The First Ever Justin Lake Automobile Winners List

My two favorite Car and Driver and Motor Trend issues both arrived recently: Motor Trend's Car of the Year issue and Car and Driver's 10 Best issue. Here are my winners.

CAR

Compact Car/Hatchback: Mazda 3

As most know, I'm a big fan of wagons and hatchbacks. I love the utility they provide while still providing a car driving experience. Hattie and I put a deposit down on the then unreleased 2012 Subaru Impreza hatchback. Luckily we changed our mind before we plunked down the big cheddar. I love the Impreza for its looks and AWD but the interior, engine power, and MPG are not up to snuff with the Mazda. I think the Mazda 3 is the best looking small car on the market and the hatch version is just a bonus. I hope to buy a used one of these in a few years. 

Midsize Family Sedan: Kia Optima

I drove an SX version of the Optima right after it came out and I loved it. I think it is a heck of a looker, has some serious get-up, and gets great gas milage. And it's not a Honda Accord, so you may actually stand out on the block. 

Small Luxury Sport Sedan: Mercedes CLA

I love this car. It's relatively affordable and it is almost perfectly executed from a design standpoint, both inside and out. Ok, fine, maybe it slopes a titch too much in the back. If they sold the hatchback version in the U.S., I would consider going into debt in order to own one. 

Midsize Luxury Sport Sedan: Audi S6

We are talking about some serious cashola with the S6 but it is pretty much the perfect car. Car and Driver reported a faster 0-60 time in the S6 than they did in the all new Corvette Stingray. That's wicked fast. A very tempting alternative to the S6 is the brand new Cadillac CTS. I really love this car. Especially in Vsport. Yes please. 

SUV

Small SUV: Mazda CX-5

This winner was a little harder to choose. Wins for its good looks, sporting nature, and strong MPG. However, if you were to pick a Subaru Forester or Ford Escape, you wouldn't be going wrong.

Offroad SUV: 4 Door Jeep Wrangler

Our wedding photographer had one of these with the perfect lift and after market tires. I've been sold ever since. 

Midsize SUV: The Audi Q5 and Jeep Grand Cherokee

I couldn't pick a winner. I love both of these SUVs and want to own both. I think they both are gorgeous and well crafted vehicles. The rational buy for the Jeep would be with the diesel engine but the thrilling choice would be the SRT version. As for the Audi, I'd get 3.0 TDI. Got some serious torque. 

Large SUV: The upcoming GMC Yukon Denali

I'm not usually a big fan of these monstrous cars but these thing is a looker. Will be available in 2014 and would be my choice over any of the competitors.

Truck: Ford Atlas Concept

Ok, it is probably not fair to choose a concept vehicle but I was so enamored by the Ford Atlas at last year's Chicago Auto Show that I can't imagine spending money on anything that wasn't this. If Ford deviates too far from this concept for the next generation F150, many manly tears across America will be shed.

SPORTS CAR

Budget Sports Car: Subaru BRZ
My wife doesn't think this is a cool car. I think she's crazy. I love the BRZ. I do think it is underpowered right now and if they were to put an engine with STI like performance in it, this car would be a mini Porsche. Or at least a wannabe, which in this case, wouldn't be a bad thing.

Under 100k Sports Car: Porsche Cayman S
I currently love this car more than any other car in production. It is pretty much perfect in every way. This car is why I dream of having a spare garage with a sports car inside.

Premium Sports Car: Ferrari 458 Italia
This was a tough choice. I love the looks and awe factor of the Ferrari more than any other car. However, if I wanted to "budget" my purchase, I'd opt for the Audi R8 V10 Plus. Yes please.

Hot dang! Hyundai and it's upscale climb.

Autoblog just released their First Drive piece on the completely redesigned 2015 Hyundai Genesis sedan and it is a looker! The first thing I noticed about the rear end is how much it looks like the Lexus GS 350.

Granted the shapes are slightly different and so are the tailpipes but there is a definite similarity and not in a bad way. I really like the current Lexus GS. Some may think the back is too boring or conservative. It's nothing flashy but I think it looks great. 

I haven't had a chance to read the whole Autoblog post so I may update this post later after I've read it. What I will say is that I like what Hyundai is doing. I have been a big fan of their design and product direction for awhile and it continues to go in the right direction. Competition produces better products and that is Hyundai's goal. 

Railtek Belts: How all belts should be made.

