CAR and Driver - March 2017

Letter of the Month:

—

For me, Mr. Robinson’s

December column was déjà vu

all over again. I had a similar

experience to Aaron’s Lambor­

ghini engine misfortunes while

he was en route to Pebble Beach.

Recently my 1997 Hyundai

Accent was missing badly while

en route to Walmart. I was

barely able to reach a parking

spot. Luckily a homeless gentle­

man, who had just pilfered a

shopping cart, acutely noted

that my engine woes were due

to a potato someone had stuck

in my tailpipe.

—Hintz, Roseville, MN

vehicle I have ever

owned (I have been an

American-car driver

for 58 years).

However, I now learn

that the Lincoln MKZ

(same chassis as the

Fusion’s) will offer

all-wheel drive and 400

horsepower. I hope you

can get your hands on

one and compare it to

the Fusion Sport in

performance, specs,

and price.

—Robert J. Braud

St. Helens, OR

Ford shareholders

should be tickled to

learn that Ford is

spending good money

on making nice noises

instead of better

cars—or at least good

ones.

—Pierre Drolet

Cap-Santé, QC

Your review of the 2017

Ford Fusion was

right-on. I have had

one for six weeks, and

everything you say is

true. I only have one

mild complaint: I am

still adjusting the

back the iconic open

headrests of yore to

seal the deal.

—Rick Casorio

Allenton, MI

GIVES ME THE WIND

It was a pleasure

reading your article

on the scientific

explanation of the

intrusive buffeting

when a rear window is

down [“A Mighty

Wind,” December

2016]. Always so

aggravating. I will beg

to differ about your

comment that it’s as

loud as standing next

to a Boeing 767

engine at takeoff

power, though.

Anyone experiencing

that would have on

ear protection and be

very careful where

they are standing, and

their teeth would

rattle. A rear window

down at any speed is

comparatively quiet.

—Mark Miller

Clackamas, OR

TRUCK STOPS

Regarding your article

on the tragic results

from heavy-truck

accidents [“Axles to

Grind,” December

2016]: Often rear-end-

ing other vehicles, as

you describe, could

surely be reduced or

eliminated by trucks

being fitted with

forward-sensing and

automatic-braking

technology as cur-

rently available on

many passenger cars.

I realize cost would

be a factor, but I

would think the

insurance claims

resulting from such

accidents would

enable much lower

rates to be offered to

trucks fitted with this

capability.

—Chris Barnett

Toronto, ON

The main cause of

accidents by far is

driver distraction. And,

in the case of truckers,

fatigue. Slowing them

down a little would be

good but not the

solution to their crash

problem. Trucks

crashing into cars at

speed is pure driver

stupidity, and no

amount of speed

limiting can prevent

that.

—J C

El Paso, TX

Surprised that Clifford

Atiyeh didn’t address

what seems to be the

biggest flaw with

NHTSA’s plan to govern

speeds of heavy

trucks. Wouldn’t

controlling speeds at

levels much lower than

surrounding traffic

create more of a

hazard? If NHTSA

moves forward with its

plans, shouldn’t it also

restrict governed

vehicles to the right

lane? As it stands, it

seems its plans will

create more problems

than it will fix, or is that

implied when govern-

ments get involved in

fixing something?

—Russell Read

Mount Pleasant, SC

DRIVEN TO

DISTRACT

Eddie Alterman

plunges his (literary)

knife into the beating

heart of the frighten-

ing increase in traffic

accidents and fatali-

ties: more high-profit,

high-speed data

designed into moving

vehicles [“Guidance

for the Care and

Feeding of Automated

Vehicles,” December

2016].

The Carrot solution:

50 percent reduction

on your insurance rate

when you install

driver’s seat. Having

owned Fords and

Lincolns for years, I

must rank this toward

the top. It’s a great,

fun car to drive. I

highly recommend

this ride.

—Bruce W. Severn

Levit town, PA

FIVE FOR FIGHTING

Great to hear that

Audi has finally come

full circle and the

five-cylinder engine is

back [“RS Kicker,”

December 2016]!

Here’s to hoping it

trickles into more of

its vehicles. As the

previous owner of a

1982 Coupe GT, 1987

5000CS, and a 1991

200 Turbo Quattro,

[I have to say] the

five-cylinder engine is

why I kept buying its

cars. Stephan Reil is

correct in saying:

“And of course there’s

the sound. Nothing

sounds like a five-

cylinder turbo,” and

that’s what hooked

me. Now all Audi

needs to do is to bring

012. CAR AND DRIVER. MAR/

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