Should Repairs Be Banned on Formula 1 Cars During Red Flags?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Along with the changes to the 2022 F1 cars, regulation and budget changes are also happening. The design team behind the new cars noted that close-contact racing impacted the tighter chassis design. With the implication that the 2022 F1 cars will lead to more red flags, should Formula 1 teams be able to fix the vehicles during these breaks?

Should teams be able to fix Formula 1 cars on break?

Should Repairs Be Banned on Formula 1 Cars During Red Flags? | Resul Rehimov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

RaceFans raised an interesting point last week. Should Formula 1 ban teams from being able to fix the cars when a red flag is out? Depending on which teams were involved in the accident, fixing the vehicle seems like quite an advantage. At the British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen had an altercation on track. Verstappen went careening into the barriers, but Hamilton was able to drive off. During the red flag event, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team was able to put the car back together. Hamilton won the race and gained 25 points for his win.

Another time at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, a crash between George Russell and Valtteri Bottas cost $1.8 million in damage. During the red flag of this race, Hamilton was also able to repair his car. He went on to score 19 points for second place.

In the last 12 months, six red flags have gone out to stop the race during various events. Before that, red flags were not very common.

Damage to Formula 1 cars can impact any team

Are the red flags being used to add some false excitement to the races? Last season, many fans complained that the races were boring with the usual Hamilton, Verstappen, Bottas start (and finish). The flag allows a standing restart, which shakes things up a bit.

However, these restarts and flags seem to be offering an unfair advantage. If drivers were to start from the pit lane after repairs, it might allow the cars to start from the back of the grid. Fans seem to enjoy watching Hamilton zip through the pack, anyway. It would also offer a more level playing field.

Otherwise, the cars that needed repair have a huge advantage. Change tires, repair bits, and get back into position with the other cars that didn’t even leave the track. If Hamilton could not repair his tire at Silverstone, he likely wouldn’t have finished the race.

The teams, the FIA, and Formula 1 do not consider the “consequences” of the collision when it comes to penalties. “So when [the stewards] judge an incident, they judge the incident itself, and the merits of the incident, not what happens afterward as a consequence. That’s been something the stewards have done for many years,” F1 race director Michael Masi commented. This is how the decision to give Hamilton a 10-second penalty came about. The stewards did not take the result of Verstappen being injured into consideration.

Some repairs should be approved due to safety

Such instances have benefitted other drivers in the past; it isn’t just Hamilton. The one important factor here is safety. Allowing a Formula 1 car to change tires due to debris on the track makes sense. Allowing teams to change from wet to dry tires also makes sense if the weather caused an issue.

IndyCar, NASCAR, IMSA do not allow Formula 1 teams to touch the car during red flags. Part of motorsport, in general, is that there is always luck involved. Sometimes cars get damaged due to no fault of the driver, and another driver benefits from it. On the other hand, cars can sustain damage and be retired from the race during a bout of bad luck.

The rules related to Formula 1 cars and races will never be perfect. Circumstances cannot apply to all issues that arise on the track, as that’s the fun in sports. Perhaps a revisit to the rules would do some good, but that could not be the case as well.

RELATED: Top Gun: Watch Tom Cruise Drive a 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 at Silverstone

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Should You Get a Robot Vacuum Cleaner?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

It’s the stuff dreams are made of: getting a clean house without having to lift a single finger. Maintenance around your home takes more time than you sometimes have, and there’s really no way around that. From taking care of your lawn to your car, and everything in between, your time is valuable. A robot vacuum cleaner isn’t going to take care of everything for you, but maybe it’s enough to take care of your floors. It could be a great tool to help you stay on top of clean floors. So, should you leap and buy one of these little miracle machines? 

What are robot vacuum cleaners?

Robot vacuum cleaners on a merchandise display | Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A robot vacuum cleaner is a small, self-propelled unit that will vacuum your floors for you. Some models will let you set a designated time for them to vacuum, while others you have to turn on manually. Newer models will be able to connect with your smartphone via an app, and you’ll have more control that way. 

According to Consumer Reports, sales of these robot vacuums have increased exponentially, making 16% of all vacuum sales, whether upright or robot, in 2019 and the first part of 2020. In comparison, they made up one percent of those sales in 2010. 

With popularity soaring like that, they must be doing something right. 

