At last, a new Land Rover Defender!

Automotive

When I was young, I was captivated by the Land Rover. That’s all you called them by back then; sure, they referred to them as Series I, II or III, based on their production year and accompanying model changes, but in the olden days, there weren’t any other LR models to choose from. But when they came out with the more family-oriented Discovery, they needed a name for the original, which became the Defender. Good enough for Lara Croft, Sir Paul McCartney and Sean Connery, the Defender is an automotive legend.

Google “Camel Trophy” and you’ll see the Land Rover Defender going to places that no vehicle was ever intended to go. This is the image of the Land Rover that I have had in the back of my mind for decades. I read a quote somewhere that the Land Rover Defender is to the countryside what the black cab is to London. The Queen had one, Sir Winston Churchill had one and Sir David Attenborough uses one for his adventures. It's the ultimate iconic British vehicle.

Problem is, you can’t/couldn’t get new ones in Canada, due to North American safety standards. But you could bring older ones into Canada under the 15-year import rule. So you’d see them on the used sites, and there were companies that would import Defenders for you on spec. But these really were a labour of love, as you’re starting with a minimum 15-year old vehicle. And remember that this is when I needed a daily driver, so the Defender was just not a practical fit. They’re also loud, slow, and uncomfortable; leather seating and air conditioning? You must be joking. 

That’s why I drove the Discovery instead; first a Series I, then as that one got long in the tooth, a Series II. Relatively luxurious inside, you had all the modern amenities that you'd expect from other manufacturers like power windows, air-conditioning, power sunroof, and leather seats.

And the underlying 4x4 mechanicals were the same on the Disco as they were on the Defender, so I was getting all of the off-road capabilities, but without the drawbacks of the aging Defender design. I did actually put my Disco through a fair bit of 4x4ing when I'd go off camping & fishing in the high country near Kamloops. When I needed service, I'd take my Discos to a shop that specialised in "Landys", and Martyn also ran a Defender import business. I'd always drool over the fresh imports that were there when I'd drop or pick up my LR, and it would restart the mental gymnastics of whether I could justify a 15+ year old Defender 110. I loved my Discos, but after 20 years of driving them, she suggested a less ponderous vehicle, so I begrudgingly let the Disco II go.

Just before the time that my Disco run was coming to an end, Land Rover stopped making the Defender! Yep, it was the end of the line for the iconic British 4x4. Was it time to start seriously thinking about bringing in an import? But with the last Defenders rolling off the production line, Defender aficionados were driving up the price of these used ones to astronomical levels. Oh, well.

But wait... the Defender story doesn't end there. Land Rover re-designed a brand new Defender starting from scratch, retaining some of the iconic styling of the original. It. Looks. Awesome. If you're not into Defenders, you probably won't notice all of the little things that they've "kept" from the original design, but they're there. But that's where the similarities end, as this isn't an old, clunky 120 hp Land Rover. No, this one comes equipped with a turbo-charged inline-6 cylinder engine, supplemented by an electric supercharger, producing 395 hp, and 406 lb-ft of torque! Are you thinking, yeah but old must be better than new? Think again! This video shows a head-to-head between the last production model 110 vs. a new Defender 110; you'll see that in each case, new is better than the old. It's been winning all sort of awards, including MotorTrend's SUV of the year. 

Kitted out with all of the modern tech amenities and more, there's very little else you might want in a Defender. The one I got is called a First Edition, named because, well, it's the first model of this new Defender line. It's got a few more bells and whistles than I really wanted (e.g. refrigerated console, 3rd row seating and 22" rims), but the local LR dealer had a used one in Indus Silver (pictured in the Frankfurt Car Show above) that I really liked. While 22" wheels wouldn't have been my first choice, there’s a fantastic 4-season tire called the BF Goodrich Trail Terrain TA, which come in the right size for this wheel, and not the 20” ones. Will I be putting the new Defender through the same type of 4x4 tests that I did with my Discos? Time will tell, but for now, just try wiping the smile off on my face.

