trinacriabob

EXTERIOR PHOTOS Side view - at a large underground garage for a major shopping center Front view - on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean on the south coast of Sicily Rear view - on a hill looking back inland toward a historical monastery

One thing leads to another ... having one Alphaville song in my music collection leads to being clue in to another. These German guys - meaning Alphaville - are good. "Big in Japan" This is quintessentially '80s all the way around, which is just fine!

Man cave type jokes since that would describe most of the active members ... here's an oldie but goodie: Did you hear about the two lesbians who built a house? They used no studs ... it was all tongue and groove.

This road test of the Citroen C5 was the result of a serious upgrade in a rental at a Sicilian airport. I’ve been assigned a smaller Citroen C3 at this very airport before – when the AirBump feature was novel and unusual - and remarked on its excellent ride and easy handling. The C5 is quite a few steps up. Mostly, it’s all good. This is a heavier vehicle and, along with that, the ride is like that of a bank fault. It’s smooth, quiet, and isolated. In some ways, it is perhaps too isolated. By this, I mean that road feel is a little compromised owing to its very soft ride, and there is too much assist in the steering. I noticed this upon taking out of the rental agency’s lot and through its narrow alleyways. It reminded me of an American boulevardier more so than the European SUV that it is. It firms up some on the open road. It’s at slow speeds that it feels way more "electric" – the way electric felt when there was the palpable adjustment we all had to make from hydraulic steering. This C5 had a diesel engine, but it was almost hard to tell that. It is a turbo charged 4-cylinder engine. The mileage was excellent. It returned about 43 mpg in a combination of driving – mostly highway driving but with some small town and arduous mountain two lane road driving. The transmission is a geared automatic unit and has 8 gears. The shifts are extremely soft, which I feel is mostly a good thing, and suited to the C5. The only time it’s clear that it’s geared is when pushing down the pedal – just because - or to pass. The C5 is powerful enough and certainly has the torque to sustain grades and demanding conditions. However, passing seems to be a variable situation. It almost seems to depend on the speed and the grade. In most situations, it does so fairly easily. High speed passes require some strategizing, and, in a few rare cases, it seemed better to avoid them. In maintaining high speeds on the autostrada, it does so effortlessly and stably. You might not have an idea how fast you’re going (114 km = 70 mph, and, on a few occasions, there were some 120 kms and 130 kms where the “bank vault” feeling didn’t let on that this was the actual speed). The workmanship is quite good. The seats had centralized cloth surfaces with bolsters and side construction of either leather or leatherette. There is stitching that is attractive and taut. The C5 is ideal and comfortable for long hauls. Front seat comfort and leg room is more than adequate, and rear seat leg room is acceptable. Rear storage space is capacious, and this is without folding forward the rear seats. The small lift-up area for the tire well provides for some additional storage and symmetrical small cubbies on the sides of the rear storage area can come in handy. Except for the diagonal edge on the infotainment center screen (a pet peeve), I really liked the volumes of the dashboard. Everything was nicely crafted. Linear gauges for fuel and temperature seem to be the thing these days and, although nice, it would be easier if they indicated critical zones in orange and/or red. The audio quality appeared to be good. Also, setting up Bluetooth and keeping Android Auto going seemed easy. The console, which opens lengthwise in the middle, is both unusual and large. The air conditioning works quickly. In concert with liking the volumes of the dashboard, the number and placement of vents worked well to distribute the cool air. Ahead of the console are two ergonomically placed cupholders and all the switches for key operating functions ahead of them reflect quality workmanship and are easy to operate. These would include the pushbutton engine start button, the transmission lever, the drive mode selector, and the parking brake. That said, I found operating some of these features on a rented (and reviewed) BMW Series II Gran Coupe less intuitive. In general, I liked everything about day in-day out living in this C5 more than in the fussier BMW Gran Coupe. However, with its lower framework and Germanic underpinnings, the BMW really shone for its roadability and the sense of control it offered. The C5’s silhouette is not that captivating. However, they work around the “chunkiness” and this can be seen from the interior. I was surprised at how good rear visibility is. The seating position is high and commanding relative to the road. In tight spaces, the tabletop look of the hood ahead of the windshield doesn’t have clearly defined ridges and is harder to work with. It appears wide for the genre. Thankfully, the parking assist feature and other traffic sensors were fairly sensitive. I asked a friend who likes cars and rents them often in Europe what he thought of the major French brands. He ranked them as follows: Citroen, Peugeot, and then Renault. This vehicle speaks well to the Citroen brand and also aligned with what I’ve experienced among these brands. For a person with a little extra money and who needs the space, a supple ride, and its “thickness” all the way around, the Citroen C5 is a good choice. On a few occasions, its vagueness annoyed me, but that wasn’t too often. It was challenging to operate on a few narrower Sicilian streets and alleys, but that would apply to narrow streets and parking lots anywhere. For some, this C5 could check most, if not all, of the boxes. - - - - - PHOTOS FORTHCOMING

