DEAR CAR TALK: The under-engine cover (the tough plastic panel attached to the underside of the car behind the front bumper under the engine) on my 2005 Acura TSX recently started dragging on the ground. After sizing up the situation by the side of the road, I drove a few miles home, got under the car and gently removed (hacksawed off) the remains. The internet seems convinced that these covers serve no great purpose, and that you can drive indefinitely without one, so long as you don't mind increased road noise and reduced fuel economy. This seems wrong to me -- auto manufacturers are infamously frugal, and they would not add a part for no reason. How quickly does a missing under-engine cover need to be replaced? Thanks.
-- Alex
DEAR ALEX: Are they open today?
Actually, it's hardly an emergency, Alex. But I would recommend that you replace it. It not only contributes to better gas mileage, but it also provides some protection from road debris.
We've seen instances where someone drives over a branch and the branch rips off one of their belts. That costs them $200 for the repair, plus the cost of the tow. And by the time they're back on the road, they've missed their brother's rehearsal dinner.
Or, if you drive over a sharp object, it's possible it will puncture that piece of hard plastic, rather than puncturing your oil pan. That'll cost you even more, and possibly an engine if you keep driving.
And most of these engine guards don't cost an arm and a leg -- maybe just one arm, up to the elbow. I'm guessing the replacement part will cost you about $100.
We often try to reattach them when customers drive in with them dragging on the pavement. There are various places we can add new sheet-metal screws if the old ones are stripped or have been torn out.
But if we can't save the patient, we'll just tear off the thing, like you did. Then we'll recommend that the customer come back and have a new one installed, but we never see them again. Until they drive over a branch.
DEAR CAR TALK: I am getting ready for retirement and have been looking for a small utility truck for some landscaping and other projects around the house. It seems that all of the car companies are competing to see who can build the biggest and baddest truck with a dashboard that looks like the cockpit of a fighter jet. Not to mention the price tag for these monsters -- most of the houses I have bought and lived in over the years have cost less. Are there any companies, foreign or domestic, making a truck that will fit my needs? All I need is a truck the size of a Ford Ranger or Chevy S-10 with automatic transmission, air conditioning and an AM-FM radio with a USB port for my music. Sign me "Future old coot in a pickup."
-- Gary
DEAR GARY: Do you have a Mahindra dealer near you? Or is the closest one in New Delhi?
You're right that there are no more small pickup trucks. The standard trucks, like the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado, are humongous now. And the so-called smaller trucks, like the Chevy Colorado, Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier, are simply "big."
Of those smaller trucks, the Chevy is the most modern, the Tacoma is the most reliable and the Nissan is the most Nissany. But even those smaller trucks are going to cost you $30,000 or more for a four-wheel-drive version.
Honda has just come out with a new version of its Ridgeline pickup. It's about the same size as the other smaller pickups, but it's supposed to be a lot more comfortable and carlike. (I haven't driven it yet.)
I suppose, if it's comfortable enough for you, and your spouse will go along with your "old coot frontier gardener retired guy" fantasy, you could get a Ridgeline and use it as your everyday vehicle. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that you do that with the other trucks, because they all drive like, well, trucks.
Perhaps the best bet is to buy a used smaller pickup. After all, you really only want it for occasional use: for picking up a load of manure or a couple of 386-packs of paper towels from Costco.
Until 2011, Ford made the Ranger. That's a little smaller than the others, and you probably can get one for half the price of a new truck. The Toyotas tend to hold their value longer, so don't expect quite the discount on a used Tacoma. But the reason they hold their value is because of their reliability and durability. So that's what you're paying for.
Almost any truck you get from the past 10 years will have an automatic transmission and air conditioning. And with all the money you save, you can splurge and get a rocking new stereo system with a USB port if you need it. And don't forget the bed-size subwoofer.
Ray Magliozzi dispenses advice about cars in Car Talk every Saturday. Email him by visiting
cartalk.com
HomeStyle on 11/19/2016