Sweet Race

Another cool video, this time from Top Gear via Gizmodo, they pitted a 254mph Bugatti Veyron against a 913mph Eurofighter Typhoon strike fighter. Wow!

History of Audi

This is a great video I found over at Top Speed about the history of Audi. This is why German cars are so great. If I could fit my family in another VW Golf, I would. It is true that VW, maker of the Audi, builds "drivers' cars."

12 Days of Christmas? Tis The Season

Here's a great version of the worst Christmas song of all time. The 12 Days of Christmas is an obnoxious song but this is really good. - Thanks Annie. Also, remember this from last year? Original Post was here on Decemeber 12, 2006. Merry Christmas.

[3104]Jimmy the Gun to All Members

The 3104 Clan needs to get back together for Soldier of Fortune 3, known as Payback.

Goodtimes are to be had. Mountain Dew Code Red and a Lan Party to remember.

Who Are You Voting For?

I may not know anything about Mike Huckabee but this ad makes the decision to vote for him almost a requirement. With an endorsement like this, we the people don't really have a choice...do we!?!?

Get Your Own

Some of you may have noticed the new logo heading my blog. Well, it was designed by a co-worker of mine. Ryan Oliver created this from images I sent him and others he found that fit the theme of my blog. So if you want one, email him using the link to his email above and provide his with the following information.

1. Size of the picture desired (i.e.. 600 x 600)
2. A background image (If you don’t have one, he has a bunch)
3. All related images you want
4. Type of text you want on the image. (name of the font, if possible)
5. An overall theme for the picture (What would you like done to a photo or if you have a specific way you’d want something arrange)
6. Any quotes you would like added on.
*Note. The larger the image and better the quality the easier it is to edit.

Here are some samples:

Thanksgiving Commercial - Old but Good

I saw this again this year and had to post it for the holidays. This one is good too. Why? Because it has Chuck Norris.

Funny Commercial

At this point, I'd never buy a Kia, but this is a pretty funny ad. It's parodied off of Flashdance.

Local Law Enforcement Vehicles

It's important for law enforcement to have vehicles that fill their needs of room for gear, handling and power for driving and pursuits, and appeal to please the local citizens. Placer won an award for their current Crown Victoria paint job some time ago, but to me, it's now a little tired.


Lincoln Police Department has moved on to the newest vehicle that has a design that works well as a law enforcement vehicle. This is Dodge's entry into the world of vehicles that work well as a "cop car."

And, from everything I hear from Lincoln's Officers, it works better than Ford's Crown Victoria. It produces more power, better handling, and more comfort for the Officer. There is still plenty of trunk space, and the back seat has room for anyone being transported to the local lock-up. Lincoln PD is also getting great feedback from the citizens of Lincoln.

I've posted past blogs about Ford's need to step it up with their Crown Victoria. It's possible to produce a vehicle that works both as a civilian car and as a law enforcement vehicle. The Dodge Charger is proof. Why Ford has decided to stop sales of the Vic to anyone but fleet purchasers makes sense only because they can't sell it to anyone except the occasional old guy or a company/department buying in bulk. Instead of a redesign, working with both the full size vehicle consumer and law enforcement, Ford has decided to slowly phase out the Crown Victoria. In 2008, only fleet orders will result in the ability to purchase a Vic. And, if Ford follows its past trends (like the Taurus), 2008 could be the last year anyone will be able to buy a Crown Victoria. And Ford's 500 (now the new Taurus) doesn't come close to fulfilling the needs of law enforcement.

So, Dodge may hit the jackpot in 2009. But, the latest stories coming from the Chrysler camp are talks of a plan to phase out cars with the Dodge brand. In fact, the total plan may include Chrysler selling only cars, Dodge selling only trucks, and Jeep selling only SUVs. Personally, I told think this is a very good plan. I would rather buy a Dodge Charger than a Chrysler 300, which are both built on the same platform. We'll see what happens.

