Beetle

Historian, Living History Reenactor, Military Public Affairs Officer, Missile Defense Officer, Vintage Firearms. Vintage Farming. Occasional Photographer.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@MuffinsNsuch There are 8-10 other vehicle models sold in the US with MSRP for base trims less than $25,000. Lowest price PU? Yes, but hardly the cheapest new vehicle available. Also, sounds like 2026 pricing is no longer available. New orders are now 2027 model. Add + $1,500 for that.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@GVanZee @Armegdyllan Why not a 12, and just use reduced recoil loads for her or other beginners? That way you can use full-charge 12 loads when it suits.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@tokyo_111 So the caller brings in approx $80k a year AFTER housing, daycare, car, food, student loans and insurance - and they "still feel broke" ?? Sign me up for that kind of broke, please!

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@arcadeuk @collin_ruth89 Not necessarily. My 25 RAV4 hybrid gets better highway milage than its pure ICE counterpart (38 vs 35). The 26 Corolla Cross (which still offers an ICE and hybrid version) is much the same (39 vs 33). Both hybrids also offer better horsepower over their ICE variants.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@thomastousi @Figfigfigfigidy @collin_ruth89 There are some 200-300 moving parts in a manual transmission and some 700-800 moving parts in an automatic transmission. There are only ~15 moving parts in an eCVT. Thats similar to a CVT w/20-30, but the CVTs have greater long term maintenance and reliability issues.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@svltxn0 @collin_ruth89 eCVTs are more reliable than CVTs and equally as reliable as traditional transmissions. The bonus is a meaningful increase in hp/performance, and equally considerable increase in fuel efficiency. Need proof? Just look at 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross (hybrid vs ICE).

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@cynicalpop19 @IndianaGPA Yea. Flatbead trailer, not a boat trailer, and the weird way she planted her feet on the wheel covers (0 slip) despite forward motion, then immediate 90deg pivot to fall in the water... on top of yelling at the person recording and not the driver... AI

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@joe080482 @MyLordBebo It avoids confusion. Crew are not generally considered passengers, as that term often denotes paying riders. "Souls on board" accounts for all human lives. It's an unambiguous term.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@chickyxime @Mubarak_mubious The top 5 % of them might do well. The average for them is little better than the average wage in the US, and if you factor in employer benefits such as healthcare and retirement (valued at an additional 20% or so), they are probably worse off, as they are mostly self employed.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@DeTocqueville14 They do it all the time where I work, but I work for the Army. 😃

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@ITalkWisely @Nithya_Shrii So does joining the Army. Same 4-year commitment. Oh, and they also pay for your college. ;-)

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@dpheneghan1 @naomirwolf Strange that you say "the most" you can get out of a Toyota hybrid battery is 10 years when the hybrid battery warranty is literally 10 years. Toyota wouldnt provide that kind of warranty if they knew they would be replacing the battery on 4 million vehicles each year.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@RealMrBean99 @pestctrlguy @maddenw Or, they see a bunch of shiney new trucks and think... I wonder how much the pest control guy is padding what he/she is charging me to pay for all those new trucks?

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@utd_series @EmperorWiNNIM @better_men Absolutely agree. Spend $50-$100k on a car that someone doesn't like or want? Yea. I'd be frustrated with my spouse/partner too! It's possible to be generous of heart but stupid in practice.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@Rmrada1 @uncledoomer Given 85% of men and 99% of women in the U.S. are under 6 foot tall, that ONLY leaves 200,000,000 adult drivers in the US who will fit in one of these.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@Gdev010 @KobeBryantGoat8 @Guysloveguns @grok C-RAM. Army ADA system, not Navy.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@cjm1018 @SecDuffy @realDonaldTrump @SpeakerJohnson Why cant they just pay that into a personal savings fund and skip all the complication? We all know this happens every few years and they'll all get backpay.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@D_Nice3232 @9cwkymz6gk @financedystop They didnt call it an investment. They clearly stated that it was a poor financial decision. And the bigger and more expensive they are, the faster the initial depreciation. Prob $25k of $150k the first year alone.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@stealth2101 @JessePeltan If you exclude SUVs (which are frequently lumped in with passenger cars in "new car sales" stats) that number takes quite a dive. SUVs, including small crossovers, are $5k-$10k more expensive than their car counterparts. And 75% of new vehicle sales in 2024 were SUV or Truck.

[Beetle @BailoutBeetle]

@Tech_build_ @UltraDane Preheat the cylinder like more modern diesel engine glow plugs. It's not just paper. It's saturated with saltpeter (potassium nitrate) so it smolders like a wick/fuse.