They are indeed tiny and, also, many times the jacuzzi is out of order. They also have issues with tables. If in the room, who wants to be at a desk facing a wall while on their laptop? Some hotels smartly have tables or desks perpendicular to the wall. Also, they have cocktail tables in any public room. They want you to buy drinks and not have your laptop open. At some lower price points, tables of any kind are scarce as they want to make damn sure the clientele is not in the public spaces - "out of sight, out of mind."

No, but no LA Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness in some parts of the world. Hotel gyms and other small gyms have random pieces, poorly positioned and grounped pieces, and don't breathe well. You walk up to a machine that doesn't agree with you and you may not work out.

Recurring random thought: Hotels almost always have crappy fitness centers / fitness rooms

GUTEN TAG ! A warm welcome indeed ... I am stuck on a thing or two ... or three ...

MECHANICAL PHOTO Simple and tidy engine bay with not much going on, easy to read points to measure fluids, etc., and DIY possibilities - - - - - END OF PHOTOS

INTERIOR PHOTOS The front of the cabin as seen from the passenger door at pick up Very simple and clear organization and the switches and toggles on the actual steering wheel are very simple; sensible A/C vent placement and infotainment although the A/C did not seem too strong Very simple instrumentation, in which a temperature gauge could have easily been included (my pet peeve when it's excluded), and lots of idiot lights Some simple switches and there is even front warning assist, though I don't know (and don't want to know) if it would grab the brakes and take over ... there is also a remote fuel door release, which I prefer Very simple CVT automatic transmission lever, no armrest, and cupholder position which is too far forward and too far forward ... at least for the driver Basic front seat design: somewhat supportive, not that comfortable, and tough fabric points to durability There is not too much rear leg room, the rear windows are not operable, and the thickness of the rear pillar does not intrude It has a small rear storage area, it didn't seem to be covered (although the glass was tinted), rear split seats, and, I couldn't fit both standard and rollaboard luggage in here This was a thoughtful feature and not typically seen at this price point Saying good-bye to the Mirage at another SoCal airport - view of the instrument panel/dash from the rear seat

EXTERIOR PHOTOS Side view - picking it up at the rental car agency near LAX Front view - at I-5 vista point pullout, with Camp Pendleton across the freeway and the Pacific Ocean just behind me Rear view - with the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (one of 4 venues at the Music Center) and where the Academy Awards used to be held; amazed at how sleepy DTLA continues to be on weekends, with curbside parking not being too challenging to find on a Sunday The Mirage seen parked along Vista del Mar ... fancy Brady Bunch like homes used to sit on that hillside and were condemned because the flights leaving LAX would be airborne as they approached Pershing Drive (on the other side of this hill and neighborhood) and flew out over the Pacific ... there is some free street parking on weekdays near Dockweiler Beach (behind me) Front McPherson strut suspension or similar, ugly wheel covers, and small, inexpensive tires when replacement is needed Conventional shock absorbers at the rear and not much overhang at a rest area off I-5 just above Oceanside, CA and next to a Chevy Spark in roughly the same color, which I much prefer (Ecotec 4-cylinder engine, more power, quieter, and more compliant ride)

What I was really going to say: "Buona Festa della Repubblica" "Happy Republic Day" Today, June 2, is to Italy what the 1st of July is to Canada, the 4th of July is to the U.S., and the 14th of July is to France ... more or less.

Mt. Etna on the island of Sicily. Approaching it from the urban plain to its south gives this more complete view of it ... about 10,000 ft. and an active volcano.

Good morning ... ... this was my morning. I love looking at this thing.