I have a pet peeve: forgetting my belt. On my new yellow cords that I am wearing today, it is less problematic, but on my suit pants, I feel like a total Gomer. It is also a problem if my pants or shorts are slightly too big and I spend the day fighting to keep them from falling down around my ankles. So like most guys, I wear a belt daily. I currently have 5 belts. They are as follows:

1 black/brown reversible that I leave on the black side and is used strictly for formal affairs.
1 black that, after losing weight, doesn't have enough holes punched in it to provide any value.
1 black belt that I've been wearing since 2007 that works ok but doesn't look all that great.
1 brown belt that I like enough but don't wear very often.

And the last belt is my new Railtek belt. Let's not mince words here: This belt rocks so much that I only wear one of the other four belts if my messy self has misplaced my Railtek belt. The company was recently started by a friend of mine who discovered the belt concept in Ukraine. He finally got enough courage and funds pulled together to quit his day job and start his own belt company. He sent me the belt as a gift and I've been loving it ever since. The look of the black leather is nice. It has a more formal look to it rather than a worn or casual look. This, however, doesn't stop me from wearing it with my very casual jeans and t-shirt look I rock most days.

But as nice as the look is, I don't wear the belt for the look, I wear it primarily for the function. I love the micro-adjustability. The problem with my other belt is that there is one hole that has been used more than others and it is now stretched out. However, depending on the pants I'm wearing or if I just slammed some deep dish pizza, I may be inclined to use another hole on the belt. The problem is that doing so makes the belt jut out weird, since it isn't where I typically wear it. This is not the case with my Railtek belt. If I feel like a need it a hair snugger, I just notch it forward. Big lunch? I notch it back a bit. The belt is terrific.

I think it is hands down the best choice for someone wearing slacks every day. I also think it works great to go casual, as I typically do. It's always cool to support someone following their dreams and not some huge company. Check them out and snag one. Additionally, Railtek will be launching on Kickstarter on November 18th. Check out the teaser video here.

*Oh and one added perk: The wide range of size adjustably makes it a great gift idea because, as long as you have an idea of what size waist the person is that you are giving the belt to, guessing the right size should be a cinch.

Why the cheaper iPhone won't cannibalize iPhone 5S sales.

I've thought a lot about what Apple plans on doing next week at the iPhone event. Like others, I too was nervous that a cheaper, plastic iPhone, would cannibalize the more expensive iPhone. I think it will dip into sales, no doubt, but I think both iPhone models will sell extremely well and the decision to sell a cheaper iPhone is a win win for Apple. Let me explain why.

Reasons why Apple will sell a LOT of cheaper iPhones

1. People will buy the cheaper iPhone because people don't care about having a plastic phone. We know this for two reasons. A)Millions of people are buying up Samsung phones which are made of plastic. B)Millions of people buy the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 and then pay anywhere from $25-$50 to put a plastic case on top of their aluminum phone. 

2. People like Apple products that are affordable. Apple sold boat loads of the iPod Nano and made a killing off that product. Apple also sells a lot of entry model MacBook Pros. 

3. Kids will beg for the iPhone 5C (Don't trust me on that name, that's just the name everyone is using until next Tuesday). Every kid between 8-16 is going to have this cheaper iPhone on their Christmas list. You can't get a brand new, really cool Android phone for free on contract. Apple is about to introduce a new, colorful, really cool iPhone, free on contract. All those parents who have been using the excuse, "the iPhone is too expensive" are going to have to find a new excuse if they want to continue to stave off the pleadings of their children.*

4. This cheaper iPhone is not going to be a "budget" phone in terms of specs. This is Apple, not Samsung. They refuse to sell crap. There is no way they are going to release a new iPhone with a crappy camera or a processor that isn't capable of keeping up with its new operating system, iOS 7. Bad press on the cheaper iPhone will be bad press for the whole iPhone line and that is something Apple can't afford. It won't be state of the art specs (see below) but it will be a dang good phone. 

Reasons why Apple will STILL sell a LOT of the iPhone 5S

1. People like having really nice Apple products. Having worked at Apple for 2 1/2 years, I saw lots of people plunk down lots of cheddar for a machine or device that was way more than they needed. I would try to reckon with them but sometimes people just "need" the fastest process, better/bigger screen, or more storage capacity. "Need" is a very relative term. Don't underestimate people's desire for the best and the iPhone 5S will be the best. 

