Jaguar XF
Good For: A quick posh cat. Hertz was running out of cars at SFO, so they dumped a litter of 2017 Jaguar XFs in 35t trim onto the Presidents' Circle lot. There were a number of muscle cars to choose from as well, but the new born cats with only a dozen miles were irresistable and begging to be taken out. The 35t badge oddly stands for a torquey 3.0L supercharged V6 that will pounce on any road, especially with the transmission dialed over to Sport and Dynamic modes.
Compromises: Somehow this $60k+ luxury car still doesn't have passive keyless entry. I thought the annoying behaviour of not being able to lock the car if any of the doors or trunk is open was limited to Toyotas. Someone picked a bunch of options but missed the $615 keyless entry system. I am also disappointed that Jaguar has done away with the classic extensive use of wood in the interior - it is nowhere in the XF. Jaguar's modern interior and exterior design is nice but has now been copied by many affordable brands. The widespread imitation is flattering, I suppose, but there is no longer significant exclusivity in the aesthetics.
Overall reaction - None: What you do get for the exclusive price paid towards the Jaguar XF is a more focused, sportier line of cars than more mainstream offerings from Germany. Those brands reserve this kind of performance for the priciest M, AMG, and S models. But while the physical build reflects what I like to see out of an exclusive performance car, Jaguar felt the need to include a variety of electronics in order to solidify the position as a luxury car. The gear selector dial was annoying. The powered HVAC vents that stow like 1970 Lincoln Continental headlights are cool I guess. The adaptive cruise control which only works in low speeds never fully automates the job of following the car in front of you in stop and go traffic. It is more of an aid to keep the car generally moving with some consideration for the car in front of you instead of slowing to a total halt. I liked the speed-limiter mode in the cruise control system for driving in densly trafficked highways though.
Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 260
Good For: Continued laptop excellence. IT sent me the Yoga 260 to replace my Yoga 12 and I was pleased to see Lenovo addressed the one minor complaint I had about it, bringing back the regular HDMI output instead of the more obscure mini-HDMI. I still like the double-jointed hinge, which is useful for converting to a tablet and providing a useful screen while hooked up to desktop input devices and monitors.
Compromises: Still no detatchable battery, but the Yoga 12's battery performed consistently for the 16 months I had it. Hopefully the Yoga 260's solid state drive won't suddenly fail as the Yoga 12 did.
Overall reaction: Two thumbs Up: The Yoga 260 is also noticeably lighter than the 12, and at 2 pounds 14 ounces it is in MacBook Air territory. With the touch screen, double hinge, and usual Lenovo TrackPoint input devices, I have no reason to be switching to Apple any time soon.
I could not resist the Olathe 252859 boots on the sale shelf at South Texas Tack any longer and finally picked them up. These appear to be from a previous era of Olathe boot design, employing pegged soles and more noticeable arch support from the shank. The lighter and softer leather might be more comfortable in warmer weather, and it is generally nice to have two pairs of Olathe tall tops to switch between so that the they have a chance to rest.