On The Road

Courtesy of Honda
The Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid has a 48-mile range on a quick charge.

For most people, automotive transportation is a necessary part of suburban life, and for them, the best car we’ve driven – since the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid is likely to be discontinued next year – is the plug-in hybrid version of the new Honda Clarity, powered by a four-cylinder engine and an electric motor.

For typical use getting to and from work in one of the adjacent towns and running errands on a daily basis, the 48-mile range from a quick charging-station or overnight charge is more than sufficient to drive this car only on electric power for weeks at a time.

Courtesy of Hyundai
Fully equipped, the Hyundai Genesis G90 sells for just under $74,000.

Success comes with benefits, and for people with significant personal transportation needs, one benefit is the opportunity to drive a truly comfortable automobile.

Such cars were previously manufactured by the significant German, Japanese and – still hanging on – two American manufacturers. But recently Korean manufacturer Hyundai has entered the scene with its Genesis brand. Our recent experience with the Genesis G90, introduced in 2017 and unchanged for 2018, indicates that there is definitely a new kid on the block – at a substantially lower price – that is worth getting to know if you’re in the market for a luxury sedan.

Courtesy of Volkswagen
The 2018 Volkswagen Passat comes with a 280-horsepower engine and gets up to 28 mpg on the highway.

Today’s motor-vehicle buyer seems more focused on crossovers, SUVs and performance cars than traditional family sedans. Nevertheless, there is still a small, steady market for a solid traditional four-door with good space for back-seat passengers and a large trunk.

As a consequence, companies with a proven product like the Volkswagen Passat are still promoting its quality – they’re just not investing much in development.

Although fewer millennials are driving cars these days – ride-sharing and shuttles are a good option for many – there are still young people who see car ownership as more than just transportation. For them, we have the perfect car: the 2018 Volkswagen Golf R hatchback, combining practicality and performance.

With 292 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, along with an all-wheel-drive sport-tuned suspension, it offers as much performance and handling as any baby driver would want. It even comes with a six-speed manual transmission – almost a retro touch these days – though an efficient seven-speed automatic is available for those with a long stop-and-go commute to endure each day.

My approach to running Sunnyvale Foreign Car Service is that when customers leave the shop, they have learned something about their vehicles.

It’s rewarding to hear from readers and find out what they – and we – have learned. I feel that many of you have a good grasp of various automotive systems.

Chris Hoeber/Special to the Town Crier
Bicycles and motorists are required to heed traffic signs such as this one on Castro Street near El Camino Real in Mountain View.

The specific rules for bicycles in the California Vehicle Code are contained in sections 21200-21213 of Article 4. They can be found online by typing “California Vehicle Code Bicycles” into any search engine.

The following is a rundown of some of the rules cyclists should be aware of on a daily basis.