FlexFuel Dodge Caravan : Best Used Car for Uber XL?

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I hailed an Uber when I was in Charlotte a while back. When the car arrived, I was surprised to see that it was a Dodge Caravan. 
The Uber driver explained that he bought his Caravan because Minivans are eligible for UberXL which can generate more revenue. He also wanted to provide the most comfortable and convenient ride for his customers.

Some Uber drivers will tell you that the Toyota Prius is the best car to use. But that’s largely because it’s so good on gas, not because it’s the best ride for their customers.

The Dodge Caravan and the new Chrysler Pacifica are Flex Fuel vehicles. They can run ethanol blends up to E85. Ethanol burns cleaner and is 100% domestic. Department of Energy (DOE) Research says an E30 blend – 30 percent ethanol – may deliver the optimal price/performance ratio.

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D-I-Y Front Lip on the Cheap

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Adding a front lip was one of the first aero modifications I made to my 1999 Honda Civic HX Coupe (a.k.a. SLAMBO). I used heavy duty agricultural plastic to get the job done, cutting down a sheet of bamboo root barrier. Bamboo root barrier comes in a variety of widths and weights. The lighter the weight, the easier it is to make the bends. You won’t find it locally, though, and it tends to be expensive. Most folks use lawn edging like this Five-inch wide Master Mark Plastic Landscape Edging. I’m not sure if this stuff is too heavy to make tight bends, but it looks similar to the material that Mighty Car Mods used in their recent D-I-Y Lip episode.

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Tesla Model 3 Preorder Phenomena – A Week of Livestreams

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This past week marked a tipping point in automotive history. According to media reports, Tesla Motors has rolled up over 325,000 “preorders” for the Model 3 Sedan, the company’s least expensive vehicle to date. There’s never been anything quite like it. This is an unprecedented validation that the world is eager for an electrified sedan with 200+ miles of range. It was a brilliantly executed Kickstart that saw the first hundred thousand customers plunk down their $1,000 refundable deposits without ever seeing the car.

As the week progressed, I thought it would be interesting to run a livestream on YouTube to gauge the MPGomatic community’s reaction. I vlogged every day for five days straight, on a variety of topics. The most popular being the second installment, Tesla Model 3: Does the Chevy Bolt Have a Huge Advantage?

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Tesla Model 3: Over 250K Reservations – Is This the Tipping Point?

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On March 31st, Tesla unveiled their fourth car, the Model 3* to an unprecedented response. Before the tarp was pulled off the Model 3, over 100,000 customers lined up to reserve a car, sight unseen. Tesla’s first “affordable” boasts a base price of approximately $35,000, 215 miles of range and a 0-60 MPH time of six seconds. As of this writing, more than 250,000 reservations have been taken.

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Surf City Garage Code Red Active Wheel Cleaner Review

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Cleaning alloy wheels is one of my least favorite car care chores. If you don’t stay on top of it, brake dust will ruin a nice set of alloys. The dust clings to the wheels and – if not removed periodically – will turn that gorgeous surface into a nasty mess. I’ve tried lots of wheel cleaning products over the years, but I’ve never found my go to bottle. I’m always on the lookout for new products to make car care easier, faster and more effective.

Earlier this year, I tested the Surf City Garage Clayzilla paint cleaning system. When the folks at Surf City saw the review, they asked if I would like to test more of their products and I happily agreed. You might think I live a glamorous life, with a different shiny new car in the driveway every week, but the fact of the matter is that I spend a considerable amount of time keeping those cars clean. If I had opened a detailing business at the same time I tripped into the car review game, I’d be in better financial shape.

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