For now, I love the Lincoln PD Charger. It is currently my favorite cop car in the local area, with Auburn PD's all black logo'd Charger a close second. My wish is for Ford to produce a new rear wheel drive full size car with some power (the 5.7L V8 would do) and some handling and room upgrades. Ford does spend the most on R&D so I don't understand why they can't come up with something that works. And what about GM? They should get back in the game too. Remember the Chevy Caprice? They have a design that, with some thought, could possibly work (Pontiac G8's platform). A little work and GM could design a car that would work as a great cop car too. Well, I just need a job with one of them. But I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Amazing Drum Solo

I've posted some pretty cool drum solos before but this has to be my favorite. I found this through digg.com Enjoy.
Amazing Drum Tenor Solo - Watch more free videos

The New Look and Logo

Thanks to a co-worker at the jail, I now have a new logo heading the top of my blog. It incorporates a lot of the themes of the blog into this new logo. Of course, there's Star Wars, tech, cars, and the traditional Jimmy the Gun Glock 22.

If you are interested in a logo like mine, personalized to your site, log on on siggynation.com. Eventually I'll try to get his contact info so you can request him specifically.

Lego Indiana Jones - Star Wars

This is awesome.

Jedi Destiny-Long Video, Kinda Cool

If your a Star Wars Fan, you might like this.

World of Warcraft-"4 Wheels of Furry" Spell

Toyota rules. If you don't know about “World of Warcraft”, it is an online game people play like an addiction. They pretty much live as though they are actually in the World of Warcraft. I know, my old roommate was and probably is still there. Several people have made fun of this addiction; including South Park.

Apple’s Demise is Near

Okay all you Apple FanBoys, here is the proof that Apple is not as great as you thought.

This picture is from their home page. They are “bursting with pride” for Al Gore? What kind of stupid move is this on the part of Apple? Do they really want to scare the smart people of the world away from their products? Because if you believe Al Gore has really made “historic...global contributions,” you ain't too bright!

BAD MOVE APPLE. Think Steve, THINK!

I Told You So - February 21st

This is from a blog I read all the time. What's funny is I predicted this 8 months ago (here), and Ford is just now realizing it. How does a company with all that R&D not realize what I did without it. From Autoblog.com

Ruh-roh: New name hasn't helped Ford Taurus sales

via Autoblog by Jonathon Ramsey on 10/8/07

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Marketing/Advertising, Ford, Earnings/Financials, By the Numbers

The 2008 Ford Taurus isn't the running bull it once was or was intended to be -- at least, not yet. Combined sales of the 2007 Five Hundred and new 2008 Taurus -- with its new name, new engine and refreshed design -- were down 3.2-percent in August and a brow-raising 30.1-percent in September versus those same months in 2006.

Ford gave several reasons for the decline: last year's models came with 0-percent financing for 72 months, this year's car's come with 5.9-percent for 60 months. The company also ceased advertising during the end-of-summer clearance sales ads, thinking the car might not get proper attention amid the shouting. And, the full-sized sedan market has been soft this year as car buyers move to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.

As of this month, an additional $500 has been added to the $1,000 in incentives for the car. Admittedly, though, the new Taurus is still being launched, since it only went on sale in July. With an eye on selling 60,000 Tauruses in the car's first year, Ford sales analyst George Pipas said "the retail sales trend is in a positive direction, and that's good."

Look for our In the Autoblog Garage review of the 2008 Ford Taurus soon.

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

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How You Know You're Getting Old

In 1976, I was born. Also, Honda introduced the Accord. 31 years later, I’m realizing that I’ve spent the last few weeks reviewing this car.

The 2008 Honda Accord has been redesigned, and for the first time ever, I like it. I know that Hondas have always had a great name and been reliable, fuel efficient vehicles. But, I’ve never been interested in Hondas because I’ve never thought about driving around in a family vehicle that is a “smart” buy.

