I have embedded the youtube video below, but you should really see it here in larger resolution and with better sound. In 2 min it shows why the rest of the world watches F1.

Is the "Air Car" almost a reality?

Some readers might remember my previous post about a prototype car that ran on just compressed air. Well it looks like it just took a big step into becoming a reality ... in India. Buisness Week is reporting that "Tata Moters" of India has licensed the French design of the air car for future production. An added bonus for hot places like India, the exhaust of the air car is normal air of course, but it's between 5 and 32˚ F - built in air conditioning! It can go between 135-185 miles before it needs a three minute recharge from a large compressor, or 3-4 hours using the on board.

This would be a great deal for places like India where pollution in the cities is a huge problem. I will be interested to see if they really work in the real world both economically and technologically.

Another hilarious car mod production truck

I was going to add another auto-mod to my list of cars that make me laugh all the way home but I can't because this is far worse. At the same intersection where I saw the spinning rims on a ford windstar I saw a huge bright orange pickup with an even larger spoiler wing on the back, and a ridiculous hood scoop on the front. It looked so dumb and pointless that I laughed all the way home. Now you have a pickup truck with mod that renders it useless, and a fake pig nose on front.

Not knowing that you could even buy such a stupid thing as a spoiler for your pickup truck I did some googling and found out that this was not a mod. It is in fact a $32,000 "Dodge Ram Daytona" pickup truck that has a whole bunch of NASCAR tie-ins and such. There is a whole subculture who likes this bit of marketing buffoonery.

America can be is a silly place...