A couple of months with an EV

Automotive

Well, it's been about two months since I picked up our new Hyundai Ioniq 5, and although it has been a little slow in TV & Film here, I've put enough kms on it to give an update. I've driven hybrid electric cars, and have ridden in other EVs like the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S, but this is a first for us. So here's some things I've learned and a few observations. 

Range anxiety

This is the one thing that grabs headlines for those that aren't familiar with EVs, and the skeptics out there. It all comes down to your individual driving patterns, and ability to charge (at home or work, for example). We bought the model with the longest range, which is pretty good for cars of this size and price. The estimated range is 490 kms, but that is very subjective, depending on driving style, speed, and terrain. I picked up the car in Kamloops, and drove back to Vancouver over a mountain pass; I watched the screen as my range fell quickly due to the combination of highway speed and climbing up the hills. I estimate that this dropped my effective range to around 350 kms, but I needed to stop for a bio break and a sandwich. Using a DC fast charger, I was able to top up enough to get home easily, in only about 15 minutes. Once at home, I plugged into my 110v AC outlet, and juiced up while the car sat in the garage.
My driving needs change from week-to-week, depending on which productions I'm working on, and where the studio or location is situated. But it is pretty safe to say that the maximum I'd ever need to drive in a day is about 80 kms, which I can easily top up overnight. In reality, we only need to plug in after about a week, as there's no need to recharge after running to the grocery store, or if the shoot is nearby. After about a month, I stopped bothering to look at the consumption rate on the display, and only check the battery level if I need to go somewhere further in the next day or two. 

Unlike a traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) car, you do need to factor in some things if you are planning a longer trip; temperature is a big factor, as I found out on a winter trip up to Kamloops recently. I made the mistake of not fully-charging the battery (more on that later) and then when stopping at a DC fast charger for lunch in Hope, only topped up to 90%. The steep climb up to the top of the Coquihalla Summit really zapped the battery, even though it was only about -2°C out. While I probably did have enough charge left to get to Kamloops, I was a little uneasy as to how much I'd have left on arrival. I needed another bio break in Merritt anyways, so stopped at another DC fast charger and added 10% just to be safe. 

Charging

We were great candidates for an EV, not just because of our driving patterns, but because we have a place to charge at home, specifically with what is known as Level 1 - 110v AC: For most people I know, charging at 110v AC off your home outlet will likely be enough for day-to-day use. The caveat there, is that you're not driving 150 kms everyday, and you have electricity that is not time-of-day rate-based. In BC, our power is hydro-electric, and is flat-rate priced at 9.75¢ per kWh. It jumps up to 14.08¢ over a certain threshold, so that will vary based on your usage and time of year (e.g. if you have electric heat). So regardless of whether you use 110v or install a 220v home charger, you're still paying the same for the electricity to recharge your battery. As a point of reference, a full charge from 0 to 100% would cost us $7.50 at our base rate.

Level 2 - 220v AC: There are numerous places around town that offer Level 2 charging, like at the supermarket, or mall, but since we don't need the charge when doing errands etc., we don't use these. Additionally, since Level 2 charging only adds about 5% charge per hour for the Ioniq 5, it's not really that useful unless you're going to park for hours (e.g. at work). In places where your electricity is time-based, it may make sense to install a Level 2, 220v charger at home, so that you can refill during low, overnight rates. But for now, in BC, it is not a cost saver for us.

DC fast charging: Some erroneously refer to this as Level 3 charging, but this is where the Ioniq 5 excels. With an 800V architecture, the Ioniq 5 and 6 (which are identical EV platforms) are the fastest charging EVs right now. With battery pre-conditioning (i.e. warming), you can restore the charge from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes! How does this work? On the navigation system, you simply enter your destination, and any DC charging stations as a waypoint, and the car will automatically start warming the battery as you approach the station. I've taken some time to see what DC chargers are available along my typical route, and their proximity to McDonalds/A&W or other lunch spots. We don't really need the 350 kW chargers, as I've found that in the time that it takes to use the bathroom and grab a burger, I've topped up my battery sufficiently on a 200 kW one. I like the ON the RUN stations associated with Chevron, as charging is currently free (you have to use the Journie app), and I'm already familiar with their locations and nearby amenities. Update: the ON the RUN stations now charge by the kW, so it is a good place to top up regardless of your EV's recharge speed. For us Hyundai Ioniq 5/6 owners, the Petro-Canada stations offer higher charge speeds at $0.50/minute.