2. People like having a phone with state of the art specs. The camera alone will make some people, who may have been willing to consider the cheaper iPhone, opt for the more expensive iPhone in the end. Take my wife for example. I told her about what I believe the cheaper, colorful iPhone will be like and she said, "Oh, I'd just get that one." Then I said, "Well, the camera is going to be quite a bit better on the more expensive iPhone" to which she responded, "Oh, never mind!" Having a good camera on your smartphone matters and the iPhone 5S will arguably have the best in the world.

3. People like having a phone with state of the art specs part 2. The iPhone 5S will have a distinguishing feature, like a fingerprint scanner, that will set it apart from the cheaper iPhone. Apple will do a very good job at marketing this feature and making it very desirable. Having a faster processor is also going to be something people will want. I like to call this future proofing your device.

4. More storage capacity. This is going to be a real kicker. There are lots of people that want 32 or 64 GB of storage on their iPhones. Apple will intentionally not offer the cheaper iPhone with more than 16GB. So some may have been willing to consider the cheaper iPhone but they aren't willing to part with the storage and will opt for the more expensive iPhone. For these people, this will be a $300 jump in price. Steep, but worth it to many.

5. $200 is not expensive. The U.S. market is built on the backs of subsidies. Heck, I would say that somewhere between 50-70% of consumers don't even realize their iPhone is NOT really a $200 device but is actually a $650 device. They understand that they can only get a new iPhone every 24 months but they don't understand why. These subsidies, whether you like them or not, allow consumers to get a high end product like the iPhone 5S at a very affordable $200. $200 for some is a lot of money but for most, especially those paying over $100 a month for the cellular service, $200 is not a lot. 

*You argue, "Apple already sells a free iPhone Juice, did you forget the iPhone 4!?" No. I didn't. However, let's be honest, no kid is dying to have the iPhone 4. It is a 3 year old phone. It is really a shame that it is still sold because of how slow it is, not to mention only 8GB of storage and a terrible camera. Selling a BRAND NEW iPhone in an array of different colors is very different from selling a 3 year old product. Kids will go crazy over the new iPhone. 

Coming soon I will discuss China and T-Mobile and how the iPhone will affect both. 

Moments

Life is made up of trillions of moments, each one affecting the ensuing moment. We control many of these moments in our lives by the choices we make. Others we can't control, either because they were made by another individual or they are merely the consequence of the previous moment. When we look back at time, we can often piece the moments together in a string of events. When we do this we are able to see the interwoven fiber that connects them together.

Sometimes these series of interconnected events are the most beautiful thing in the world and they become the stories that get passed down through the ages. They may start out with "So I took the later train that day and when I climbed aboard, I saw the most beautiful woman sitting there" and end with "that women is your grandmother." We look back and exclaim, "Oh thank heavens your alarm didn't go off that morning" or "So glad the sticky note fell off the door and got picked up by him" or "If he hadn't been promoted, we never would have moved back east." These events are so prominent that it is easy to recognize them and show gratitude for them.

Then there are other events that we never notice, many of them because they never happened. We will never know that if we hadn't stopped to change the radio station before backing out of the driveway that we would have hit the neighbor boy riding his bike down the sidewalk. We'll never know that if the meeting coordinator hadn't pushed for the meeting to be in Austin rather than San Antonio, we may have been on a flight without a doctor so that when we suffered an allergic reaction, we may have died rather than being saved by a complete stranger. We will never know that the the farmer had changed pesticides at the last second and had he not, we would have become seriously ill from the apples we purchased. These events never occurred because a tiny moment forever altered the course of time. They are the ones, that if we even recognize, cause us to exclaim, "I'm so glad that…"

Finally we have the type of events that hurt, the ones we wish we could rewind the clock on. These are the ones that cause us to utter "if only" over and over again. We replay the moment or the moments and events leading up to the moment and agonize over each one, knowing that each was a stepping stone that led up to the accident or tragedy. We, by nature, are inclined to either take the blame or cast the blame, thinking somehow that doing so will help. It won't. As we start to comprehend that these millions of events are all interconnected, blaming someone is simply pardoning another earlier in the chain.

Ultimately, as we realize that we are mere mortals in an eternal situation, we will be more capable of letting go. Letting go of the guilt, the pain, the anger, and the longing. God has mastered the delicate balance of being omnipotent and yet allowing us to have our free agency. He is capable of preventing every accident, every heartache, but would that be somehow better? How would that affect later events? How would we grow if that is how God worked? He knows the end from the beginning and He knows us personally. He is the on who sends angels to the scene of an accident and dictates whether it is heal or to usher one home.

