After yesterday’s post, I’ve got a few final thoughts. First, I’m surprised to learn how many cars still, for some reason, have a pedal operated parking brake, and that people even like them. I look at them as a problem that I thought everyone has solved long ago. That said, if you’ve got have one, I do prefer one with a handle release instead of having to push the pedal down further like this explorer. Doing this foot release push thing is awkward, but I’m sure I’d get used to it if I drove such a car regularly.
The last car I owned with a pedal parking brake was my 99 Escalade, which given the GMT400 platform dates from 1988 I considered a forgivable sin. The last time personally saw one in a modern car was on a Kia Optima rental car on a Florida trip around 2010ish. It struck me at the time as out of place on a modern car, but I chalked it up as one of the (probably now former) Korean car 90% solution compromises. I was surprised to hear from you all that still have them in newer cars. Almost every 2000+ car I’ve driven has been either a hand brake, or an E-brake with a button. I learned something new.
My overall verdict of “not bad” stands. I won’t be in the market for an explorer, but if one wanted a tall car for the family truckster there are certainly worse choices to be had.
I had a number errands to run during the work day yesterday (important stuff like procuring a large quantity of BBQ from the BBQ guy for our annual BBQ and picnic on the last working day of the semester for faculty). I came to like this small, presumably dedicated, cubby hole for the proximity key. There are a lot of newer cars I’ve been in that felt like they needed a dedicated spot for the key, since my habit of keeping my keys in my left pocket has a way of making some percentage of proximity systems unhappy that the key isn’t closer to the center console. Putting keys in my right pocket just doesn’t feel right, so I tend to put the key somewhere in the console, and taking up a whole cup holder for just the hey always feels inefficient. This cubby hole for the key makes me happy.
At the end of the day I got my truck back. Beyond not particularly caring about the two minor recalls it was in for, I had in part procrastinated on getting them done due to this being the first time since I drove it off the lot with 6 miles on it that someone other than me had touched a fastener on the truck. I’m happy to have it back, and with any luck it will be at least another two years and 34k before anyone else’s wrench but mine touches it again. Ford can also stop sending me letters about outstanding recalls.
It also got a light Svending over the weekend in the form of an interior clean and detail, wash, claybar and coat of wax and trim and tire dressing. Now that I’m done with houselopnik projects for awhile, I can go back to doing normal things like having clean vehicles.