This was probably the first time I’ve gotten downgraded and it wasn’t on my part. I rented a compact (icon showed a Nissan Versa) at LAX to keep costs down and was given what could be considered a subcompact. Their number of cars was slim. I felt I was downgraded in more than one way. I had seen these cars at auto shows and didn’t pay much attention to them. At the time, they were the only car sold in North America that I knew of being is sold with a 3-cylinder engine. The guy at the rental lot didn’t believe it and lifting the hood – to count manifold ducting – is what convinced him. Spark plugs which depended on a coil are no longer in the sides of engines as they once were. Getting into the car told me that this would be a little challenging in terms of comfort and motoring. As for the instrumentation, that part is easy. The center pod has the minimum – speedo, tach, fuel gauge, info square, and lots of idiot lights. The center stack is also simple, with infotainment above and climate control below. In this infotainment system, they are able to fit in Android Auto, and the display was small, but big enough to work with. As for songs, there is very noticeable delay if skipping forward or backward to tracks you want to hear. The system has to think and think. I’m not at all a sound expert, having found "The Immigrant Song" very trying, so I was just glad to have this feature. Pulling away instantly tells you that this is basic transportation and that it’s not a particularly able vehicle. To get the most out of this vehicle and keep costs low, the 1.2 liter 3 cylinder is paired to a CVT automatic unit. I was not able to see a turbocharger under the hood nor does the price point call for it. Pulling away also foretells the noisiness of the engine. There is no graininess as much as there is loud revving that’s especially noticed when accelerating to maintain speed on a hill or up a grade. I don’t even want to think about how this car would fare on the Grapevine, especially with several passengers. The car is small, so it’s nimble and easy to park. Tire drone and wind noise intrude, with the suspension sending jolts into the cabin on any pavement less than perfect. In terms of parking, with the small camera to boot, it's a snap ... almost even fun. There is nothing wrong with the finishes, really, except that they are spartan and not aesthetically pleasing. At this price point, the fabrics are the tough kind, which aren’t that comfortable, but usually durable. The spartan nature extends to the rear cabin where the windows are fixed and do not go up and down. That said, only the front passenger windows do and there was no “A” that I could see. Power locks and power side mirrors are also included, as is a tilt wheel. Anymore, these come standard on all cars. That’s where the niceties end. The console has no armrest above it and the front cupholders and one rear cup holder are too far forward and too far back for the driver. The trunk is bigger than that of a Spark, but, for the luggage I had, the trunk was not that much more usable and I couldn’t stand up the standard and rollaboard pieces side by side. Surprisingly, it has a remote fuel release. Great … and I mean it. And it has auto lamps and cruise control, both which work well. The air conditioning did not blow cold enough so the temperature had to be lowered and the fan speed raised. I’ve done fine in rented Fiestas and Sparks, and even Sentras, but this car was a challenge. Three cylinders are finding their way into European cars and some rentals over there were smooth and powerful enough that I was surprised there was a 3-cylinder engine under the hood. That didn’t apply to this vehicle. Fuel economy is reported to be spread across a broad range. In the first tank (9.2 gallons), the mpg, mostly on city, it came in at 30 mpg. A Malibu can get that. This car had less than 5,000 miles. On its one highway trip to be taken where it would be dropped one way, it came in at about 44 mpg. I would have liked to have seen 35 in town and 50 on the open road. Incidentally, the only time this car is at its best is at about 50 to 60 mph and when the pavement is level, so fuel economy seemingly goes up and rpms are at around 2,500 rpm. The car’s selling point is its budget price and it isn’t even as cheap as I remember it being. This car epitomizes simple A to B transportation and, as far as trips go, it could be used for nearby weekend getaways but not for long hauls with people sitting in the back or more than 2 small pieces of luggage. It’s meant for someone who needs the bare essentials and has a budget aimed at getting those … and get a new car at the same time. I suspect that maintenance costs, with fewer moving parts, niceties, and smaller items such as tires, would be low. I would have much preferred a Fiesta, or even a Spark, which were the bottom of the food chain for the domestics, and, comparatively, not all that bad, really, so that speaks to what driving the Mirage was like. - - - - - Edit: photos forthcoming

Re "their" signs: Their signs often show their stupidity, their rigidity, or both.

Good morning ... ... a quick quiz - 3 guesses and the first 2 don't count. Match the following: 1. state governor a. b. 2. to the vehicle they are likely to pilot a. b. - - - - - Don't think too hard now.

