We were pottering around the countryside in our Camry and I teased Mrs Ed about the plate of porridge sensation when you press on the accelerator. She decided she was going to show me what it could do, and of course, standing on a pedal linked to a 2.2 liter fuel injection engine, the car took off and we had a lot of fun squealing around hairpins.

It reminded us of a couple of car myths and we wondered if they was any truth in them. Any ideas?

Myth one

If you get in a new car and beat the engine to death from day one, it will be able to handle being thrashed all its natural life. If you always potter around in a car, it will always be slower than its thrashed brother.

As a younger idiot, I used to thrash my cars and they lasted 140k plus miles. So for me, the myth makes sense, but is this in fact true or complete BS, coincidence?

Myth two

The paintwork of a car kept in a garage at nights will deteriorate faster than the paintwork of a car kept outside.


I had a van that I never washed, and by its 15th year it ended up looking like crap. However, I don't know if I contributed to its demise, or it would have deteriorated regardless of its treatment? (To spruce it up, I rubbed the paintwork down and resprayed it!)

What do you think? Myths or reality?

In a class, a car park, a piece of wasteland, in fact anywhere that it can be on its own is fine by us.

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Butt ugly Scion boxes that never get past their virgin brown stage are unpleasant enough as it is. But then, along comes a custom color job guaranteed to achieve a truly stomach-wrenching heave-ho effect from two miles.

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Over at the Scion forums there is a hot debate raging over gas mileage - 30mpg is supposedly one of many appealing aspects of Xb box ownership, and some just aren't getting anywhere close. Driving too fast, maybe?

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