Battery usage / charging level

I'm no Electrical Engineer... oh, wait. I'm no expert on batteries, but there is one factor that apparently will make your EV battery (and apparently other rechargeable batteries) last longer. That advice is to only charge to 100% if you absolutely have to, otherwise set your charge limit to 80% or 90%. Of course, if I need lots of juice to get up the Coquihalla, I've learned now that I'm going to start with a full charge in Hope. But otherwise, charging that last 20% takes a lot longer than when the battery is depleted. Battery charging is not like pouring out water through a hose at a constant rate; that's because the "resistance" of the battery increases with the level of charge. I read an analogy that likens it to boarding an airplane - when it's empty, it's easy for passengers to get seated quickly, but as it fills up, the process slows down. So that means that for around town, daily driving, I'm effectively starting with 80% of the state range for my car, or around 400 kms (in ideal conditions). Something for those to consider if they are on the cusp of buying the smaller battery version, but are not sure if it will be enough range for them - go for the bigger battery. 

Regenerative braking

Most folks know by now that the electric motor(s) in EVs can put charge back into the battery when braking, but for many EVs, it's a setting in the menus to adjust the level of regen braking you desire, so most folks set it once and leave it. I've learned that with the Ioniq 5, I prefer to use the maximum regen setting in town, using the i-Pedal feature to bring the car to a complete stop without touching the brake pedal. 

However, on the highway, I prefer to turn down the regen to level 1 using the steering wheel mounted paddles. It's not like full coasting, but it mimics the feel of an ICE car when you lift off of the accelerator. Level 0 is too "loose" for me; since there's virtually no resistance slowing the car down, it feels kinda like you're not in control of the vehicle's speed. Using the regenerative braking is desired obviously, as it extends your range, but I don't think it's a substantial amount; for our needs, it probably doesn't change where and when we'd stop to add more juice.

Driving experience

EVs are heavy, due to the weight of the battery, which is normally in the floor of new-era models. In the Ioniq, this makes the "feel" very similar to a large German touring car (I've had two). The distance between the wheels also contributes to a very smooth ride, as the Ioniq 5 has the longest wheelbase (3 metres) of any vehicle I've owned. This makes the turning radius large, but it hasn't proven to be a problem in parking lots. The major difference in driving is related to, I believe, the regenerative braking. I find that you need to hold/push on the accelerator to maintain a constant speed; the moment you ease up on the pedal, you start to slow down. Of course you can change the regen braking level with the paddles so that doesn't happen, but I like/want to keep that on. It takes a little getting used to, but it's certainly not bothersome. Other than that, and the gear shifter being mounted on the steering column like the olden days, and the regenerative braking, it's pretty much like driving an ICE car. Ok, except for the astonishing acceleration - who would have thought that a 2 tonne vehicle could go from 0-60 in 7.5 seconds? Because of the electric motor, torque is available immediately, and you really notice it when you're overtaking on the highway. Combined with the smooth, no engine noise ride, it is very easy to exceed the speed limit without trying.

Other things learned / liked

The small things that have also come up really have more to do with the advancements in automotive technology, than with EVs specifically. e.g. although Highway Driving Assist technologies have been around for a while, this is our first car with lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control. Similarly, having an app to do things like remotely lock the doors, or turn on the AC/heat a few minutes before you need this is a nice to have, but again these are not EV-specific features. I guess the biggest change for me is the liberating feel of not burning up fossil fuels, and the thought at the back of my mind that each trip to a Langley film studio is costing $13-15. To be honest however, owning an EV will not save us any money vs. an ICE car; our gasoline consumption was less than $2,000 a year, and it's safe to say that our Ioniq 5 was at least $20,000 more than we'd normally have paid for our next vehicle. At that rate, we'd need to keep the EV for about 10 years to break even, but we typically move on before then.