In the wake of Sammy's accident on Thursday, I have reflected on these eternal matters. As I sat in the back of the cab on my way to pick her and Hattie up, I found myself in prayer. When we later learned that Sammy, despite being hit by a car going 35 MPH, had not sustained any broken bones or permanent internal damage, I knew guardian angels had been sent. I wouldn't doubt it if they were the same angels that kept me from falling out of a window at the age of 2 or healing my broken neck at the age of 4. I can't explain why this was a "thank heavens" and not an "if only" moment in our lives. I can't explain why some accidents don't have a positive outcome while others do. I have, however, been involved in too many traumatic injuries in this life to know that it isn't just "luck" or "fate" that dictates the outcome of a situation. I've found that faith and trust in Him are the only ways to obtain peace during moments of tribulation. Indeed, how we respond, not the moments themselves, are the only thing truly within our control.

The awful (intentional) Instagram feature that is ruining your relationships.

Let me paint a scenario that I'm guessing many of you Instagramers out there are all too familiar with.

You climb into bed and grab your phone, looking forward to unwinding with some Instagram. Yesterday was crazy and today was even crazier and you haven't had a chance to check the gram in over 48 hours. That's 2 complete days of not seeing your friends' baby photos, sunsets shots, and incredible vacations spots that make you feel like your life sucks. So you open it up and start scrolling. Then your wife walks in and lays down next to you. She wants to talk. 

PAUSE. 

This is where things get really tough. You've made it through, oh who knows, maybe 30 photos so far but you still haven't gone back ALL THE WAY to the last photo you remember seeing when you opened Instagram a couple days ago. You love your wife and want to talk but you know what will happen if you set the phone down to chat. You all know right? Yep, you KNOW that when you finish the conversation - when she either falls asleep or goes to the bathroom to take off her makeup and brush her teeth - that Instagram will have timed out. This means you will be back at the top of your feed, forcing you to scroll through the same photos AGAIN in order to see yet unseen photos from yesterday. 

Forced to most recent photo.

THIS IS IT. This is the evil feature that Instagram (owned by Facebook) has consciously let exist. It knows it is ruining relationships. It knows it is causing your friend on the bus to ignore you because once a person has started down the Instagram road, that person is gone. Heck, you could announce that you got fired or that you were pregnant and they'll be so busy over double tapping someone's burger photo that they won't even hear you.

Here's the deal: You know that Instagram and Twitter know about one another. Which means the programmers at Instagram KNOW that there is the feature in Twitter that keeps your place, regardless of how long it has been since you last opened the app. The feature that, when you get off an airplane, doesn't rocket you past 5 hours of tweets but instead lets you work your way through them, on YOUR own timetable.

26 New Tweets - Not forced to the top.

So if Instagram is aware that this "maintain current location in feed" feature exists, the question is, why don't they fix it already? Usage. Instagram wants everyone on every device everywhere to use Instagram all the time. They want you and your mom and your 13 year old niece to use Instagram. They want Lebron and the 49ers and Lady Gaga on Instagram. They want you to open it every single day, multiple times a day. Why? Two reasons: 1)They are going to monetize Instagram. If you don't think they will, you are wrong. This will most likely be through ads. The higher the amount of people seeing ads with a high frequency means more money. NOTE: This article on Forbes was posted minutes ago. Click HERE.  2)They want more information about you. The more photos you take, the more photos you like, and the more locations you post all lead to more information they know about you. Wait, they care about this stuff? You bet they do. 

I love Instagram. I'm a regular. But I also hate the feeling that I have to check it often, knowing that catching up can be a time-consuming, relationship-damaging experience. And yet, this is JUST the reason Instagram doesn't allow you to bookmark your place in your feed. They want those spare moments on the bus, on the toilet, and in bed to be spent doing one thing: Instagramming.

Anxious for a new iPhone? Here are my September iPhone predictions.

We are all anxious to see what Apple has in store for us this fall. Rumors have been rampant about a new iPhone that will be more affordable and use a plastic back rather than the current aluminum and glass found on the iPhone 5. With that being said, here is what I predict: 

I think there will be an event on the 17th of September that will announce two new iPhones. I think the iPhones will be available for preorder starting on the 20th, and in store the 27th(maybe the 4th).  

