I have fond memories of snow. That’s because I grew up in the Mountain West, where I’d spend hours each winter watching my dad shovel snow from the warm privacy of our house. As a result, I can very much sympathize with the CarMax staffer who snapped this picture in Hillside, Illinois. Apparently keen on taking photos but not particularly intent on shooting good ones, the Hilldale CarMax employee drove this Saturn SL about four feet out of its row and brushed the side windows clear of snow, which may have involved rolling them down and back up again. But no attempt was made to clear the rest of...

No, that image isn’t a Photoshop. At some point, this actually happened. The Subaru Forester, as we all know, is reliable transportation for people who live in New Hampshire, and also lesbians. It’s also reliable transportation for people who live in India. But in India, lesbians don’t buy it. Partially because lesbianism has not yet reached India, but also because over there, it doesn’t carry the Subaru badge. Instead, Indians know the Subaru Forester as the Chevrolet Forester. Yes, it’s precisely the same vehicle as the one sold in America. All-wheel drive. That 2.5-liter...

Rich people love displaying their wealth subtly, yet loudly. That’s why those cryptic oval decals are so popular. You know, “ACK” for “Nantucket” and “OBX,” which ostensibly stands for “Outer Banks” but really just indicates the owner is “obnoxious.” Of course, Land Rover knows the wealthy like subtle displays of wealth because Land Rover is well-versed in the psychology of rich people. They must be, since they still have strong brand loyalty no matter how many times customer cars come in on a flatbed. The differences between the 2006-2009 Range Rover and its more powerful...

When the second-gen S10 Blazer came out in 1995, it was a pretty decent car. For a couple of years. Then competitors started coming out with much better cars, like the second-generation Explorer, the ’96 Pathfinder and the refreshed ’97 Jeep Cherokee. As is customary, the arrival of better vehicles didn’t deter GM, and they continued to sell the ’95 Blazer virtually unchanged for years. Actually, that’s not entirely true. In 1998, to comply with federal regulations put in place four years earlier, the Blazer got a passenger airbag. Unfortunately, there were never any regulations on panel...

Surely, you’re familiar with Saleen Mustangs. You know: big wheels, loud exhaust, owners have beards. And surely, you’re familiar with the second-generation Ford Explorer. Especially if you run a transmission shop. But did you know at one point the two were combined? Behold the Saleen Explorer XP8, which has an Explorer engine and transmission along with styling upgrades from Saleen. These upgrades are no longer available, so don’t go wrecking a Saleen Explorer. All seven members of the Saleen Explorer forums will be crestfallen. Apparently, Saleen and Ford collaborated to make around 125 of...

Ah, the 2003-2007 Honda Accord sedan.  Originally reliable transportation for upscale suburbanites, it’s now taking on “teenage first car” status before it inevitably descends into its final resting place as the darling of buy-here-pay-here used car lots. But today, it’s the subject of some minutiae near and dear to PlaysWithCars: tail lights.  You see, despite being offered for just five years, the Accord used three different tail light designs.  And so, for those of you who are as pedantic and detail-obsessed as me, here they are. 2003-2004 The 2003 and 2004 models used a narrow...

In the 1990s, Acura was primarily known for two things.  One was making a peaky hatchback designed to appeal to teenage thieves and virtually no one else.  The other was Acura’s signature then, and remains so today: repeated failed attempts to compete in the full-size luxury sedan segment. But like today, Acura also courted drivers who couldn’t afford a 3 Series.  While today’s “almost had a 3 Series” is the TL, its early-90s entry into that segment was a four-door sedan inappropriately called the “Vigor.” The Vigor was a hastily-executed stopgap model designed to satisfy buyers before...

The Porsche 911 boasts iconic styling and tremendous performance.  Really, it’s a modern marvel: an almost stunning car to drive, especially considering its unusual rear-engine layout. None of that is clear from this overexposed CarMax photo, which appears to show the place where the convertible top latches to the windshield.  Or, at least, part of it. I’m not sure exactly what buyers are intended to learn from this photo, which was taken by the clearly qualified CarMax Irvine in Southern California.  But one thing is for sure: the picture doesn’t exactly make me say “Oooh, I want a...

