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Curbside Classics Archives
About Author: mdlaughlin
Posts by mdlaughlin
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![We have reached a bit of a milestone with this week’s entry – this is the first car in my COAL series that I still own today. The car itself […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC04230.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 1989 Ford Thunderbird SC Part 2 – This Time for Keeps")
COAL: 1989 Ford Thunderbird SC Part 2 – This Time for Keeps
Posted on January 27, 2018 | 46 CommentsWe have reached a bit of a milestone with this week’s entry – this is the first car in my COAL series that I still own today. The car itself […] -
![The Mazda6 that we acquired in late 2008 represented a bit of a departure for us, since it was not a Toyota and was a bit more interesting than the […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC04344.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2011 Kia Optima EX-T – Branching Out")
COAL: 2011 Kia Optima EX-T – Branching Out
Posted on January 20, 2018 | 26 CommentsThe Mazda6 that we acquired in late 2008 represented a bit of a departure for us, since it was not a Toyota and was a bit more interesting than the […] -
![I think every reader in the CC community figured out that a “Zoom-Zoom” Mazda was the follow-up car for the 2007 Camry based on my not-so-subtle hints. Some commenters expressed […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/DSC01134.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2009 Mazda6 – Outside the Comfort Zone (But Not By Much)")
COAL: 2009 Mazda6 – Outside the Comfort Zone (But Not By Much)
Posted on January 13, 2018 | 16 CommentsI think every reader in the CC community figured out that a “Zoom-Zoom” Mazda was the follow-up car for the 2007 Camry based on my not-so-subtle hints. Some commenters expressed […] -
![Although the Acura CL was a fun car to own and drive, I missed having a used car like the Taurus that I could use for taking stuff to the […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/DSC01507.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2006 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited – All-Purpose")
COAL: 2006 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited – All-Purpose
Posted on January 6, 2018 | 20 CommentsAlthough the Acura CL was a fun car to own and drive, I missed having a used car like the Taurus that I could use for taking stuff to the […] -
![When I wrapped up the 2008 Lexus ES350 a couple of weeks ago, I alluded to replacing it with a Lexus that virtually no one wanted. Several commenters quickly zeroed […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/DSC02812.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2010 Lexus HS250h – You Really Bought That?")
COAL: 2010 Lexus HS250h – You Really Bought That?
Posted on December 30, 2017 | 27 CommentsWhen I wrapped up the 2008 Lexus ES350 a couple of weeks ago, I alluded to replacing it with a Lexus that virtually no one wanted. Several commenters quickly zeroed […] -
![Doing the COAL series and looking back at the cars I have purchased over the past quarter century or so has given me an interesting perspective. Looking at the cars […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/DSC04092.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2008 Lexus ES350 – Another One, Part 2")
COAL: 2008 Lexus ES350 – Another One, Part 2
Posted on December 23, 2017 | 15 CommentsDoing the COAL series and looking back at the cars I have purchased over the past quarter century or so has given me an interesting perspective. Looking at the cars […] -
![I have owned a lot of cars over my driving career, and some of them have been pretty interesting. Some others…not so much. This week, unfortunately, is one of the […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/DSC02386.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2007 Toyota Camry CE – Another One?")
COAL: 2007 Toyota Camry CE – Another One?
Posted on December 16, 2017 | 46 CommentsI have owned a lot of cars over my driving career, and some of them have been pretty interesting. Some others…not so much. This week, unfortunately, is one of the […] -
![I found having a third car (the 2000 Taurus I profiled a couple of weeks ago) to be really handy for many reasons. A four-door sedan was a great extra […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/DSC02047.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2003 Acura 3.2 CL Type S – My First “Collector” Car")
COAL: 2003 Acura 3.2 CL Type S – My First “Collector” Car
Posted on December 9, 2017 | 18 CommentsI found having a third car (the 2000 Taurus I profiled a couple of weeks ago) to be really handy for many reasons. A four-door sedan was a great extra […] -
![By 2005 I was halfway between 30 and 40, and looking for a car with a more upmarket nameplate than the Toyotas and Hondas I’d been choosing in the past. […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/DSC01485.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2005 Lexus ES330 – A Toyota By Any Other Name")
COAL: 2005 Lexus ES330 – A Toyota By Any Other Name
Posted on December 2, 2017 | 23 CommentsBy 2005 I was halfway between 30 and 40, and looking for a car with a more upmarket nameplate than the Toyotas and Hondas I’d been choosing in the past. […] -
![Up until this point in my car history my wife and I were the proud owners of two cars, one for her (generally) and one for me. We did tend […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/DSC01703.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2000 Ford Taurus SE – I Don’t Need It, But…")
COAL: 2000 Ford Taurus SE – I Don’t Need It, But…
Posted on November 25, 2017 | 38 CommentsUp until this point in my car history my wife and I were the proud owners of two cars, one for her (generally) and one for me. We did tend […] -
![With this week’s installment I will get back more to a chronological order for my car purchases. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I very much liked the […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/DSC02041.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2004 Nissan Maxima SE – Not a Toyota?")
COAL: 2004 Nissan Maxima SE – Not a Toyota?
Posted on November 18, 2017 | 35 CommentsWith this week’s installment I will get back more to a chronological order for my car purchases. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I very much liked the […] -
![Last week’s COAL entry on my 2003 Matrix ended with an inadvertent guessing game of sorts about the Matrix’s replacement, with at least two separate camps for the Toyota Prius […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/DSC00961.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2004 Toyota Prius – An Engineer’s Car")
COAL: 2004 Toyota Prius – An Engineer’s Car
Posted on November 11, 2017 | 49 CommentsLast week’s COAL entry on my 2003 Matrix ended with an inadvertent guessing game of sorts about the Matrix’s replacement, with at least two separate camps for the Toyota Prius […] -
![As I described last week, I soured pretty quickly on my 2002 Camry because of cost and quality issues. For whatever reasons, that particular car mistake got in my head […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2002-Toyota-Matrix-XR-Front.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2003 Toyota Matrix XR – Much Better")
COAL: 2003 Toyota Matrix XR – Much Better
Posted on November 4, 2017 | 27 CommentsAs I described last week, I soured pretty quickly on my 2002 Camry because of cost and quality issues. For whatever reasons, that particular car mistake got in my head […] -
![As our Tundra was coming up to the end of its lease, I had already been thinking about what was going to follow it on my side of the garage. […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2002-Toyota-Camry-1.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2002 Toyota Camry SE – Not Always The Safe Choice")
COAL: 2002 Toyota Camry SE – Not Always The Safe Choice
Posted on October 28, 2017 | 52 CommentsAs our Tundra was coming up to the end of its lease, I had already been thinking about what was going to follow it on my side of the garage. […] -
![In the last episode, I spoke about (surprise) buying a vehicle that I ended up not liking very much. In addition, our Tundra was coming to the end of its […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2002-Toyota-Sienna-1.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "COAL: 2002 Toyota Sienna XLE – A Van? Really?")
COAL: 2002 Toyota Sienna XLE – A Van? Really?
Posted on October 21, 2017 | 27 CommentsIn the last episode, I spoke about (surprise) buying a vehicle that I ended up not liking very much. In addition, our Tundra was coming to the end of its […]
