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Parallel Parking – Me VS Machine

I first tried a self-parking system about 3 years ago, thought it was neat but un-nerving, and I declared it too slow to be helpful.

3 years later – and coincidentally in another Ford Focus – I test the system again.

Test Results – the new system is slick, and now both the speed and quality of its parking is better than a human.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

Still, though, I think that if you can’t parallel park, and are too scared to practice and improve, you should get off the road.

Sonar works similar to radar, and here’s how that works.

Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

 

 

Can’t Hear you Over these Deadlines

Friday’s are always heavy, but tomorrow is stacked five deep oh boy.

But then at 5pm the best thing happened – found out I’d got a due date wrong, and one deadline isn’t actually till next Friday niiiiice.

Still though, I am drowning in work… mmm, it’s been a while since I posted my help wanted ad, let’s try again hang on, I’ll go dig it up….

Have a good Thursday night, best night of the week! TTYT

 

 

In Montreal with Mercedes for a Minute

Flew out at 8am, here till late tomorrow night.

This is my first Mercedes anything, both trip and test car.

Hi hi from the Olympic Basin, where we tested the car’s 4MATIC All-wheel Drive system on the ice.

New 2015 CLA 250s.

My drive partner (who requested anonymity) was so kind, he’s done this 500 times so let me do all the driving, which I did with a huge grin permantley.

Favourite moment was when I made a rooster tail, coating the passenger side with snow, I look to my right and my partner is covered, his window had been down.

1 – all hard buttons and dials, no touch nonsense; Mercedes isn’t into it either
2 – sharp looking vertical quilting on the seats eh
3 – what we’re testing – 4MATIC and ESP

Filmed a quick bit for Motoring TV (I’m back there now, just haven’t told you about it yet.)  You know these guys – that’s cameraman Paul Reid in the back, and Russ Bond in the front.

My ending line was my best line:

Motoring – what about winter tires, Keri?
Me – If you don’t know by now you need them, you are beyond my help.

When departing the basin, we drove through the finish line of Canada’s only F1 racetrack.

Above is me crossing the finish line.

Got asked so many times about my skirt & tights, “aren’t you cold?”

I’m always cold regardless, so there’s that. But tights are surprisingly warm, that’s why soldiers wear them beneath their fatigues in the field, and why any good Canadian girl owns at least 5 black pairs.

Now we’re in some mountains, which is where I’m typing this hi hi.

kk early start to tomorrow, night TTYT

Blog tag = Mercedes

 

 

The 2014 Buick Regal, Really

It’s Buick’s all-new 2015 Regal.

They’re trying their guts out to delete the badge’s old-man-stigma, and have fully-refreshed most of their lineup.

The Regal is the family’s bratty youngster.

2014 Buick Regal
2.0 L Turbo
259 hp and 295 lb.-ft.
6-spd automatic / 6-spd manual
Starting at $34,895

Turbo comes standard and I repeat, comes in MANUAL.

The white is the standard Regal, the red is the sports version, the Regal GS.

Different dashes too – top is standard, bottom is GS.

There’s great detail in the interior’s finishings.

Look how the wood trim runs all the way across the dash.

Standard features include:  heated seats and side mirrors,  back up camera and rear pack assist, dual-zone automatic climate control, Cruise control, keyless entry, Bluetooth, SiriusXM and USB, all riding on 18″ aluminum wheels.

A clean, symmetrical interior.

For the longest time in China, if you drove a Buick you had arrived. Not a BMW or Benz… a Buick (the Emperor’s chose to be chauffeured in one is why.)

Top right – that’s a sharp door, and it doesn’t scream old man does it.

I was assigned to its launch in Cincinnati – review for the paper here, and here’s the Regal inside the world’s largest neon sign museum.

1 – it’s almost all large, hard buttons, none of this touch nonsense

2 – USB and power ports are easily accessible (you’d be surprised how often they’re not), cell sits on top

Buick is trying their guts out to re-invent themselves, add the Regal to your “To Test” list and give them a chance because…

… this is a sleeper of a sedan, built in Canada.