I feel bad for calling out Honda twice in a row in the Named in Japan segment, but not so bad, because they’re the ones picking the names.  In fact, this segment probably wouldn’t exist without Honda and its naming department, which I assume consists of toddlers, people on acid, and those unfamiliar with the concept of language.  Sort of like Japanese porn. Anyway, on to the latest car: the Honda That’s.  I am not kidding – this is actually the name for this vehicle.  The That’s.  Imagine the water cooler talk in Japanese offices: “What are you driving these days, Yoshi?”...

A lot of people really hate two-door cars.  I know this because I recently reserved a full-size car for take a road trip with friends, but was so eager to drive the Fiat 500 that I cunningly upgraded to it when I arrived at the rental car agency.  My passengers didn’t view this as an upgrade, a fact which was hammered into my head over the following nine hours: “I can’t feel my legs anymore!” “I can’t breathe in this tiny little box!” “Do you still write that stupid car blog?” The popularity of four-door cars over two-door cars is what makes the latest Ridiculous Rebadge so...

I come to you today with a piece of minutiae that’s very minute, even for PlaysWithCars.  It’s not taillight changes, bumper design, or exhaust pipes.  It’s not even wheels.  It’s a one-inch red stripe. Behold, the original Audi A4.  You probably remember this car, since every previous Audi was unreliable crap, and every Audi since has been unreliable crap with cool headlights.  Just kidding, it’s not just the lights: they also have the continuously-variable automatic transmission.  It’s a wonder this brand doesn’t outsell BMW. Anyway, back to the A4.  US models came out in 1996,...

Let’s say you’re the kind of person who likes pickup trucks.  You probably enjoy haulin’ stuff, going to tractor pulls, and drawing dicks on your friends’ faces when they pass out drunk.  In other words, you’re a classy, classy individual. Now, let’s say you also like sports cars.  And for some reason you decide you want to combine these polar opposites, kind of like when they came out with wild cherry M&Ms.  Yes, that exists.  For the two people reading this who are inexplicably nodding in excitement, the latest Used Car Reminder is for you. Let’s start with the GMC Syclone,...

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, General Motors did a lot of weird shit.  Looking back, it’s almost as if they were releasing as many strange vehicles as possible just to play chicken with financial insolvency.  Everyone remembers the heinous Pontiac Aztek and the Chevy SSR convertible pickup.  But few recall when GM hit its real low point: the 2004 GMC Envoy XUV. The Envoy XUV was born during the unfortunate period when pickup-SUV combos were “in.”  Years from now, historians will uncover a picture of a Chevy Avalanche and consider this a low point in American history, exceeded only by the...

Yes, you’re reading that right: a sticky note reminder not to go through the car wash with the radio on.  It’s something that every single owner of a 2007 Jaguar XK has sitting in his gauge cluster; or perhaps, after a four-figure repair bill, wishes he had in his gauge cluster. You see, the 2007 Jaguar XK had an embarrassingly large antenna that shot up from the rear quarter panel every time the radio turned on.  And when I say “shot up,” I mean it: it was a metal rod about four feet long.  Cue “that’s what she said” jokes. With the radio on in a car wash, the brushes and...

Remember the Hyundai Tiburon?  Sure you do.  You turned it down once as a rental car and instead chose to take taxis everywhere.  Or maybe your boyfriend had one, and a lot of tattoos. There were two generations: one was butt-ugly and incredibly slow, and the other was surprisingly handsome and incredibly slow.  The zenith was the V6 model, which was laughably underpowered (or, as Korean engineers might call it, “optimally designed”) at just 172 horses.  If you’re still unclear on the car, drive to a bad neighborhood and look for cars with those fake fender portholes only considered classy...