Car: Volkswagen New Beetle

(And not the new New Beetle, which is just the Beetle.) Utterly fails my test in which I push the driver seat all the way back and see if I can sit comfortably behind it. The slanting rear window forces me to twist my head and duck on every bump. Also, works better for my boss’s teenage daughter than for him.

Car: Mazda 3

The model I drove on Kaua’i had a semi-manual transmission or as Joy called it, my new favorite toy.

My 1999 Chevy S-10 pickup

Oh that? It’s no big deal. You’ll get used to it after a while. I wouldn’t worry about that other thing either.