At Home with Tech

November 3, 2024

Updated Safety Gear for Your Car

It was time for me to update and replace the decade-old emergency/safety kit items I had happily never had to use in my SUV. Here’s where I upgraded.

Taking a road trip without a spare tire is my new standard, now that I’ve bought my Honda CR-V Hybrid. As I mentioned last time, many new vehicles no longer come with a spare. (They’ve been replaced with tire repair kits.) But driving about without a net doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared for the unexpected.

When I said goodbye to my old Toyota RAV4 and traded it in, of course, I first cleared out all my stuff. (Don’t forget the E-ZPass puck that’s stuck to your windshield and erase your personal information from your car’s voice prompt computer.)

I also found my ‘emergency gear’ that I had packed in the back of my RAV4 years ago and thankfully never had to use.

My first thought was to simply transfer it over to my new CR-V. But when I looked closer at some of the aging items, it was clear some of it needed replacing, often with next-generation tech.

So, I proceeded to do a bit more shopping, and here’s my list of updated emergency gear for my hybrid SUV that I hope I’ll never need.

LED Flares
Long gone are the days when you need to use actual flares or clunky emergency blinking lights powered by giant type C batteries. Now, you can buy packs of compact orange LED circular pucks that blink brightly. I recommend you buy the ones that are rechargeable. Older models are powered by AAA batteries, which are more expensive to maintain and bad for the environment. (That said, you still need to test the rechargeable pucks occasionally to make sure they’re ready to go.)
Compact Flashlight
It’s always important in an emergency to preserve the battery on your cell phone and not drain it on illumination needs. It’s your lifeline to the outside world. Give that job to a separate flashlight.
Portable Cell Phone Charger
If your car battery dies, having some extra juice onboard for your tech is always a good idea.
Small Cargo Bag for Break-Glass Hammer
I didn’t have to replace my break-glass hammer, but I wanted to place it in a small protective pouch that would be placed in the bin under my elbow when I’m driving. (I didn’t want the sharp tool to scratch the interior.)
Warm Blanket
It may be cold out there, and having a warm blanket as an extra layer can make all the difference.
Jumper Cables
This is standard protocol, though my Honda salesman did warn me not to use jumper cables on my CR-V hybrid’s battery.
First Aid Kit
Hopefully, you’ll never have to break the seal.
Duct Tape
Yes, there was that time when a wild turkey flew into my car and obliterated my side mirror.
Enough said.

Don’t Pack It
Sometimes less is more.

I threw out my old collapsible traffic safety cone, because the base was leaking sand. Even collapsed, it still took up a lot of room in the back of my old RAV4, and I figured my blinking orange LED pucks would now be sufficient for my CR-V. So, I didn’t replace the orange cone.

Decades ago, my father told me to stash a big bag of sand in the back. (That’s still a best practice on certain auto emergency kit lists.) I did that for my very first car (Honda Accord), but that was it. I know sand can get you out of a slick spot, but I’ve got an AWD SUV. Hopefully, that will be enough.

The back of my old RAV4 eventually looked like a messy corner in my attic. So, I’m trying something a bit different this time. Yes, I think it has to do with not cluttering up a new vehicle. But throwing the kitchen sink in the back “just in case” is no longer my standard practice.

Pack what you really need and then hope you’ll never have to touch it ever again… until you move it to your next car.

Safe travels!

October 27, 2024

Does Your Car Really Need a Spare Tire?

Some new cars don’t come with spare tires anymore. Doesn’t that seem like a shocking omission? And I had to face that change when shopping for a new SUV. What’s behind this disruptive removal?

Does the car you drive have a spare tire? Chances are it does. That’s standard equipment all cars used to come with, right? But my new Honda CR-V Hybrid SUV doesn’t. You may imagine how I initially reacted to this missing feature.

My new Honda CR-V was the first SUV I test drove during my research phase, and though I loved every part of the vehicle, I didn’t like the fact that there wasn’t a spare. In fact, I was shocked.

Blame the Battery?
My hybrid’s battery apparently takes up too much space in the rear that’s normally reserved for a spare or donut. (There are other factors at play, which I’ll get into.)

I thought the minus-one-wheel factor would be a deal breaker. But by the end of my car-buying journey, I discovered other competing car manufacturers had gone the same route.

Increased Profit Margins
Why? Well, it would seem it’s about saving money and increasing profit margins.

One car salesman I spoke with told me the reason for this trend was to save on weight when new cars are transported on cargo ships to their destinations. That means the auto manufactures don’t spend as much shipping each vehicle overseas (less per-pound delivery cost).

And of course, an absent spare tire saves the manufacturer the cost of the tire.

On the upside, a car that weighs less also helps with its fuel efficiency. So, those savings go to you.

Use the Tire Repair Kit
Instead, these ‘spare-less’ cars are outfitted with tire repair kits. You can ‘easily’ inject a gooey tire sealant into a flat tire to plug up the hole from the inside. (This assumes the hole is a textbook tear in the tread.)

And that’s the tire-repair strategy for my Honda CR-V Hybrid.
Take it or leave it.

Every part of my fight/flight id rebelled against this seemingly irresponsible choice. But my calmer ego saw this challenge differently.

AAA Vs. Self-Reliance
Once upon a time, driving a car was a disconnected experience. It was you against the road. There were no cell phones. You couldn’t call AAA. If you needed to change your tire, you had to do it yourself.

Now, driving is an entirely ‘connected’ experience. There are any number of ways to reach out for help should you need it.