Some 2024 anniversaries for Los Angeles CA - how time flies 40 years since the 1984 Summer Olympics - cities seem to have growth spurts - not all good, with spikes in home and apartment prices - and the same seemed to have happened in Atlanta after it hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics 30 years since the 1994 Northridge (MLK Day) earthquake - I believe it did a lot more damage than the Sylmar Feb. 9 1971 earthquake since Sylmar is at the very edge of the built-up part of the metro area while Northridge is more in the thick of things in the San Fernando Valley. In both quakes, high overpasses connecting freeways I-5 to CA-14 came down. In the 1994 quake, a critical raised portion of the fairly distant Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) came down,

What I had really meant to say ... Happy Cinco de Mayo from my hometown (a coincidence ... already here to visit high school and college friends) arguably a contender for one of the most authentically Mexican cities (on one or more levels) in the U.S. tonight calls for some El Torito somewhere.

Good morning (Pacific Time, that is) ... This shows up in a box on my homepage. Whoa. Who is it? It's none other than Heather Locklear. Could she be on her way to a casting call to play the following individual?

Just last week, I saw a few newer Traxes. They are more sloped in the rear than the Trailblazer and there is no protuding "ridge" over the rear window. I'd say they are more attractive than the new Trailblazer. I know next to nothing about them.

MECHANICAL PHOTOS The engine bay is neatly arranged as it typically is in GM products, with dipsticks, reservoirs, and an easy to reach battery ... someone would have had to help me find the turbocharger One can see 3 exhaust manifold passages below the engine shroud The engine placard says 1.3 liters and long running OBD II diagnostics - - - - - END OF PHOTOS

INTERIOR PHOTOS This is what the driver sees upon entering and the light switches are in their own small panel (set to auto) This is the view from the passenger's door and this provides a good view of the outlets above and buttons below the cubby space at the front of the console The dashboard is very sensibly arranged, easy to learn, and easy on the eyes ... note several push buttons for drive mode, traction, etc. right ahead of the shift lever and various plugs right below the climate control panel. The touch screen is engaged and the vents above the center stack provide excellent air circulation. This shows typical Chevrolet gauge graphics, a fuel gauge with graphic bars, and an always useful coolant temperature gauge. Key lights for driving modes (traction, following distance, etc.) are above the graphic display box between the 2 round gauges. This is the typical graphic box in various Chevrolets and, once it has been learned, toggling between trip, vehicle, and eco. becomes easy. Trip has the most options while eco. rarely needs to be used. To the left of the odometer is the graphic which shows AWD or 2WD. Cubby hole for phone, outlets for plugs, and push button controls (partial, at the right) sensibly arranged as well as honeycomb hatch to look like it could have been fabric Rear seat legroom appears to be respectable. The two-tone effect on the fabric is fairly nice and there are map pockets behind both front seats. This shows the rearward view from the driver's seat which would make lane change and parking assists helpful The rear seats follow a "60-40" (long running car jargon) split back, a courtesy lamp, and a groove for the rear cover (which was not present in the vehicle) This gives an idea of the cargo space with the rear seats in their upright position as well as 2 usable storage wells at each side of the rear cargo area

EXTERIOR PHOTOS The side view shows the more compact shape and the sheet metal accents, attractive alloy wheels, and a roof rack The angled rear view shows taillamps which look fairly true-to-form for Chevrolet, but the liftgate is slightly heavy to pull up and push back down ... a person also has to make sure it's fully shut The angled front view shows attractive (LED) lighting