Hyundai / Ioniq 5 specifics

For the most part, the above info is really car/manufacturer independent, i.e. we'd probably have experienced the same things in a Tesla, Ford Mach-E, or VW ID.4. So what specific things do I like about the Hyundai? Well, as I've written before, we had a Hyundai Tucson just prior to this, and I feel pretty good about their reputation as a car company now (certainly not when I had a Pony). This isn't their first try at EVs, so they've got a bit of a track record with the technology (vs. others I was considering like the Fisker Ocean). And with dealerships/service locations everywhere, I'm not worried about the long-term maintenance issues with the Ioniq 5. Besides, they have one of the best warranties in the business.

I appreciate that they still have manual controls for often used things like climate control, windshield wipers and the entertainment system. Sure, you can use the touchscreen to access some of these as well, but unlike other manufacturers that have put everything on one screen, Hyundai still gives you the option for dials and buttons. Similarly, where others give a single, centre-mounted screen, I like that Hyundai has two, and puts the driving information on the screen in front of the driver, while auxiliary information and controls go on the centre one. I'm sure I'd get used to it, but the idea of having to look at the centre screen just to check speed, or turn on the wipers seems a little too minimalist to me.

On that note, I do like the clean lines of interior of the Ioniq 5, and Hyundai has been doing good things with their design efforts recently. Ours is a two-tone grey, with the lighter shade adding to the open, airy feel. Some of the features of the top level trim (called Ultimate here in Canada) are a little frivolous in my opinion, and I am glad we did not pay extra for these (e.g. "relaxation seating", sliding centre console, and ambient lighting). I don't miss the leather (Ultimate comes with "leatherette") seats we had in our Tucson, and actually, find that the cloth seats aren't as cold to sit on when you initially get in the car. The perforated leather surfaces in the Tucson were actually a bit of a PITA, as crumbs and small debris would get lodged in the tiny holes, and were impossible to vacuum out.

So with only a couple of months and a some long range trips behind me, I'd say that the EV is a good fit for us, and we're certainly happy with the Ioniq 5.

A brief history of my cars

Automotive

I'm starting a new category, as this doesn't seem to fit into the retirement or the travel section. I don't consider myself a "petrol-head", but I will admit that I probably was more into cars than most of my other friends and co-workers around me. I used to buy car magazines and look up every spec for the new hot cars, and I've probably watched every episode of Top Gear. But as I got older, it became less and less about how fast my car was, or how cool it looked, versus how much stuff could I carry, and or how practical the vehicle was. Oh how old I've gotten!

Then and now: back into a Hyundai hatch 39 years later

Fast forward to now, and we've just taken delivery of a 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5, our first EV. When I first saw pictures of this car, I knew it would be something different, but I didn't factor in just how popular it would become! Announced in 2021, it created quite a buzz in the auto media, and once pre-production models started appearing around the world, the buzz got louder. First, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 won the Best Design award in the Top Gear Electric Awards 2021. Then in 2022, at the prestigious World Car Awards, the IONIQ 5 won big, and was named overall World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle of the Year and World Car Design of the Year. And the awards kept coming.

Car and Driver also named it EV of the Year, and the British awarded it UK Car of the Year, both in 2022. (Update: Cars.com has awarded the Ioniq 5 Best EV of the Year for 2024, second year in a row, and The Car Connection named it the Best Electric Car To Buy for a second consecutive year). So in April of that year, we took a test drive in one, and naively put down our deposit, expecting to get notified in about a year that our car would be arriving. I won't bore you with the long, drawn-out details, but suffice it to say that demand for this model of EV far outstripped supply, and dealers were greedily taking upwards of $13,000 markup over MSRP from those who didn't want to wait in line. By June of 2023, I started to think that I'd never get one, but after stopping into Kamloops Hyundai, and shamelessly name dropping the previous owner of the dealership (a high school friend's husband), I was on a new list. So here we are now, about four months later, driving a car that is powered by water (BC is hydro-electric).

