I just completed what is the first of hopefully many trips to NY in 2008. This one did not consist of any racing (save for the jaunt to a local go-kart track), but since work took place on the dwarf car, I guess it counts towards the total. Last year I made something like 10 trips. I expect it to be comparable this year. It takes a lot to keep oneself entertained on these voyages, but I will try to relay at least one entertaining tidbit after each.
The trips are not too bad if there are no weather or border issues. However, Canada has gotten sick of people using their thoroughfares as testing grounds and have implemented some more stringent speeding penalties. If you are caught doing 30mph over they impound your car, arrest you, and fine you up to 10K. Given that I regularly cruise at speeds exceeding 90 the trip has suddenly slowed itself (I don’t think I will any longer be attempting to break my 2:17 border to border record). Coupled with the new border documentation requirements and well I will probably spend enough time this summer with our northern neighbours to become a citizen.
Despite these facts I had two stellar trips over the weekend. This of course means that I have been spoiled, and that every other one will be miserable. Let’s look at some numbers, shall we, math-nerds?
Trip A - Dearborn, MI to Rome, NY - 458 miles departure time: 4:45 PM 2 stop strategy employed for maximum efficiency Roy Rogers consumption at 2nd stop worth severe gastric distress but no delay arrival time: 11:56 PM total time: 7:11 average speed (including stops and borders): 64mph
Trip B - Rome, NY to Commerce, MI - 476 miles departure time: 1:48 PM 2 stop strategy employed for maximum efficiency big lunch prior to departure and stash of Dr. Wow prevented lengthy food/drink stop arrival time: 8:52 PM total time: 7:04 average speed (including stops and borders): 67mph
Total miles driven: 1133 Total time: 52:07 Miles per hour average: 21.7 Weight gained (Friday morning to Monday morning): 2.4 lbs.
During the trip it was suggested to me that I should really be providing rental car reviews. This is a brilliant idea! As such, you can expect a rental car review to be provided along with my “Tale of the Trip.” I have a much different perspective on a new car versus most columnists, so my feedback is naturally going to be a bit different. To provide some homogeneity I will categorise each review under the following headers. I naturally reserve the right to revise these at any time.
- “Stiction” - Let’s face it, most on ramps are rather inviting - so how does the car accelerate, brake, corner, etc? This will include the “beer goggles quotient”, which is how fat the car actually is versus how heavy the car feels. - “Foreign Oil Tariff” - As you can gather, each trip is basically 1000 miles at minimum. Petrol consumption is an issue. A discrepancy of 2 mpg is worth more than $10 over the duration of the trip. - “Livability” - This may be the most important of the four. I spent 14 hours out of 52 in the car this past weekend. Basically, am I comfortable and did the car readily accept the crap I brought with me? Given my diminutive stature (and my initials) you will also get the “midget accommodation outline” reflecting whether the car is enjoyable for someone hovering down near the 5th percentile. - “She Has a Nice Personality” - This category is for all the odds/ends not covered elsewhere. There could be a nice doohickey or thingamajig I hadn’t seen before. There could be a glaring omission on the radio console. It will also be a quick opinion on the interior quality and appearance. I won’t get into outer appearances; that isn’t going to affect whether I rent a car or not.
The first official report, on a 2007 Nissan Altima, will come soon.
Excitedly yours,
-Michael
Hold up.
You do boarder to boarder in 2:17?
Holy cheese on toast!
Good to know about the speeding provisions…
We typically take the states (DAMN YOU OHIO!!!) because from where we live it would actually cost us MORE time to drive up to an international crossing/speed through Canada then it would to just go stateside.
Plus, I get to partake in non-weight watchers approved A&W Root Beer and Sheetz. Hee hee. Sheetz. Oh, and something about Bailey… I dunno.
I’ll be driving it this weekend.
Can’t. Wait.
You would however be pleased to know that the ZR2 Blazer governors out at 90MPH. I will probably freak out if he tries that with my Trailblazer. And then I will leave him in Ohio.
Yeah 2:17 once. I probably have had 6 trips under the 2:30 mark, with 3 of those being under 2:25. It is a tough one, because that of course includes no stop. It also means I have to have enough bladder control to make it through the borders as well. Given that I am typically guzzling fluids it doesn’t often happen.
Governor is only at 90? Even the Super Saturn tops out at a healthy 107.