So, here’s my review (keep in mind I haven’t driven it yet). This is the first Honda to catch my eye. It is much roomier than its predecessors, with room for a 6’2” guy like me in both the front and back seats at the same time. It has an engine with more power than it’s ever had before, with Honda’s Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) to give 19 city to 29 highway miles per gallon.

One website joked about it being so large that the writer said, “It’s freaking huge! I thought it was a Buick.” Well, I’ve never wanted to switch to a family car known as the fuel efficient king of the world, but Honda has done it with this model.
Next is a test drive (and some cash) and I’ll be driving one.

Game It Up 2!!!

Here is a slide show of more gaming pictures from Far Cry and SOF2.

Game It Up (3104)Clan!!!

Subtitle: I Miss The Goodtimes!

It’s been quite a few years now since I participated in a LAN party, gaming it up with good friends and Mountain Dew. Games like “Soldier of Fortune 2” are just not made these days. And when a good LAN game does come out, the hackers end up ruining the game play with their cheats.

The most recent game I’ve played is called Far Cry. It was a great single player first person shooter, which would be sooo awesome as a multiplayer game. It would be so cool to set up the islands, which ARE the area of play in the single player version, as maps for “capture the flag” games. The old (3104) clan could take on many people in this online battle for dominance.

Originally, back five years ago, I played the CTF multiplayer version of SOF2 with the 3104 Clan and by myself all the time. I took a couple screen shots of SOF2 and my scores. This first one is of a guy who was on our side (the red team) but was shooting our own team members. This seemed to happen a lot because the 3104 Clan was sooo good that people would join the team we were on and kill us, trying to help the other team. Here is a picture of me finding one of these traitors and killing him. I was even able to send a text message, "hello!" before I shot him. His name is blocked by the pink bar, due to its language.
Notice in the screen shot below of my score, I have more kills in a much shorter time frame than the next closest person on the server. I have over 10 kills per minute. The next highest kills was by a guy with a 1.7 kills per minute rate. The 3104 Clan dominated SOF2 before the hackers destroyed the game.
Now, in comparison, here are some screen shots from Far Cry. This first series is a set of screen shots of me “sniping” (snipering?) a guy out of a guard tower.
You’ll notice in one of the shots it shows I’m 427 meters from the target. That’s roughly 1400 feet or ¼ of a mile. That’s a great shot and you can see how great the graphics are.

Here’s a screen shot of me hiding in the grass as I approach a base. Notice how the grass seems so real, and as it gets closer to the face, it blurs to show field of focus.
I want a multiplayer game with the graphics quality of Far Cry. And note this, I played this game a couple years ago. There are probably better quality games out now. Far Cry 2 has some screen shots. You'll have to enter your birthday because they think the pictures of death need to be guarded.

I still believe that this 2 year old game has better graphics and game play than any console game out today. It just goes to show that computer games are still going to look and play a lot better than console games.

Star Wars and Lego

Where was this team up when I was a kid? Uncrate.com has the coolest Star Wars Lego set I've seen yet. It's an AT-AT, the famous 4 legged walking weapon of the Imperial Fleet. Check out the full story and links at Uncrate.

Mountain Biking Like a Crazy Person

Ted sent this to me in an email. I thought I'd post it. It's really a cool video for people who mountain bike. I did a while ago. I broke my arm really good in a mountain bike crash.

Wii Saber

Gizmodo is reporting a new Star Wars game for the Wii. Now you get to use the Wii-mote as a Wii-Saber.

Sweet.

Sweet Simulator BMW M3

Wow. This would be fun.

Test Drive Tuesday - UPDATE

My interview is playing on the radio and the full interview is up on the web.

Test Drive Tuesday

My wife, being the loving thoughtful person that she is, knows I love car “stuff” and test driving anything and everything. She signed me up for “Test Drive Tuesdays” through Talk 650 and I was selected as a winner. Along with a $25 gift card for Starbucks, I was given the chance to drive a Land Rover of my choosing. Watch for my full interview to appear here, or listen to AM 650 or 1530 or FM 92.5 or 101.1 next Tuesday where every hour a commercial with my interview will play.