Timeline and history of cars

(clicking on any image will open a gallery view)

The EV 45 concept appeared in 2019

One of the things you can read about in the trade articles, is that Hyundai says that they drew inspiration for the concept and final production car from their original Pony. Umm... yeah, right. As you can see, I had a Pony in 1986, and it doesn't look anything like the IONIQ 5 or the concept car (pictured right). So I went looking through my photo archives trying to find a picture, but it has long been lost (the Pony picture below is by Brendan McAleer of Driving.ca, but it's almost exactly like mine). However, while I was searching, I came across almost every other car I've owned, so thought it would be fun to document the vehicular journey.

My little Pony

Unfortunately, with five kids all going every which way, my dad owned a fleet of cars. Not fancy cars, mind you, but lots of them, and in my teens, we had a few to choose from, depending on where you were going and what you were doing; e.g. the 1976 Cutlass Supreme with its 350 cubic inch V8 was a favourite for highway cruising. The last of these "fleet" cars that my dad bought, was a Hyundai Pony. By that time, all the other siblings had left home, so this one was effectively reserved for my use. With a whopping 74 bhp, it took my little pony about 15 seconds to get from 0 to 60. It was a terrible car in every sense of the word, and I vowed to never own another Hyundai.

1976 Mercedes Benz 280S

This was my dad's car, and I loved it. As a kid growing up in Kamloops, a Mercedes was rare, and while this wasn't the coveted 450SL, it was still a Benz. I'd spend afternoons washing and polishing it, and this didn't go unnoticed. So when he retired, he gave me the big Benz. At over 1600 kgs and with only 156 bhp, it took almost 11 seconds to get from 0-60, but once you were up at highway speed, it was cruising! I got hooked by the level of quality and finish of the car, even if it was not the style for a 22-yr old. Unfortunately, it only lasted a year or so longer, before it lost a battle in Edmonton when an F250 ran a red light on a cold winter evening.

1989 Mazda MX-6 GT 4WS

Armed with the insurance money from the Merc, and an 8.75% car loan, I sought out the best sporty car that I could afford. After reading the reviews in the car mags, this was it. The 4WS stands for four wheel steer, and at the time it was made, it was the fastest slalom production car in the world. 145 bhp propelled the MX-6 GT to 60 mph in 7.43 seconds; top speed was 209 km/h, but I seem to recall something faster? I’m surprised this thing didn’t kill me. This car was so rare, I had to scour the internet just for this picture. It was great for getting back and forth from Edmonton, but it was a cop magnet. But back then in Alberta, they only gave you points for speeding tickets, and when I moved back to Vancouver, I used a drivers licence swap to avoid having the points transfer across. 

1981 Toyota Landcruiser

This was part of the fleet that I mentioned earlier, and was our primary Tod Mountain ski vehicle. These Landcruisers were legendary, and we put many miles on that inline, 6-cylinder diesel engine. After my other brother Daryl graduated from university, he bought it from my dad, and after he was done with it, I was next in line. By then, it was rusting to pieces as they all did, so I got rid of the roof and doors and got it Maaco’ed. It was impractical as all get out, but a ton of fun at the time. You couldn't/didn't want to drive fast in this, and with only a bikini soft-top, it didn't work for weekend camping trips. I'd longed for having a 4x4 again, but without the roof, this wasn't practical enough, so when a guy came looking for a BJ40 to take him to the Baja, I sold it to him without regret.

