“Go away,” Kris tells me every Saturday morning. “This is my time.” She turns on the radio in the kitchen, busies herself with some kitchen-y task (baking, canning, crosswords), and she spends the next couple hours listening to her favorite National Public Radio shows: Car Talk and Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. I’m happy to leave. Ray and Tom, the Car Talk guys, drive me crazy. They’re like a couple of loud geese with Boston accents. Even I have to admit, however, they can be pretty funny, and they dish out good advice.
Car Talk isn’t just a radio program — the show actually has an excellent web site, too. Any time a GRS discussion turns to automotive repair, readers are sure to recommend the Mechanic Files, Car Talk’s “ultimate guide to finding a great mechanic”, where users can leave reviews of their favorite (or not-so-favorite) mechanics, or search for a place to take their vehicles.
The site also has tons of other great information, including:
- The auto advisor, which helps you decide which model might be right for you
- Secret tricks of car salesmen
- The Car Talk model survey lets you see what others think of your 2000 Ford Focus, for example
- The Car Talk do-it-yourself guide
- Car Talk’s guide to better fuel economy
- Click & Clack’s tips for selling your car
Will you look at that? The Mini Cooper tops the list. I am not making this up. I didn’t do anything to steer the tool other than enter what I wanted in a car: good gas mileage, high reliability, excellent safety, etc.
I’m sad that Kris casts me out of the kitchen every Saturday morning, but since she’s spending her time listening to Car Talk, I guess I can forgive her.
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