Well, I certainly don’t want to tempt fate, but fortunately, I’ve never had to change out a flat. And to tell you the truth, at this point, even with a jack and a spare tire, I’d probably still call AAA.

And granted, without a spare tire, you may not be on your way again, even with AAA. A tow to a gas station late at night will only get you so far.

Self-reliance is certainly the best option. That’s what my father taught me. (And when I was learning to drive, he also insisted I stick my hand out the window whenever I made a turn.)

Times change.

Still, a spare tire supports the equation of self-reliance. You can’t deny that.

Driving with No Net?
I know I can probably get by without a spare tire. Honda certainly thinks so. (Or it’s counting on there being enough people like me, who accept this ‘downgrade.’)

So, I bought my Honda CR-V Hybrid. Yes, I’m now driving with no net. But at least I’m not driving alone, even if I’m driving all by myself.

That’s the trade-off.

Say Goodbye to Five Tires
Yes, I’m rationalizing my choice to drive without five tires. I’m still a bit unsettled. But I’m okay.

Nobody likes change. Yet change is inevitable. Sometimes that comes from innovation. In other situations, it’s more about dollars and cents. Often, it can be about both.

All you can do is pay attention and make the best decisions you can for yourself.

Life doesn’t come with a spare tire. Now, some cars don’t either.

October 20, 2024

Why I Said No to an EV and Chose the Honda CR-V Hybrid Instead

My Honda CR-V Hybrid purchase tells me that I just wasn’t ready for the EV revolution. Here’s what else I learned.

I’m pleased to report that I’ve bought a new Honda CR-V Hybrid for me and my family. I chose it over four other strong hybrid options:

Hyundai Tuscan
Kia Sportage
Mazda CX-50
Toyota RAV4

I test drove the runner ups, and they’ve all got great selling points. But I liked my CR-V Hybrid best. Last week, I got into the details as I compared the vehicles.

When I was done, I realized I had experienced a surprisingly complex shopping journey to find the right eco-friendly vehicle for Barrett. Here’s why.

SUV Hybrids aren’t as Common as You’d Think
I only considered five small SUV models that offer greener tech. That’s not a lot of choices for an industry that’s supposed to be actively on the path towards retiring gas engines.

Yes, there are other eco-friendly SUV choices on the market, but according to reviews, those SUVs aren’t quite as good. Right or wrong, I crossed them off my list. Plus, you can only test drive so many cars… meaning you can only endure so many dealership experiences. (I’m sorry to say that, but it’s still true.)

Ultimately, here in the U.S. there just aren’t a lot of hybrid or PHEV SUVs to choose from.

Of course, there are more options in the luxury car segment. But folks, if we’re really moving to greener cars to save the planet, we’ve got to market more to the masses.

I didn’t Buy a Starship Console Interface
The advanced touch panel designs in both the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tuscan satisfied my search for cutting-edge tech. But the reality is all those slick screens would sometimes be harder to navigate. (My CR-V also has a touchscreen, but the tactile interface design elsewhere with knobs is surprisingly more user friendly.)

Plus, my fingerprints would show up everywhere on the touch consoles and reflective blacks of the Sportage and Tuscan. I know I would always feel the overwhelming need to wipe down the surface with a micro-fiber cloth. (Not sure if that’s more of a problem with the car or with me.)

And no, my CR-V also doesn’t sport a head-up display on the windshield (like the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid). Though I began my car search eager to find ‘HUD’ tech and realize my inner Tom Cruise, I discovered HUD isn’t mainstream, and the data displayed isn’t a game changer. Head-up displays are still more trendy than useful.

No PHEV for Me
I ended up walking away from three good PHEV options (Sportage, Tuscan and RAV4). That surprised me, but clearly that feature wasn’t as important as I originally thought. That said, had the CR-V also come as a PHEV, I would have likely bought that one.

But not having that option didn’t sway me away from my CR-V Hybrid. I’m sure Honda has done plenty of research to know that. (They’ve clearly skipped over PHEV tech.)

I am Hybrid Barrett
I was committed to fully jumping onto the greener-car bandwagon with our purchase, but a simple hybrid was as far as we got.

I wasn’t ready for an EV, and I couldn’t find a PHEV that met my other priorities.

My new Honda CR-V isn’t exactly a cutting-edge green technology choice (though it’s got all the new safety-tech you’d expect). But it’s a solid step in a greener direction.

Our CR-V gives us great gas mileage.
It’s better for the planet.
And my wife and I love the car.

Well done, Barrett. (I think.)

No EV for Barrett
I long ago resigned myself that I’m never going to own a flying car. That ‘hybrid’ vehicle is stranded in science-fiction land.

But EVs have certainly crossed over into today’s mulitversal-616-reality. When I had the chance to own one, I ultimately flaked out, because I felt it was too disruptive a decision. I didn’t see it as ‘easy.’

Range anxiety
More expensive
Higher depreciation rates.
Some middling reviews

Bringing my Honda Hybrid home was entirely easy.

Going hybrid felt like such a natural evolution. I just couldn’t sign up for the EV revolution. Not yet…

The Winding Road to a Greener Future
Do I have buyer’s remorse? Absolutely not. I am who I am.

But when I take a step back and look at my story and my own limitations, I can also see how much more work I and many of us need to do to better support our planet’s health.

I know I could do better, but I think I still did okay. (I know others may disagree.)

Good luck to you in your own evolving journey towards a greener and healthier future for all of us.

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