No, I don’t have anything against Kia. I had a 2003 Kia Rio Cinco hatchback in NM roasted green chile green and it performed amazingly well for 12 years and had 200k miles on it when I sold it. It even did really well in a Montana winter…once I put snow tires on it.

But I’m going back and forth between a Hyundai Santa Fe and a Hyundai Tucson. (Of the locally available used vehicles, the Santa Fes are bigger, but front wheel drive, and the Tucsons are a bit smaller, but all-wheel-drive.) I rent many vehicles for my business travel, and these two have been the ones I’ve consistently liked the best.

Now, we love our 2010 Hyundai Sonata, have had no problems, but it has just about 220k on it now. Since we’ve only had one car for the last 4 or 5 years, we need to be proactive. I don’t want to be in crisis-buying mode when this one gives out.

I no longer purchase brand new cars. Our current Sonata was purchased used with 27k miles on it. It had been a rental agency car. It came with the maintenance records. That was nice.

So anyway, I’m looking at Avis car sales, previously looked at Hertz but they have suspended operations, and am also looking at the buying navigation services through places like Cap 1 and AARP (which I finally joined because I could get my Ancestry all-access annual subscription for 60% off).

If you have any car buying recommendations and tips, I’d love to hear them. I’m currently watching these videos, too, in case I end up going through a dealer.

Enough about my mundane existence. On to the links, such as they are.

 

Wow. This is really a promo for a segment on ABC’s 20/20, but still. Here are some of the photos they are talking about.

OFFS. “After pleas from local school districts, the University of South Florida has announced it will keep its College of Education and continue offering undergraduate degrees for teachers.”

Always entertaining.

Wherein the taxpayers of KC MO get fucked and the cop gets a paid vacation while his 3rd degree assault charge wends its way through the system.

This would feed a lot of people. If anyone would eat it. #notvegan

Pigs are (abandoned) friends, not food.

Bullshit.

 

And a little car shopping music.

 

Have a great rest of your day, kids!