Robot vacuums have pros and cons

The pros are pretty straightforward and self-explanatory. There is always something that needs to be done, and having a robot vacuum pick up one of those small but necessary chores can help free up some time for yourself or for other things that need to be done. So, maybe you hate vacuuming. It’s loud, time-consuming, and hard to find time for sometimes. Having a robot vacuum would let it maintain your floors while you do other things. 

The newer models have even more going for them. They will map out rooms, send the information to your smartphone via an app, and you’ll be able to tell the model which room, or even part of a room, that you want it to vacuum. Additionally, most new models will return to the docking station to charge without you having to track it down and move it yourself. 

Another positive of robot vacuums is that they are also more mobile. At about the size of the base of an upright vacuum, they can get under tables and chairs without problems, while you would be struggling to get an upright into tight spaces. 

As for cons, robot vacuums work better in uncluttered rooms, on either no carpet or low-pile carpet. This is because the battery of a robot vacuum can wear down quickly if it is working through a high-pile carpet. If your battery runs out because it’s working too hard to move through the carpet, you may not get the whole floor clean, and some models won’t remember where they stopped if they shut down due to a lack of power. 

Robot vacuums also can’t tell if they missed a spot, and if they run over something left on the floor, you might have a mess to clean up. They also have a tiny internal bin, which makes their cleaning power a little on the short side. 

Can you replace your upright vacuum?

Because of the robot vacuum’s battery and small internal bin, these models don’t have the cleaning power that an upright vacuum does, so it would be wise to keep an upright vacuum on hand. In fact, Consumer Reports says that the upright vacuum they tested picked up over twice as much dirt as the robot vacuum. 

Therefore you’ll still want an upright vacuum for deep cleaning purposes, but the robot vacuum can absolutely handle daily maintenance. It can likely make using the upright easier by lessening the dirt it has to pick up on deep-cleaning days and perhaps making the upright last longer due to less wear and tear. Additionally, your upright vacuum is useful for jobs that the robot vacuum can’t do, like helping prevent damage to your vehicle and keeping it clean in general.

Therefore, getting a robot vacuum cleaner can absolutely make your daily maintenance, and even your deep cleaning, easier. However, while a robot vacuum can be a great addition, it probably can’t replace your upright vacuum just yet.

RELATED: 4 Robot Vacuums Under $300 Earned Consumer Reports’ ‘Best Buy’ Label

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The 2021 Audi e-Tron Is As Reliable As a Paper Airplane

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2021 electric Audi e-Tron combines a very good test score with a very good owner satisfaction score. However, its predicted reliability is as low as it can get. You might have better luck getting around Why is the 2021 Audi e-Tron’s reliability score so poor, and why do people love their e-Trons anyway?

The 2021 Audi e-Tron’s reliability is as bad as it can get

To determine the reliability of a vehicle, Consumer Reports sends out surveys to people who have bought previous versions of the vehicle. They then combine this survey data with what they know about the current model. They say that with these two pieces of information, they can “expertly predict the reliability of new and redesigned models.”

Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Audi e-Tron just a 1/5 for its predicted reliability. Although there are no reliability ratings for 2020, 2019 shows a poor reliability rating. Major problem spots in the 2019 include the drive system and power equipment. Other problem areas include the brakes, electric system, and engine major. 

Despite this poor reliability rating, the owner satisfaction score for the e-Tron is a 4/5. Owners give the driving experience an 88 and comfort an 83. Styling gets a 93. Value is only a 21. 75% of people would buy their Audi e-Tron again. 

The e-Tron’s road test is a very good 90

Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Audi e-Tron a 5/5 for its acceleration. It can reach 0 to 60 in 6.3 seconds, which is decent. Routine handling receives a very good 4/5. However, the emergency handling rating is only a 3/5. The Audi e-Tron max avoidance speed is 50 mph.

Braking is very good in the e-Tron. It scores a 4/5 and can brake from 60 mph on wet pavement in 131 feet and dry pavement in 134 feet. Unfortunately, the e-Tron’s headlights score a not-great 2/5. 

As far as comfort, the 2021 Audi e-Tron gets a 5/5 for its ride. It’s quiet: it scores a 5/5 for its noise. While the front seat comfort gets a perfect 5/5, rear-seat comfort is just a 5/5. Interior fit and finish get a perfect 5. The trunk and cargo space scores only a 2/5 with 28 cubic feet, so it’s not a great vehicle for a family road trip.