I was in a situation where I had rented a car – a category with a trunk – and there weren’t any available. Their running out of certain categories happens frequently nowadays. As such, I was assigned a 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer. This didn’t look like any of the Trailblazers I remember. For one, it was a lot smaller. It was also badged as AWD. I assumed there would be a Chevy 1.5L T I-4 under the hood. Previous Trailblazers of the New Millennium ran with a 4.1 L I-6, possibly the modernized, aluminized version of the same 250 c.i. I-6 of the last century. A friend bought one of these in the early 2000’s. I was once given one by a rental agency and its 4.1L I-6 was incredibly smooth, but given how quickly the fuel gauge headed west, I took it back for an exchange within a day. Before even settling into the car, I looked under the hood to find a 1.3L T 3-cylinder engine. Three-cylinder engines have become a lot more prevalent in Europe, even in small SUV-CUV types but typically in econoboxes. As for initial impressions, it looked like the car would be sensible to drive and operate its functions. This tuned out to be true. The seats are supportive and comfortable enough, together with some attractive stitching, The materials are not high grade, with the same tougher fabric which might be in the Malibu. In fact, except for some minor differences, transitioning from a Malibu to a Trailblazer is easy. The width of the cabin, the gauges and switches, and the urethane steering wheel and its controls are similar. In fact, in the Trailblazer, some things are better. The touch screen is engaged in the dash, with the center vents above it, providing for excellent dispersion of what the air conditioner was dishing out - which was very cool. Further down, the cubby for electronic devices is flatter and larger and the outlets and switches are all linearly arranged next to each other for easy use. Also, with the inherently higher seating position, the view is better and the shifter and console height are in a more user-friendly position. The exterior sheet metal shows good taste, and the character lines are nicely done. The front fascia with its lighting set-up is its strong point. Even the rear taillamps look good as they wrap the rear corners. Returning to mechanical specifications, the transmission was a geared one. The interwebs and its owner manual revealed this. If a new Trailblazer is AWD, the transmission is a 9-speed automatic. If it’s a 2WD, the transmission is a CVT. This is a very utilitarian and practical package, and it couldn’t be described as refined. However, the engine is not grainy but its rhythmic but not hushed hum is always present. When pushed, it just hums more audibly. The engine does what it’s supposed to do. With around 140 horsepower, this is not a powerplant with which to riskily pass, sprint up long grades, and think it’s a jackrabbit, despite its having a turbocharger. The transmission is a “humorous” one. I can’t think of another word. There’s the expression “children should be seen and not heard.” In this Trailblazer, it’s more like “children are heard but not seen.” As the gearbox marches through its 9 gears, the spool-ups are quick and you hear them, but the unit slushes into the next gear as if it was a CVT and you don’t even feel the shifts. However, if throttled, you will definitely feel the shifts and, in stop and go driving at lower speeds, it can hunt within the first 3 gears and do it in a jerky way. However, in composed linear driving, the shifts are seamless but the short intervals for each gear, complete with the “sound effects,” was humorous … at least to me. The Trailblazer is a nimble enough vehicle. It rides fairly smoothly, but can quickly become unsettled. Its ride quality is not as budget-like as that of the now gone Chevy Spark and Sonic, but not as pleasant as that in the Malibu or even what they were able to accomplish in the final-gen Cruze. Wind noise is reasonably controlled, but tire and suspension related noises aren’t as effectively soaked up. The road surface is always being communicated to the cabin, telling you this is not a premium vehicle. In the CUV-SUV category, I’ve only driven the much larger Chevy Traverse with a 3.6 VVT V6 … and we’re talking two different worlds. With the higher seating position, front and side visibility are good. The thick rear sail panel makes angled rear visibility challenging. This seems to be the norm in this typology of vehicles. This unit did not have parking or side traffic sensors, which are much needed, and a few lane changes were more challenging since I like to mix up looking over my shoulder and using the mirrors. With the rear seat up, storage space is good … thanks to the Trailblazer’s the boxy shape, and it’s very good with the split rear seat folded forward into the cabin. It would come in handy to move boxes or a bundle of items. There was a slot for a rear cover over the storage area, but it was missing. This is one of the reasons I try to avoid this typology at the rental counter. The windows are more tinted toward the rear, but I was still not comfortable with that. The rental agency said ‘but we sell insurance for your personal effects.’ I doubt someone has the time to replace apparel and items that have been purchased over a span of agent while traveling. Rental agencies don’t do a good job of monitoring this item. I’m sure that a private owner would keep the retractable cover in its place as needed. Inside, while the controls are logically placed, there is no remote hatch or fuel filler release. However, if the vehicle is locked, the fuel door cannot be opened. Fuel consumption can vary a lot and the instant fuel mileage readout will clue in the driver to that. I set the drivetrain to 2WD and “eco” mode, but it still has to lug around AWD hardware. The readout goes from unimpressive city driving fuel efficiency to very plausible mileage at steady highway cruise. The 9-speed automatic allows the Trailblazer with AWD to cruise at 65 mph at about 1,900 rpms. That’s why it can attain the higher fuel mileage, but it took going to 3 cylinders to attain that. It was very easy to transition to the Trailblazer from several other Chevrolet models, and especially the Malibu. Thinking of the similarities and differences, the Trailblazer could almost be viewed as a higher sitting and less refined riding 3-cylinder Malibu turned CUV-SUV. For a consumer at the intersection of needing the packaging this vehicle provides and its price point, the Trailblazer could make sense. - - - - - PHOTOS FORTHCOMING