Re: New Car Reviews

Julian <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 19/08/2026 23:05, Tara wrote:
>> On Aug 19, 2026 at 5:47:23 PM EDT, "Julian" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> 
>>> On 19/08/2026 22:22, Tara wrote:
>>>> On Aug 19, 2026 at 4:58:52 PM EDT, "Julian" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> On 19/08/2026 21:33, Tara wrote:
>>>>>> On Aug 19, 2026 at 4:31:16 PM EDT, "Tara" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On Aug 19, 2026 at 4:12:29 PM EDT, "Julian" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> On 19/08/2026 20:56, Wilson wrote:
>>>>>>>>> On 8/19/2026 3:32 PM, Julian wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> On 19/08/2026 19:46, Wilson wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> On 8/19/2026 11:31 AM, Julian wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> On 19/08/2026 16:04, Wilson wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 8/18/2026 8:02 PM, Dude wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 8/17/2026 8:43 PM, dart200 wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 8/17/26 7:56 PM, Dude wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "We planned on a year of bare-bones motoring. These features
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> make us feel like we're cheating." - Aaron Gold, Aug 17, 2026
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Motor Trend:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Five—No, Six—Sorry, Eight—Features I Didn't Expect in Our
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> $25,000 Kia K4
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> https://tinyurl.com/2mmsamkj
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> most of those are software feature that cost zero to replicate
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> once implemented. the fact they aren't standard across all new
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cars is kind of a market failure imo
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You forgot to mention the Kia warranty:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Powertrain Warranty: 10 years or 100,000 miles for engine,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> transmission, and drive parts.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Basic Warranty: 5 years or 60,000 miles for most other vehicle
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> parts (bumper-to-bumper).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Anti-Perforation Warranty: 5 years or 100,000 miles for rust hole
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> damage on body sheet metal.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Roadside Assistance: 5 years or 60,000 miles for 24/7 help like
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> towing or flat tires.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>> They need those because they have a deservedly bad reputation for
>>>>>>>>>>>>> reliability.
>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> Certainly a decade and more ago and until five years ago
>>>>>>>>>>>> easily stolen but, at least in Europe, they are well above
>>>>>>>>>>>> average, in the top 10, for reliability.
>>>>>>>>>>>> https://www.whatcar.com/news/are-kia-cars-reliable-most-and-least-
>>>>>>>>>>>> reliable-models-revealed/n27619
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> I might be behind the times in my negative attitude towards the Koreans.
>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>> "Kia (and sister brand Hyundai) transformed from lower-tier
>>>>>>>>>>> reliability in the early 2010s through major quality investments,
>>>>>>>>>>> platform sharing, and engineering improvements. Recent models are
>>>>>>>>>>> generally viewed as dependable daily drivers with competitive build
>>>>>>>>>>> quality.
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> "Made in Korea" signified "Cheap imitation" until the 1980's which
>>>>>>>>>> fixed the post war economy and facilitated big national investment
>>>>>>>>>> in the likes of Samsung, Hyundai, LG and Daewoo. By 2000 they were
>>>>>>>>>> becoming among the elite in advanced heavy, shipbuilding etc., and
>>>>>>>>>> electrical/onic engineering.
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> There's one thing they are not very good at making and that is
>>>>>>>>>> people...
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> According to United Nations and demographic projections, South Korea's
>>>>>>>>>> total fertility rate is expected to slowly rebound from its historic
>>>>>>>>>> lows to approximately 1.0 child per woman by 2050, remaining well
>>>>>>>>>> below the 2.1 replacement level needed for a stable population
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> That country is going to go extinct unless they change that.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Yes, and they know it. In 2024 the rate was the global lowest.
>>>>>>>> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68402139
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Why is the population decline upsetting to many people (other than to those
>>>>>>> who don't want more kids).
>>>>>>> Honestly, I don't understand and would like to.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Is it for purely monetary reasons?
>>>>> 
>>>>> It's a big factor when the young have to support so many pensioners
>>>>> and the cost of living is high but everywhere women get educated the
>>>>> birth rate drops.  "as women got more autonomy, making household
>>>>> decisions, more power, they have to make some kind of compromise between
>>>>> raising children and having more, kind of, autonomy in the workplace."
>>>> 
>>>> I understand why women aren't having as many kids, all that, all those reasons
>>>> you list. It appears that those who think it's a bad thing are looking at the
>>>> 'big factor' then - the young having to support the elders and not having
>>>> enough young to do that is a purely monetary concern. It would be a painful
>>>> transition but when all the current oldies die, it will gradually even out
>>>> with a lower population (young and seniors) balanced out over all. But for
>>>> now, the complaint and worry about low birth rates is a monetary concern. I
>>>> don't know why but I thought maybe it might be more than that.
>>>> In ten years, who knows what the world will look like and women may be in a
>>>> better position then to want more babies. Or not.
>>>> We women, really do have a lot of power don't we. :) In concrete reality, this
>>>> is a new concept.
>>> 
>>> Pretty much the only places with stable or growing birth rates are those
>>> where women have little or no rights, education and independent means.
>>> 
>>> The UN expects the population to peak at just over 10 billion in 2080
>>> and then gradually decline sustainably as more women are emancipated
>>> being progressively harder to keep them in the dark in this world.
>> 
>> If it's a gradual decline, the change could happen with a minimum of pain if
>> we accept and adjust to it. I admit, I want a lot fewer people on this planet
>> mainly for the good of the planet. For creatures (humans included) - room to
>> breath and grow...not too much though :)
> 
> As far as I can tell there are always exactly the right number
> of people on the planet for the good of the planet. I just can't
> rustle up enough conceit to think otherwise.
> 
> 



“Conceit..is to human character what salt is to the ocean; it keeps it
sweet, and renders it endurable. “
-Oliver Wendell Holmes
But everyone knows that’s just silly. 

If you claim a virtue, does that make you conceited?
Surely not.