Here at Ask a Car Nerd we get questions. Educational questions. Quirky questions. Deep, hard-hitting questions. But very occasionally, we get insulting questions. Like this one about whether all of our cars here at Jalopnik will actually run. Ouch. A reader named Codfangler asked us what I am sure many readers are wondering but are afraid to ask: “Will there ever be a time when every vehicle owned by the various members of the Jalopnik staff is running at the same time?” It’s a great question, and we thought only one member of our staff, our own brutally honest interim Editor-in-Chief Michael Ballaban, could provide the correct answer in a way that the rest of us couldn’t. He didn’t mention it in the video, but he tells me he smells a slight burning smell coming out of the HVAC in his own Lexus IS300 Sportcross, but only when reversing. To which I say, thats totally fine, normal, and the car runs great. There are endless mysteries in this universe, but especially among the personal fleet of the Jalopnik staff. And mysteries truly are inevitable, when that fleet includes everything from the aforementioned Lexus, to an AMG from Mercedes’ plastic-and-broken-electronics era, to a hazardous horde of Jeeps, and yes, the Yugo. Small disclaimer: although I wasn’t mentioned in this video, don’t worry, my own personal 110,000 mile 2007 Nissan Sentra is still running. Barely. Those creaking noises are just what makes her special.