I chose to drive the Land Rover LR3. I initially wanted to drive the Range Rover but, not being familiar with Land Rover, I didn’t realize the 5-seater Range Rover is actually the top of the line Land Rover, starting at $70,000. The LR3 is the 7-seater that sits in between the LR2 (the small 5-seater) and the Range Rover. The LR3 starts around $50,000 (still out of my price range).

I first spoke with reps from Talk 650’s parent company and filled out some legal paperwork. I basically gave them the rights to my voice from the interview after the drive. I then met with a sales person from Land Rover. Sophia took me out to the 3 vehicles (LR2, LR3, and Range Rover) and let me look them over. She explained some of the features and packages on the vehicles. This is when I noticed the LR3 with actually the size vehicle with the features and roominess I would want.

Sophia first took me to the Land Rover track, located at the back of the dealership. I’m sure you’ve seen it if you’ve ever driven down I-80 between Sierra College Blvd. and Rocklin Rd. It is an intense little course. From I-80 you don’t realize how steep the hills are.

First is a sideways turn around a tree.
I was in the passenger seat and felt like I could put my hand out the window and touch the ground. It was really amazing.

Next was a steep incline that plateaued and then descended, even faster, into 20” of water.

The LR3 took the hill with ease, didn’t scrape the under carriage as it reached the top, and descended into the water without the driver using the brake pedal.

We entered 20” of water and then stopped. (For reference, the VW Golf I drive would have water pouring into the cab through the doors, as the water would be over the tires.) The LR3 and all the Land Rovers are sealed so water will not enter the cab.We then backed up the incline without any wheel spin or engine struggle.

It was my turn. I drove the LR3 on city streets and on I-80. I was able to test its acceleration, handling, turning/cornering, and its AMAZING turning radius. I turned around on a two lane street without my tires falling off the road.

It was comfortable, roomy, had seating for 7, and an excellent A/C, stereo, and steering wheel control system. I even tried my Bluetooth Phone with the built in system and it works really well (hands free calling).

The verdict…I can’t afford a used 2 door Geo Metro right now, let alone a $50,000 LR3. But, I never even thought about Land Rover before this test drive. I didn’t even know enough about them to know the model order and their true 4x4 capabilities. My little glimpse into Land Rover has placed them on the list of vehicles I’d be interested in looking at more closely, if I win the Lottery or inherit millions of dollars.

There is little the LR3 is missing. Room, power, comfort, capability, looks, etc.; it is the full package. If anyone is interested in giving me millions, email me and we can talk.

Ouch!

I don't know why I'm posting this, but I am. And yes, ouch!

Anti-Piracy Ad from The IT Crowd

This is a funny Anti-Piracy Ad. This would probably help.

Crash Test Dummies- MMM MMM MMM MMM

Along time ago (1994) I listened to this band. This was really the only song that hit radios. I was a fan and bought several CDs. The problem was, they produced one that had a bunch of dirty language. I wrote a letter to them and stopped being a fan. This song is still cool and inspired Cyclops Boy and Summertime (my songs).

I’m In BIG Trouble

Today was a “Big” Apple Inc. event where Steve Jobs announced new iPods. They all look really great. Here is the trouble this causes for me: Watching the keynote all the way through, I found out some troubling information. Steve lowered the price of the iPhone to $399.00 for the 8GB model (there is no more 4GB model). That’s $200.00 off the price. This makes the phone priced pretty well; after all, it is an 8GB iPod and cool functioning phone. And with the announcement of the iPod touch today, it’s only $100.00 more for the phone feature.

Now I really want the phone. I want to sell my laptop for it. But I need a new home computer to replace it. An iMac would do the job. I think for the price I should be able to get for my laptop, I could get an iMac and iPhone. Yes, it's a really nice laptop. I've just become an Apple fan. I need GarageBand to start recording my music. So, iMac.