1987 Toyota 4Runner

So I decided that I needed to trade 0-60 times for inches of ground clearance. I loved the Mazda, but it wasn’t great for camping, even worse for off-roading. What I really wanted was a Land Rover, but they were beyond my means. But the SUV was just starting to become a thing, and most manufacturers were coming out with something to try and keep up with the Jeep Cherokee market. Toyota basically took their legendary Hilux pickup truck and put in a second row of seats and topped it with a removable fibreglass shell. Well, you can take the boy out of Kamloops, but you can't take the Kamloops out of the boy; this truck was the key to reigniting my weekend camping and fishing adventures. The 4Runner was well sized for the city and excellent for these adventures, but with a wimpy 4-cylinder engine, it was perhaps a bit too underpowered?

1997 Ford F-150 4x4

We're now just past the half way mark of the nineties, and I've taken a new sales role where I was paid a healthy car allowance, so my buddy David talked me into leasing the brand new Ford 1/2 ton. This was technically in 1996, when Ford released the new model design for their F150; it was an all-new design with much smoother, rounded lines than the predecessors. It had a 4.6 litre V8 that pumped out 220 bhp and 290 lb-ft of torque - plenty for what I needed. David had it fitted with huge BFG All-Terrain tires and a matching fibreglass canopy, so it was fantastic for my camping and fishing adventures. However, I found that it was too big for navigating around in Vancouver, so it went back at the end of the 2-yr lease.

1997 Land Rover Discovery

The famous Land Rover, which became known as the Defender, was my dream 4x4, but for many reasons, too impractical (more on that here). However, they came out with the Disco, as they are affectionately called, and it was right in the middle of the Goldilocks zone for my purposes. It offered the best of both worlds; off-road adventures on the weekends, but cushy leather-wrapped commuting. Getting back into a European vehicle was also noticeable, as it had the feel of being in a solid German car like the Benz, but without the associated reliability. While BMW had bought Land Rover in 1994, it took them a number of years to incorporate their quality controls and measures; that meant that this model year was still very much a British-built car. Overweight and underpowered, this vehicle changed my driving style forever (well, almost). 

1967 Mercedes Benz 250SL

A little later on in the 90s, things were starting to heat up in the dot com space, and I had a little bit of extra cash kicking around; maybe an early mid-life crisis car was in order? A guy down the street had one of these when I was growing up in Kamloops and I’ve always coveted one. So I started watching the Buy & Sell and Autotrader for one of these to pop up; surprisingly back then, you could find two or three for sale at a given time. Some were projects asking for $9-10k, and others in the $15k range weren't the right colour. Then I stumbled onto this one, where the old guy had kept it in the garage for 6 years and only driven it 300 miles! I lowballed him at $13,500 - and he accepted it, but I wrestled with fuel issues for a few years and a few thousand dollars. With only 150 bhp, it yielded 0-60 times of... well, let's just say that the average soccer mom in her Toyota Sienna could take me off the line. I held onto the roadster (never put the hardtop on) for almost 20 years; when I noticed the value had gone up substantially, I decided it was time to part ways. It was the only car I really made money on.

1987 Mercedes Benz 560SEC

Even though I had already filled the two parking spaces at my condo, there was another spot you could rent for a small fee. Besides, all my friends around me were having kids, so I decided that I needed a new baby of my own. Now this was a grand-touring car if there ever was one. Let's not forget that this was the flagship S-Class for Mercedes Benz; it had bells and whistles that other manufacturers hadn't even though of back then. One of my mates liked to call it the Yakuza-mobile, as this is the kind of car that the Japanese mafia liked back in the late 80s; at almost 1800 kgs, I preferred to call it “The Panzerwagen”. This Euro-spec version with 300 bhp was good for 0-60 in 6.6 seconds. Top speed? 250 km/h (unverified). But all that power and luxury was wasted commuting in Vancouver, and we had four cars at the time (hers a 1984 VW Jetta), so more practical minds eventually prevailed.

2004 Land Rover Discovery II

Needed room for these two furballs

Don't forget that I still had the Disco, but after 10 years of ownership, it was starting to get a little long-in-the-tooth. I wanted to improve the reliability of my primary vehicle, but didn't want to change, so I decided it need to be replaced by… another one. Now called the Discovery Series II, displacement went up from 4.0L to 4.6L, which meant it was even more expensive to keep this thing full of petrol. For off-road nerds, this was the model year to get, as it had all of the new electronic traction gizmos AND the centre-locking differential. But the more pressing issue was that we now had two Bernese Mountain dogs, and this was the perfect way to get around with the two fur-kids in the back.

