By Nathan Adlen – April 14, 2019
Nathan and The Fast Lane Car team are here to answer your (reasonable) questions. Interesting and/or entertaining emails will be posted to this column. If it’s relevant in the automotive universe, there’s a chance we may know something about it. The author’s email address and full name will be omitted – leaving your first name, initials or nickname, your preference.Â
In this week’s Ask Nathan:
- Are we going to get a smaller Jeep pickup truck?
- Used Acura?
- What’s the Easter Jeep Safari!
The first question comes from my Twitter (NathanAdlen@Twitter.com) page. The question is, are we going to get a smaller Jeep pickup truck – smaller than the Jeep Gladiator.
Q: Yo dudes! What’s up with these concepts?
Read your article and saw the video with Stephen, but I was unsure if these things would be built, especially the smaller Jeep pickup truck. I saw other videos and articles with an even smaller Jeep pickup concept you drove a few years back!
Let me know! I would love a smaller, cheaper pickup that can haul light loads and do light off roading.
NotVanDam88
A: Howdy!
The Jeep you’re referring to is the Jeep J6 concept that just debuted and will be displayed at the 2019 Easter Jeep Safari (among many other Jeep truck concepts). It is a concept; however, there is a chance that something like it could become a kit from Jeep Performance Parts / Mopar – just like Jeep used to offer with the JK-8 kit.
You see, unlike the other concepts featured in this article, the Jeep J6 concept is based on a Jeep JL Wrangler. Sure, it has a larger six-foot bed and a standard cab, AND it’s smaller than the Gladiator, but it doesn’t have the special frame the Gladiator does. As such, performance will be more akin to a Wrangler – but you’ll see a video and writeup on its actual driving performance soon.
The other truck you mentioned was the Jeep Comanche Diesel concept from a few years back. It was a super cool little vehicle, but there were never plans for production. Still, the buzz was positive and if Jeep ever wants to build something that slots as an entry-level pickup – well, you never know.
Thanks!
N
The next question comes from a young fan who’s considering a 1999 Acura TL.
Q: If you had little money and you were saving for your first car, would you consider a 1999 Acura TL?
My uncle has one with less than 120000 miles on it. That’s low for the year and he’s a mechanic so it’s been well maintained. His daughter used to drive it and gave it to him after she bought s minivan for her family.
I don’t have much money but my uncle said he would let me pay $100 a month for a year to buy it. If I agree, I have to keep it until I pay it off. The good news is that he will keep his insurance while I pay for it. I need something that will last a little while until I finish high school.
Is this a good idea for me? Would you suggest something else? I’m unsure what to do. I make enough money to pay my uncle without a problem and I could afford more if I had to. Seems like a pretty good deal to me.
Thank you and I enjoyed your Motor Mountain USA series. I hope you do something like that again!
Charlie from Bowling Green, Kentucky
A: Greetings Charlie and thanks for the email!
I often recommend used Acuras to people. They have good Honda tech ,nice luxury appointments mixed in with top levels of safety and performance. I have owned a few and so have members of my family based on my recommendation. The TL is a terrific choice and that 3.2-liter V6 is excellent.
Honestly, the deal you have worked out with your uncle sounds outstanding. Insurance for young drivers is expensive, this is a great way for you to save money.
I know your uncle is a mechanic, which is a huge plus, so the two of you can explore issues I tell every used car buyer to keep in mind:
- New tires are a worthy investment. Make sure that your tires are in good condition. It’s the one component that connects you to the ground.
- Make sure your brakes are in good condition. Your uncle probably has this under control, but it’s your responsibility to make sure everything is in proper working order.
- According to Repairpal.com, the 1995-2006 Acura TL commonly has issues with the fuel pump and fuel injection relays. Something worth looking in to.
- If this is a temporary car, don’t get too crazy with aftermarket toys. Anything expensive like pricy-looking wheels or an expensive paint job makes you more of a target. Young drivers get ripped off – often.
- I don’t know if you have a maintenance agreement with your uncle, but if you don’t – you may want to set something up. Older cars, even ones in good condition, have aging parts that sometimes need replacing. That can get pricy.
Enjoy your car as long as you can. The longer you keep it, the easier it will be for you to save up money. A paid off car that’s in good working order is worth its weight in gold!
Cheers!
N
The next question asks about the 2019 Easter Jeep Safari.
Q: (Via Twitter@NathanAdlen) Tell me about Easter Jeep Safari
Hear you talking about it all the time.
What is it? Is it part of TFL?
E3663
Hi!
It runs this year from April 13th the 21st. The Easter Jeep Safari is an event where Jeep and off-road enthusiasts gather in Moab, Utah for getting together, seeing the newest products, checking out concepts, Jeep reveals and off-road adventure. There are trail runs for all levels of capability, entertainment and expos too. It’s a unique event that TFL has attended, as a media entity, for ten years. It’s one of our favorite events.
Moab, Utah is a fairly small town; however, over the past few decades, its grown considerably. A majority of that growth came from the growth of the attendance of the Easter Jeep Safari. As such, a slew of new campgrounds, hotels and restaurants have popped up in recent years.
You can find out more about the Easter Jeep Safari (here).
Come out and meet us there!
Our TFL crew will be all over the event. While most of our time will be spent filming off-road, we will be hanging around, happy to meet fans. A few of us will be at the Jeep pavilion at the Walker Drug parking lot on Monday, April 15th at 5:00 pm for a little bit. We’ll have some TFL swag too!
It’s crowded for weeks, but it’s still worth attending!
N
Here’s even more video featuring vehicles that will be at the 2019 Easter Jeep Safari!
From day one, The Fast Lane Car has made it our policy to answer as many questions and comments as we can. We get thousands of emails and comments and feel that, as part of a tight-knit automotive community, having an open dialogue with you keeps things fresh and exciting.Got a question for Nathan? Drop him a line at: asknathan@tflcar.com.