Here's my laptop offered at $1,600.00. This is $900.00 less than my previous asking price for it in this entry. It still has a Dell warranty until May 2008 too.

DELL XPS GEN II
Warranted through May 2008
2.0GHz Intel Pentium M
1GB DDR RAM
17” LCD
Nvidia 256MB Graphics Card
60GB HD 7200rpm
Windows XP Pro
MS Office Small Business (Word, Excel, Outlook, Publisher, Powerpoint)
DVD/CD ROM (Newly replaced free through warranty)
XPS Backpack
Laptop Case from Targus
New Power Supply (Replaced free through warranty)

Please help. Your purchase of this great laptop will help get this boy out of trouble.

The Simpsons Star Wars Intro

Check this out. Great video found on digg.com.

Reply to: Tech-Guy-Ted's "Miss Teen USA 2007 - South Carolina answers..."

Ted originally posted this story about Miss Teen South Carolina's answer to a question.

Here is a video trying to explain her answer.

SNL-Conspiracy Theory Rock

Supposedly this video was pulled off the show. I'm not sure but digg.com had the article. Conspiracy Theory Rock

Google AdSense

I've added Google AdSense to my blog. I don't expect to make a bunch of money, but there may be a time where something in one of my blog entries is interesting enough for one of my readers to look into further. With Google AdSense, there may be a related advertisement to the entry that leads to you clicking on my AdSense links. If that is the case, Thanks.

Chris Farley Lives?

I found this on digg.com and it scares me. I can't tell if that's a Photo Shop edit job or the scariest thing I've seen in a really long time. It makes me want to watch Tommy Boy and slap a baby at the same time.

YIKES!

Sweet Toys of Glory

What could be better than a transformer that goes from the Death Star to Darth Vader?

The answer...NOTHING!

Check this article out.

"The iPhone Needs to..." (#2, #3, and #4) ((The Internet))

First, here's another angle of the iPhone never shown in the ads. Tells you how miss leading the ads can be.

The Real Entry Begins:

I got to mess with a co-workers iPhone the other night. I played around with it for about an hour. The phone, ipod, and voicemail features are all really great. The Internet portion...annoyed the crap out of me.

The main part of “surfing the net” that was so horrible on the iPhone was typing in websites. The keyboard was absolutely annoying. The keys are too small, and because it is electronic, there is no feed back or feel to let you know the letter has been pressed. This causes the typing to be much slower than even T9 text on a standard keypad.

The iPhone needs to have a real keyboard.

The Internet was frustrating too. It is definitely not “the full Internet” if you can’t see all the pictures and videos on my little site. I know that the You Tube thing is still in progress, but to call it the full Internet is not accurate.

I was also able to cause Google to route me to my site as if I was using a regular phone. All I got was text. I’m not sure why that happened but I had to go to the address bar to type in the address to my blog, instead of being able to navigate to it from another site.

The iPhone needs to have the complete Internet.

Finally, the iPhone needs 3G, or faster. I was sooooooo annoyed with the Edge network. I guess Steve Jobs had some stupid reason to use the Edge tech but it was (like I said) stupid. Why couldn’t they offer both? Are there no longer phones that can jump from one band to the next? What happened to quad-band phones? What about a phone that works on every band a particular company owns?

I know that it will work on a WiFi network but I don’t often run into those networks here at work on driving in my car or shopping with my wife. And if I do find one, half the time I have to pay for it. (Side note: Starbucks is pretty mean to not have free WiFi.)

The iPhone needs to be on the 3G network.

To recap:
#1. The iPhone needs to cut and paste. (see pervious entry)
#2. The iPhone needs to have a real keyboard.
#3. The iPhone needs to have the complete Internet.
#4. The iPhone needs to be on the 3G network.

Halo 3 Mt. Dew...More Like Mt. Poo!

Originally Ted found the new flavor of Mt. Dew (a.k.a. nectar of life). But I'm Mountain Dew's biggest fan so I had to conduct a taste test of the new flavor. It's Dew, fused with citrus and cherry. Initially I was excited because "Live Wire" and "Code Red" flavored Mt. Dew are both big hits. Then I tasted the new Dew.