1. The iPhone 5C. Not sure if it will be called this or not but that is what current rumors are speculating. It will be a 16GB model and come in 5, maybe 6 colors. It will basically be the same internals as the current iPhone 5 but in a plastic body. That means, the A6 processor, 8 Megapixel camera, bluetooth 4.0, LTE, and 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi(no ac). The phone will retail for $449(free on contract).

2. Apple will keep the current iPhone 5 but drop the price $100, ditch the 32 and 64GB models, and continue selling a 16GB(There is the possibility that Apple makes the iPhone only available in 32GB in order to give someone more reason than just the aluminum back to pay the $99 premium over the color iPhone). The iPhone 5 will be sold for $549 ($99 on contract).

3. Apple will introduce an iPhone 5S. It will look the same as the current iPhone 5 but will have a faster chip, probably an A7, will have an improved camera(not necessarily a megapixel increase, but definitely other improvements), NFC, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, and some sort of distinguishing feature. Rumors are that this feature will be a finger print sensor. I'm not 100% convinced that this will happen but I do think at this point that is the best bet. The 5S will continue to be sold in black and white, in 16, 32, and 64GB models, and prices will be $649, $749, and $849 ($199, $299, $399 on contract).

The color iPhones will be very attractive to a lot of people, especially in order to save $200. However, Apple is definitely going to do things to the 5S that will make you pine for it, almost anxious for them to take the additional $200 out or your pocket. The 5S is going to be one snappy bugger and it will be great with iOS 7. Oh, and as for iOS 7, I think it will be released sometime between the 20th and 26th of September. 

So if you are at the end of your life with your current iPhone, hang tight for 2 months and you'll have the chance to get it replaced. 

Hashtag Graffiti

Daniel Victor wrote a piece called Hashtags considered #harfmul and this was a priceless nugget at the end of the article:

I believe hashtags are aesthetically damaging. I believe a tweet free of hashtags is more pleasing to the eye, more easily consumed, and thus more likely to be retweeted (which is a proven way of growing your audience). I believe for every person who stumbles upon your tweet via hashtag, you’re likely turning off many more who are put off by hashtag overuse. We need not banish the hashtag, but let’s start putting more thought into when we’re using it.

I couldn't agree more. I don't think hashtags are always bad and that they can't be used, but like most things, they are best in moderation. Also, this hashtag graffiti concept is especially applicable on Instagram.  

iOS in the Car - "Very Important"

I wrote a piece called The Awful State of Infotainment Systems here on my site. Yesterday, at Apple's quarterly earnings, Tim Cook was asked about iOS in the Car and its importance in the Apple ecosystem. He responded that it is "Very Important." This is music to my ears! Knowing that Apple is concerned about the in car experience is the first important step in overhauling an absolutely terrible experience that currently exists. Next, we have to pray that the automakers get on board. Honda, Acura, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Infiniti, Ferrari, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, Volvo, Opel and Jaguar are all listed as participating automakers but time will tell whether or not they actually put screens in their cars that can take advantage of iOS in the Car. My fingers are crossed. 

*Note: I really want the new Mazda 3 Hatchback but Mazda is sadly not on this list. Come on Mazda, get your act together. You, of all automakers, needs some serious help with your in car entertainment and navigation offerings. 

With Bangle long gone, where does BMW design go from here?

BMW had a problem on its hands. Chris Bangle had been a designer for the German automaker since 1992. During those years he rose to a more prominent position and ultimately, head of design. Bangle is infamous for the dreaded "bangle butt" of the 7 Series sedan released in 2001. Personally, I didn't mind the 7 series too much. In fact, it was far less polarizing than the even more prominent and hideous trunk of the 6 series coupe. The problem was simply that the 7 series was BMW's flagship sedan. Later the BMW 5 series took on some terrible lines in its skin as well as the Z4. I think during that decade, the Z4 was my least favorite.

Chris Bangle left BMW in February of 2009. So why do I bring this up 4 years later? BMW announced the 2014 X5 SUV on the 30th of May. The new X5 is an evolution of BMW's current design concept. I don't think the new X5 is ugly. In fact, it is the best looking SUV in BMW's lineup. My question is, where does BMW design go next? Have they cornered themselves into a current design language that leaves very little room for interesting progression? Who knows, if BMW stays true to the design of the concept 4 Series, I could be swayed.