Andys Computer

  About 3 months ago I posted about how a short range EV could be a practical choice for some drivers, and as my wife fits the profile (her commute round trip is currently less than 12 miles and she has never driven more than 75 miles in a day ever) we went ahead and ordered her the electric Mini Cooper SE. As a quick recap the Mini Cooper SE has an EPA range of 114 miles, can charge from 5% to 80% in about 30 minutes at a 50KW DC fast charging station and does 0-60mph in the low 6 second range. The MSRP starts at $29,900 for the entry level model known as the Signature but can exceed $37k if you want the top of the line Iconic trim which includes larger wheels, an opening glass roof, upgraded stereo and a few other things. We went with the base Signature trim as it's generously equipped already with leatherette seats, an 8.8" screen, GPS, Apple CarPlay, keyless entry, heated seats, rear view camera with parking sensors and so on. We chose the "white-silver" color op...

  When we bought my wife her first car, the 2020 Kia Soul S, I expected we would keep it for many years, probably 10 as that is how long the Kia drivetrain warranty lasts. Of course if the rest of the car started to fall apart maybe we'd get rid of it after the 5 year bumper to bumper expired. But here we are just a little over 2 years in and we're going to sell it. Why would we do such a thing? Well, we live in unprecedented times and just like our Land Rover Discovery, that I previously blogged about, her car is worth a lot more than it should be. In short we have been offered just shy of $20,000 which is amazing considered we only paid $21,500 for it over 2 years ago. So this, combined with the fact you can get a brand new electric Mini for $30k, and the fact that we should be eligible for a $7,500 federal rebate on it means that we can hand her Kia over and walk away with a nicely built EV from a more premium brand for about $3,000. With the currently proposed changes to th...

I remember the first time an electric car seemed like it might be something I might want someday, albeit as a toy. It was the launch of the first Tesla Roadster, which had the looks and cool of a Lotus but was all electric. The neck snapping acceleration combined with whirring sound which made it sound like something from the future made it seem like the future of performance cars was was electric. The $120k price tag put it up there with a high end sports car though so it was something for a successful future... GM announced the Chevrolet Bolt shortly after the Tesla Roadster, and while a four door hatchback doesn't exactly get the pulse racing it looked more futuristic than other hatchbacks, was electric powered (for the most part) and made that cool whirring sound. I was living in London at the time and had a very short test drive of the UK version (which is badged as the Vauxhall Ampera) at a car show. It was my first time in an electric car much less driving one and the way it...

  One of the vehicle brands I've always liked the idea of owning is Land Rover. Despite being a big fan of the Jeep Wrangler, in particular the TJ generation that I had many years ago, I have always been attracted to the iconic adventure/exploration image of Land Rover worldwide, something not shared by any other brand. What has always put me off is their other reputation, that of reliability or rather a lack of it. However some research suggested that all may not be what it seems when comparing the current vehicles to those even 10 years ago, despite what Internet commenters may think. We ended up at the Land Rover dealership after initially trying out both a Volvo and an Audi. For various reasons we didn't pull the trigger on either and as we would be passing the Land Rover dealership on the way home it seemed reasonable to stop by. Given these are expensive vehicles we initially tried out a Range Rover Evoque, the smallest vehicle they make but still a $60k pur...

    One of the benefits of living in New York City is the public transport system which, although nothing to shout about on the world stage, works sufficiently well to negate the need to own a car. But for me cars are more than just A to B transport, they're an interest, a hobby, a passion, and moving away out of New York City means that once again they will be a part of my life. While driving a car can bring a certain amount of stress, not to mention expense, I find sitting in traffic in my own personal temperature controlled box with comfy seat and choice of music to be infinitely more tolerable than sitting on a stuck subway train trying to avoid the stare of some mentally unstable passenger. I had booked a rental car for 4 weeks, a competent but forgettable Nissan Rogue, but once a house had been found and lease signed I could register a new car despite still driving around on a New York license. Ultimately we'd need two cars, one for my wife who would be lea...