Quick Drive: 2018 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso

Have traveled extensively by Amtrak. Sadly, I think it will be cut by the incoming administration. If I had your ability to move to Italy, I would leave before sunset.

This cherry one is in "cherry" condition, it seems.  There are some 45 photos.  It's somewhere in Massachusetts.  What a boulevardier.  What a beauty. https://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/caprice/1995/vin/1G1BL52W1SR117012/?radius=6000 It seems like people are taking to these Caprice Classics posthumously, given the prices on cleaner ones with lower miles.   This is a base model, given the upholstery, and 200 hp indicates the 4.3 L V8, which is enough to pull this car around and, in 4th gear, return very good highway mileage.  

Amtrak is an interesting beast. I have taken the Coast Starlight once, from Sacramento to Portland.  You sleep on it, in your seat, and the Siskiyou Pass is slow going and I believe you can see Shasta.  Even the cheap seats are extremely roomy. I have taken the Pacific Surfliner once, from L.A. Union Station to San Diego.  It's funny that several subway lines meet at L.A. Union and, even during rush hour, it doesn't feel crowded ... because it's L.A. and not NYC. I have taken the Cascades once from Portland to Seattle.  The price was right, the route is clean and green, and the train cars are not as tall and only 1 level. I have taken the train from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa. I don't remember the route's name. It is said to often run late.  It did.  Lauderdale is next to Metrorail.  A real helpful Cuban guy checked you in and a sassy Black guy was the conductor.  The people were the trippiest of any train ride I've been on.  A little edgier and it could have had some Jerry Springer value. When we were kids, my parents would take us cross-country on the Amtrak Santa Fe to Chicago, followed by another train to New York.  The only part I remembered was the eerieness of the Petrified Forest under thunderstorm skies and all the small bodies of water in Missouri.  I was told that there would be water moccasins in there.  We'd allow for 3 to 4 days in the New York area with relatives as a buffer before sailing from the city to Italy.  It was done in reverse if coming the other way.  My parents were a little weird this way. (The apple didn't fall far from the tree.) Two segments on TWA or Pan Am 747s would have shaved a lot of time off this trip! The U.S. is way behind in good train service.  California High Speed Rail is way behind schedule.  They are still working on the Merced-Fresno-Bakersfield segment. The Republicans hate the plan.  It's always better to build these projects sooner than later.  If anything, this project could further growth in California's interior since its coveted coastal metro areas are not feasible options for most people anymore.  Having people trampling along the route and in those inland areas makes for a "multiplier effect." Don't get me started on topics like this.

Hyundai says the WAIT is over for the 2025 IONIQ 5 family of SUVs available now at your local dealership. The question to ask is are the available choices including financial able to drive customers into the dealership? To start with, let's look at what Hyundai is offering from a financial standpoint since the biggest complaint is always the price of an EV. Hyundai Financial is offering two ways to help get you into a new IONIQ 5, Financing as low as 0.99% interest, APR for up to 60 months for qualified buyers or leasing as low as $199 per month for 24 months. $3,999.00 due at lease signing, for qualified lesses, excludes registration, tax, title, and license, 10,000 miles per year including the $7,500 EV lease bonus. All this with a starting price of $42,500, EPA estimated range up to 318 miles, power up to 320 hp / 239 kW and Ultra-Fast Charging from 10-80% in 20 minutes. Let's start with the Ultra-Fast charging of 10% to 80% in 20 minutes. The press release photos show a Tesla supercharger, and yet the Hyundai is an 800V/350kW DC Ultra-Fast charging EV that will come with an adapter so that these NACS ported EVs can charge at the CCS charging stations where one can get this 20 min fast charge. Tesla Superchargers have 350kW charging coming but currently only in a few locations, so most of the time you will be using if you charge at a Tesla Supercharging station, a 400V charger, so expect 30 minutes to charge to 80% at 250kW or if you charge at home from 10% to 100% on a 240V level 2 charger in about 7hrs. This is where Hyundai is pushing to give you the right tools as with the 2025 IONIQ 5, Hyundai is also currently including a Complimentary ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 EV charger or you can take a $400 charging credit good at any ChargePoint station that includes EVgo, Shell Recharge or ChargePoint station. The ChargePoint network is 87,000 chargers across the U.S. Hyundai has made it very clear that the ChargePoint charger is free, but installation is not included. The good point is Hyundai has already connected to have available electricians who can do the installation and they walk you through the process via the Hyundai Home Marketplace app. If the buyer / lease chooses to go with the $400 charging credit with ChargePoint, they have two years to use the credit before it expires. Hyundai offers the IONIQ 5 in multiple trims in what they consider a trifecta family.  IONIQ 5 Family core with Key specifications: SE Standard Range Starting MSRP $42,500 RWD: 245-miles all-electric range 125kW (168 hp) SE Starting MSRP $46,550 RWD: 318-mile all-electric range RWD: 168kW (225 hp) AWD: 290-mile all-electric range AWD 74kW + 165kW (320 hp)  SEL Starting MSRP $49,500 RWD: 318-mile all-electric range RWD: 168kW (225 hp) AWD: 290-mile all-electric range AWD 74kW + 165kW (320 hp)  HDA 2: Highway Driving Assist 2 Wireless device charging Limited Starting MSRP $54,200 RWD: 318-mile all-electric range RWD: 168kW (225 hp) AWD: 290-mile all-electric range AWD 74kW + 165kW (320 hp)  Vision roof Premium Head-up display (HUD) V2L Hyundai IONIQ 5 Standard Gallery IONIQ 5 XRT The dark side per Hyundai's own website of off-road rally racing inspiration. XRT  MSRP to be announced early 2025 18-inch XRT wheels with all-terrain tires 23mm or 1-inch lifted and tuned suspension XRT Front and rear bumpers Blacked-out styling accents Exclusive interior details and badging Hyundai IONIQ 5 XRT Gallery IONIQ 5 N edition The Bolder world performance car of the year for 2024 N edition Starting MSRP $66,100 0-60 mph in 3.25 seconds with N Grin Boost 162 mph top speed. 478kW (641 hp / 568 lb-ft of torque) Lowered 5.6-inch ground clearance with tuned suspension 221 mile range / 84kW battery pack Performance interior and badging Performance features: N Battery Preconditioning N race mode N Pedal mode or special tuned one pedal drive mode N Brake regeneration N Drift Optimizer mode N Torque Distribution N launch Control Mode N Grin Boost mode N e-shift  N Track SOC N Active Sound + Hyundai IONIQ 5 N Gallery The family of Hyundai IONIQ 5 comes with a three year or 36,000-mile warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile Hybrid/electric battery warranty and 24/7 roadside assistance. With the growing EV charging infrastructure and the addition of the Tesla Supercharging stations network, getting around even on road trips across North America has become so much easier than one would have thought. One can check out more about the Hyundai IONIQ 5 family of autos here: 2025 IONIQ 5 | Electric SUV, Overview | Hyundai USA So this then brings us back to the original question posed, So will the choices and financial incentives drive customers into the dealerships and have them taking home a new EV? Sound off on what you think. View full article

@A Horse With No Name If you want to see a VAST array of American Iron, take the Amtrak train from Chicago to Seattle. It was AMAZING to see all the lined up trucks and cars from just about every make lined up in the fields by the train tracks heading west. It is an amazing site to see all the old autos rusting away in the fields as well as some of the abandoned small towns that the trains go by. You could also do the Seattle to Chicago ride. Still amazing sites to behold. Empire Builder Seattle To Chicago