2005 MINI Cooper

Technically this was Christine’s ride, as what guy would be caught dead driving one? Actually, we were getting tired of her Jetta's rainwater ingress issues, so when we talked about retiring the Panzerwagen, a more practical 4-cylinder replacement was suggested as a 2-for-1 (I was actually looking at 6-cylinder Mercedes options). Also a BMW acquisition, the MINI didn't exhibit the typical British car issues, and it was pretty fun to drive... if there were only the two of us. Inevitably we found it too small, and it rode like a go-kart, making city driving irritating. It too, started leaking, so we started looking at something practical, like a Ford Fiesta, to replace it.

2013 Ford Focus ST 

Did I just say practical? I was telling a buddy that we wanted another 4-cylinder city car, and he said, "I'm selling my Focus". Hmm. After not a lot of research (as critics loved it when it was released), we bought it from him. It was deceptively quick, and is certainly the fastest car I/we have ever owned. With 252 bhp/270 lb-ft torque, this rocket took only 5.8 secs to get from zero to 60; it was more than adequate to get Christine to work and back. But Recaro seats, sport tuning and tight suspension also made this a pain to drive in the city - literally. Didn't we go through this already with the MINI? Then, the suggestion was to get rid of the gas-guzzling Disco, in favour of something more crossover-sized as our primary vehicle. Hmm. Ok... plan in motion.

1995 BMW 318ti

As part of the strategy, and after I retired, we briefly tried being a one-car family. It didn’t work, but I felt that all we needed in a 2nd car was dependable, basic transportation when the primary car was unavailable. Still wanting the reliability of a German car, but without needing all of the cylinders and power that usually accompanied them, I was on the hunt for a small BMW. As a Benz-guy, this was sacrilege, as 3-series BMWs were for cocks, not respectable regular guys. But when I found this low mileage, unmodified one (which is rare), I decided that it was the perfect car to meet our 2nd car needs. Even with a transmission issue right out of the gate, it has has exceeded my expectations, and meets the requirements for “collector car” status for low cost insurance. With only 134 bhp, performance is snoozy, but that’s not what we were looking for anyways. 

2016 Hyundai Tucson 1.6T Limited

Remember at the top of this post and how I said I'd never own another Hyundai? Well, here's how the story goes. I'm supposed to be looking at crossover-type vehicles, so I had convinced her that a pre-owned 2016 Discovery Sport was the right choice, as it was a smaller car, and only had a 4-cylinder, turbocharged engine. But the Disco Sport wasn’t on the dealer's lot when we arrived to look at it, even though we had booked an appointment. Disgruntled, we walked across the street to Hyundai and test drove a Tucson instead, and it immediately restored my faith in the brand. Smooth and quiet, it was surprisingly powerful; 175 bhp and 195 lb-ft of torque propelled the Tucson 0-60 in only 7.6 seconds - go back and look at the MX-6 GT spec! Truth be told, if there were only gas vehicles to choose from, I'd probably buy another Tucson, or perhaps the 2024 Kona.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Preferred Long Range RWD

And so here we are, full circle, from the humble Pony all the way up to its stylish successor, the IONIQ 5. What's it like (new post with EV experience here)? Awesome. At over 1900 kgs, this is about the same weight as the Disco II, but has a wheelbase that is about 50 cms longer; actually it's closer to the 560SEC in that respect. As such, it rides like a big, grand touring German car, yet it looks small from a distance and in pictures. Even though this isn't the fast one (you need the AWD version for that), it still is remarkably quick, with the electric motor providing all the torque instantly. When you need to pass someone, it jets from 100 to 140 km/h in what seems like the blink of an eye. 0-60? About the same as the Mazda MX-6, and a little slower than the 560SEC; the Focus ST is still the winner there.