On The Road

Mike Hagerty/Special to the Town Crier
The 2019 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible 2.0T Final Edition SEL features a turbocharged engine with 174 horsepower. VW recently announced it’s ending production of the Beetle.

You probably saw articles and videos earlier this summer with headlines like “Volkswagen Beetle ends production after 70 years.” I hate to be a buzzkill, but I hate hype and inaccuracy more, so indulge me a moment, please.

The Volkswagen Beetle that started production 70 years ago ended production 40 years ago. There was a big farewell for that one, too – in 1979. And the triple-white Final Edition convertibles are still on the street in a lot of Peninsula cities.

Mike Hagerty/Special to the Town Crier
The Maserati Levante S GranSport has a top speed of 187 mph.

Joe Walsh sang, “My Maserati does 185/I lost my license/Now I don’t drive” in his 1978 hit “Life’s Been Good.”

Chris Hoeber/Special to the Town Crier
This sign in downtown Mountain View warns people not to ride bicycles on the sidewalk.

I have been asked several times if it is legal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk in California. Everyone I talked with thought they knew the answer, and everyone’s answer was different.

I really appreciate having air conditioning in my car and in my house – especially after the extremely high temperatures in late July.

We work on air-conditioning systems year-round, but the work picks up in the summertime. I have always found air conditioning to be interesting for one fundamental reason: All refrigerant systems follow the same basic principles. From cars to homes to refrigerators, they all work the same basic way. My background in automotive A/C helped me solve a problem in my house.

Courtesy of Hyundai
The new Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid gets 52 mpg (city/highway combined).

Look around you in traffic. On the Peninsula, I guarantee that you can hold your breath until you see an electric car and pretty much not interrupt normal breathing. Being an area full of highly educated people, early adopters and just up the street from where they make Teslas stacks the odds a bit.

Mike Hagerty/Special to the Town Crier
The 2019 Mazda 3 Sedan with Premium Package AWD, left, and 2019 Jetta 1.4T SEL are among the best compact cars on the market, according to reviewer Mike Hagerty.

If you’re in the market for a compact sedan but want to go beyond the predictable, safe choices of a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic, have I got a review for you.