Audi’s e-Tron comes with a ton of safety features

Consumer Reports recommends a slew of advanced safety features that car shoppers should consider. These include forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking at city and highway speeds, lane-keeping assistance, and lane departure warning. Consumer Reports also says that pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning are important to have. Rearview cameras are standard in all new cars. You should also look for anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and daytime running lights.

The 2021 Audi e-Tron comes standard with all of Consumer Reports’ recommended safety equipment, which is fantastic. Owners of the e-Tron won’t have to pay more to get important safety features.

Both the IIHS and the NHTSA have crash-tested the 2021 Audi e-Tron. The IIHS gives it all good ratings. The NHTSA gives it five stars for overall crash, side crash, and side-crash on the driver and passenger side. However, the overall frontal-crash, frontal-crash driver and frontal-crash passenger ratings are four stars. The side pole crash gets five stars, as does the 4WD rollover. 

If you can look past the 2021 Audi e-Tron’s reliability rating, it’s a pretty solid midsize luxury SUV. If you do decide to pursue the e-Tron despite its reliability rating, stay on top of maintenance and don’t delay getting any potential problems serivced. Hopefully this will help you avoid paying thousands in repairs.

RELATED: This Is Your Last Chance to Get a BMW i3

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The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Will Have a Problem on Road Trips Unless You Upgrade to This Package

by Gabrielle DeSantis

When Ford unveiled the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford fans and Mustang fans didn’t give it the warmest reception. Regardless, the Mach-E is on the market now, and it’s received quite a bit of praise from car critics and customers since its initial debut. While it’s not a perfect car, the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E has won more than a few awards, though customers have been advised to upgrade their Mach-E to get the most out of their car.

The Ford Mustange Mach-E and other best EVs of the year

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E | The Ford Motor Company

When someone says EV, one of the first words that may come to mind is Tesla. Despite that notoriety, Tesla didn’t actually win that much as far as Good Housekeeping was concerned. The Tesla Model 3 won in its segment, but other than the Model 3, other automakers managed to make better EVs than Tesla. For example, the Volvo XC40 Recharge won in its Good Housekeeping class, despite Tesla also debuting the Model Y in the segment.

Additionally, in the electric compact SUV segment, the Mustang Mach-E won it all. This is one of the many awards that Ford has won for the Mustang Mach-E, and like other awards, it was well-earned. After all, the compact SUV segment is one of the hottest segments right now, and while there are fewer electric compact SUVs, it’s still an impressive achievement by Ford.

Why the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E won

Off the bat, Ford’s been hyping up the Mustang Mach-E, and like Good Housekeeping wrote, the Mustang Mach-E “doesn’t disappoint.” It starts at about $43,000, which isn’t cheap, but it’s definitely attainable for many families. However, just like its namesake, the Mach-E is a Mustang, and it’s a pretty sporty car. The Mustang Mach-E’s standard electric motor gets about 266 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque, and this allows it to go from 0 to 60 mph in about 5.8 seconds.

This powerful motor provides drivers and passengers with a “smooth, quiet ride,” according to Good Housekeeping. With that being said, the standard Mach-E has a 68 kWh battery, and that gives it a 230-mile driving range. This is about average for an EV, but for many customers, it’s not enough. That’s why Good Housekeeping, despite giving the Mustang Mach-E the win, also advised that customers should get the Premium trim instead of the regular trim.

The Premium trim of the Mustang Mach-E has access to the larger 88 kWh battery. This bigger battery provides up to 300 miles of range, which will come in handy on road trips or adventures to the great outdoors. These upgrades won’t be cheap, though, and the Premium Extended Range trim will push the Mustang Mach-E’s price tag to about $52,000.

For some folks, however, the Premium trim might be a necessity. According to Good Housekeeping, the Premium trim gets fast-charging capabilities, allowing the Mustang Mach-E to be more usable on road trips. In any case, all Ford Mustang Mach-E trims are pretty high-tech inside the cabin. They all feature the latest in Ford’s infotainment system, as well as a large suite of standard safety features.

How Good Housekeeping got its list

Obviously, Good Housekeeping, like any car critic, test drove many different EVs to create its list. However, Good Housekeeping also looked at various qualities to pick the best vehicle of them all.

Good Housekeeping did a few extra things for EVs as well. They also looked at important stats like the EV’s charging speeds, driving range, and even things related to charging infrastructure. Good Housekeeping didn’t go at it alone, either. The critic’s experts and engineers also got insights from Car and Driver before making the list.

RELATED: The Ford Mustang Mach-E is Officially EV of the Year

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