This stuff is no good. There is a familiar orange taste (Live Wire, ummm) but then you taste the Cherry flavored NyQuil they must use to give it the "Cherry" flavor. Why does it have to taste like medicine? Don't they know we all hate medicine? Of course now I'm thinking about "Code 3" and realizing I haven't had any for about 5 years. Maybe I gave it up because it had the same problem..

So the verdict "Halo 3 Mt. Dew" is more like "Mt. Poo!"

The original Mountain Dew is still the king of beverages and The Nectar of Life. Good stuff. Go try it at Taco Tree in Auburn to realize the life giving properties the original Mt. Dew has. Also, try a Pepsi, Combo burrito, taco, nachos, and anything else on the menu at Taco Tree.

Great Shot!

This is a great example of how law enforcement is really here to protect all life...even the jerks with the guns. Video

Super Mario Piano Medley

This is long but it's really good. Ted, you'll like this one.

AT&T Ready to Rule the Galaxy

I thought I'd post this picture just because it's cool. I don't really have anything to say. Although, the guy at the AT&T store allowed us to get a new phone for my wife at the "new 2 year contract price" without signing a contract, and that was while we were still in our first contract, not at the "allowed to upgrade with discounts" point in our cycle.

Anyway, here's a cool pic.

Another Wii-son Ninendo's Wii is Selling So Well

I saw this video on Cruch Gear and thought it needed to be shared with the masses.

"The iPhone Needs to..." (#1)

The iPhone is missing some key features. Watch this video to see one of them.

iPhone Copy and Paste from lonelysandwich and Vimeo.

UPDATE to "Apple Inc. Wants $6,000.00 From Me"

Ted has all this Apple goodness, minus the iMac. Jerk. haha.

Apple Inc. Wants $6,000.00 From Me

The first thing I’d do if I had extra money just sitting around would be to give Apple Inc. $6,000.00. Here’s why:

First, I’d buy the amazing iPhone.

Of course, I’d buy the 8GB model because that’s the top model out. I would want all the room possible for my music. iPhone costs $599.00.

The second item I’d have delivered under my 6k donation to Apple Inc. would be the MacBook Pro.

I’d go with the 15” version. And for purposes of this dream world, I’d get the upgrade to 2GB of ram and the faster, bigger hard drive (the rules include purchasing reasonable upgrades, as though I were buying it with my own money, not lottery winnings). MacBook Pro costs $2,848.00.

The third item that would arrive at my home would be the AirPort Extreme. This is the greatest router I’ve seen. It includes a USB slot for an external hard drive or printer, allowing network accessibility to the device. AirPort Extreme cost $179.00.

My forth Apple Inc. product would be the new iMac.


I’d go with the 20” screen upgraded with the 500GB HD and 2GB of ram. Again, there are better, larger screens but within my dream world, these are the items that are realistic purchases for me. iMac costs $1,918.00.

The fifth item, and final on this list, would be the 160GB Apple TV.

This would accompany the purchase of a new HD TV from Sony, allowing me to watch videos, see pictures, and listen to music from iTunes on all my Apple computers. Apple TV costs $399.00.

These are just some of the really great products that Steve Jobs and the gang are bringing to the world of computers. And the included pictures show you how beautifully Apple, Inc. is packaging their products. They are truly a unique company and they seem to be light years ahead of anyone else.

You Tube Videos...Post Your Vote Reasons

My first vote was a "yes", meaning I should pull the videos down. Please post comments as to why you've voted the way you did.

Future Vehicle Purchase…My Ongoing Search

I was at Lisa’s KidsPark with my laptop and I decided to go to auto makers’ websites and do the “build your own” vehicle. I got pricing on the vehicles I’m interested in. Here are the pricing results and my ratings based on the vehicles appeal to me and the pricing results I found. All the prices are based on similar options available on the various vehicles. I did not price out the bottom or the top of the line vehicles. I chose the features and options I liked and tried to keep the price within reason. All the options I chose were similar on all the vehicles in a particular category.

