I feel massive, crushing guilt about not posting here more frequently. Well, not really. But I do feel a little bad about it.
The problem is, the less you post, the less you post. No, that's not a typo. Basically, if you're only posting every couple of weeks, you start to feel like every post you make has to be incredibly profound. It's not enough to make a post about a Cheeto you found that looks like a guy masturbating. And since my life is not that profound, I don't know what to post.
Also, I'd post more if the blogger app didn't suck so bad. Just sayin'.
The big drama in my life these days is I bought a new car. It's a Subaru Forester--my first SUV. I'm horrified I did this... the best thing about my kids getting older was I didn't need to have a bigger car, but somehow this car happened. I love/hate it. I love the way it drives and the visibility is great. I hate everything else about it.
The thing I hate most this week is I realized I had the option of getting a trunk that opens automatically, but because the salesman didn't tell me this was an option (because he probably wanted to unload a car nobody wanted), I didn't get it. So now I have a trunk that's impossible to close for short little me. I called the car dealership and cursed them out, but it's not like it's some big revelation that car salesmen are skeezy.
Question of the day: if I live in a place where snow comes out of the sky on a regular basis during the winter months, do I need special tires?
We have two foresters and we love them. I think of it less of an suv and more of a tall car. The tire question probably depends on what tires it came with. Otherwise they are wonderful in the snow. Re the trunk, you must be quite short! Ours don’t automatically close either. What a nice option to think about for future cars!
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm exaggerating a little... I have to reach, but I can get it closed. I'm installing a power liftgate.
DeleteI live in the northeast and we have regular mud and snow tires on our subaru and it handles well in blizzards. I've heard snow tires are *even better* but you have to change your tires late fall and early spring each year and that is a hassle.
DeleteSnow tires like Bridgestone Blizzaks wouldn't hurt in the winter. I know plenty of people who swear by them. That said, I've found that as long as I have a quality set of all-season tires that I don't run into issues. I live in Northern Indiana and we get a fair amount of snow typically. If you live somewhere with more snow, and if the terrain around you is more hilly, snow tires could give you more grip in these situations. You can also search for your tire on TireRack.com, and see how people have reviewed it. That may help you decide, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm not getting snow tires, but I'm considering *better* all weather tires...
DeleteI have an older Forester and I just leave the all weather tires on. I live in Northeastern Minnesota and it snows a lot here. There are some good snow tires out there and if you absolutely HAVE to be somewhere in awful conditions you might consider them. Just don't drive like it's a beautiful summer day.
ReplyDeleteI mean, I drive in snow, but not if there's a blizzard...
DeleteTires seem to be one of the most under-valued aspects of a car. Everyone talks about the drive train, extolling the virtues of four- or all-wheel drive. Those things can help with starting from a stop in sandy or snowy conditions, and they can also help with climbing steep, slippery surfaces, but they don't help with actual road grip. That's where winter tires come into play.
ReplyDeleteI'd say that I was skeptical of how big a difference it would make until I watched a number of YouTube videos. There are some wacky ones of cars with summer, all-season, and winter tires trying to turn and brake on an ice skating rink, but there are also some more practical ones of a car compared with a 4WD truck in deep snow, one with all-season and one with winter... and then they swap the tires. Seeing the differences in each of those cases made me a believer.
Granted, I never got to test it for myself, because then I moved to a warm-weather place. But if I lived in a place with winter precipitation, and I absolutely needed to be able to drive in snow, I'd probably go through the effort and expense of purchasing a set of winter tires, and swapping them with all-seasons twice a year.
Yeah, I've heard people say that. I just don't have a place to put snow tires though....
DeleteI've lived in the lower Hudson Valley of NY and the Poconos of PA. I've driven front wheel drive (FWD) cars and all wheel drive (AWD) cars in the winter with both all-season and snow tires. There is a surprising increase in handling capability with snow tires on either car platform. The last car I drove when I was still working was a Subaru Outback which I bought in December. I drove it the first year with all season tires and my experience made me buy snow tires for all winters thereafter. It can be a pain to swap them out, but the greater safety is well worth it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but what do you do with the tires if you don't have a garage?
DeleteI live in Alaska on a hill and drive an Outback. Haven’t had any issues with all-seasons or winter tires. No snow days for us, either.
ReplyDeleteLots of Subaru owners here :)
DeleteI'm intrigued to find out how you know what a guy masturbating looks like. :-)
ReplyDelete