The First Category is SUVs:

My “5 Stars” choice is the Chevrolet Tahoe. A new Tahoe moderately equipped was priced at $39,905.00.

I love the look of this SUV, and although it is not the cheapest, it is larger than the price leader and would be a great fit for our needs.

My “4 Stars” choice is the Ford Expedition. A new Expedition moderately equipped was priced at $42,055.00. This was the highest priced SUV I built. This keeps it out of the top position but it has several features we really like.

This SUV has been on the list for a few years. Some of the things added to this latest model are really nice. I really love the cooled seats. Again, the room here is what we are looking for.

My “3 ½ Stars” choice is the GMC Arcadia. A new Arcadia moderately equipped was priced at $35,960.00. This was the “best price” winner.

This is a new vehicle without many reviews completed on it yet. It is a cross over and is probably more like a car in its handling. I am not sure about the room, but if it’s good, it would probably move up the list. If it really was able to provide for all out needs, it could even move to the #1 (5 Stars) position, based on its cost.

I did price out the GMC Yukon as well which came out to be $40,160.00. That was the highest price of my list. I didn’t price the Cadillac Escalade because it is a “luxury” brand and pricing would be even higher. The Cadillac would be on my short list of purchases if I was extremely wealthy. Both the Yukon and Escalade are based on the same platform as the Tahoe so the ride, handling, room, and even features would be similar. (Of course, a salesman will disagree.)

The Second Category is Trucks:

My “5 Stars” choice is the GMC Sierra 1500. A new Sierra moderately equipped was priced at $33,655.00. This is also the “best priced” winner. I think this is the truck for me right now.

If I was going to buy a truck, this would be the one. GMC is a solid truck. The room would be great and I love the lines. It can also do its share of the chores.

My “4 Stars” choice is the Ford F-150. A new F-150 moderately equipped was priced at $34,628.00.

This is a close second…really close. I’ve liked the F-150s for a little while. The only down side I see to this one is the 2009 is a model change year where the GMC is going to last for probably 6-8 years more before a change.

I did look at the new Toyota Tundra but the price was $37,564.00 and it has a really short bed on the four door version, something Ford finally fixed on the 2007 version of their F-150.

The Third Category is Sedans:

My “5 Stars” choice is the Dodge Charger by a hair. A new Charger moderately equipped was priced at $31,665.00.

This car’s only fault is its manufacturer’s reputation. Chrysler has not had a good name for as long as I can remember. But, all of that aside, this car has everything I want. It’s a rear wheel drive muscle machine with lots of room for the family, all packaged in a tough looking sweet ride.

My “4 ½ Stars” choice is the Nissan Maxima. A new Maxima moderately equipped was priced at $31,220.00.

I drove this car a few times as a rental. I loved its handling, power and comfort. It is a great car. The back seat may be a little too small for the future but it would work great as a second family vehicle.

Of course, my dream family car is the Maxima’s luxury big brother, the Infiniti M35. A new M35 moderately equipped was priced at $44,965.00, coming way over budget. But, I can’t skip my favorite sedan.

My “3 ½ Stars” choice is the Toyota Camry. A new Camry moderately equipped was priced at $27,615.00.

It’s a Toyota. It’s a great car. It is probably going to have the same issues as the Maxima in terms of room but it’s still a solid sedan for the fam.

These were the choices I came up with and priced out. I did look at the Chevrolet Impala (cheapest priced), the new Ford Taurus (Five Hundred was a better name), and the Toyota Avalon (most expensive besides the M35).

So I think I would choose:
Chevrolet Tahoe for my SUV
GMC Sierra for my Truck
Dodge Charger for my Sedan, maybe the Nissan Maxima (this is the hardest category)

PLEASE POST YOUR OPINIONS TO THIS ENTRY. I want to know what you think.