Hi everyone:
As we know the news is constantly full of bad news. Rarely is there good news spreading. And we at Brits in LA have sure been guilty of it in the past…so I plan to be as uplifting in this column as possible.
But first the bad news(?)
This page is taking a well-deserved break and going on hiatus for a month. In our place expect some juicy travel writing from our editor, who is heading to Sicily, Sardinia, Marbella and Provence for a sailing, food and wine trip.
I look forward to being extremely jealous, although if you follow me on social media you will have seen that I have just gotten back from a stunning vacation myself. My friend Erin turned 50 this past year and booked this trip to St. Lucia originally in March, but the COVID numbers were extremely high in January so we postponed to June.
I’m not going to go on about how amazingly stunning and therapeutic the trip was They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ll just drop this here.
I decided in June of last year to give up my vehicle and go car-less for a year, and glad I did as I saved quite a lot of money, but with things opening up I decided it was time to get a set of wheels again. I have driven electric cars for the last six years and always loved not having to enter gas stations and especially now with the price of gas.
I had previously driven the BMW i3, but contacted some motorhead friends of mine to get their scoop on the best electric cars on the market right now. They mention the Tesla (of course) Lucid, the Volvo and the VW id4 as their favorites. So I went to test drive a few. The Lucid looks super cool and sci-fi but was expensive and nothing on the market yet. The Volvo was a little too mild, a family car and didn’t suit my personality. The wait for the Tesla is too long and so I was happy when I visited Mike Sullivan’s VW of Santa Monica and test drive the ID4. Firstly it’s super sleek and looks really high end like a Porsche Cayenne or the Range Rover Velar. The no contactless locks to the car, the Batman lighting on the floor at night, the leatherette seating… the future has arrived. It gets around 250 miles on a full charge compared to 125 miles in my BMWi3. The drive is incredibly smooth, sometimes I forgot I was actually driving…but for the lane assist and the vibrating steering wheel which ensure you are paying attention. The speaker system sounded truly insane as I rolled down the windows and blared the Love Island Spotify playlist through CarPlay!
And with all the hot weather the car’s excellent AC hits you all in the right spots and even has a ‘Clima Option’ with heated seats for those cold mornings.
Now the best part… I also test drive the same car in Palm Springs and did a price comparison. Because of our Brits in LA relationship with BMW Santa Monica I knew I would be taken care of but I was blown away when the dealership in Palm Springs was $200/ month MORE for a lease for the exact SAME car.
I couldn’t wait to sign my lease with VW Santa Monica. Now I know I sound like an ad or a testimonial – but the customer care I got was second to none and I have heard from SO MANY other Brits who bought from the same dealership how happy they are and how well they were treated.
So again a picture speaks a thousand words, here’s little old me picking up my pride and joy….
And finally good news comes in threes.
We have decided upon a date for our first in person pub quiz… hosted by the one and only Sandro Monetti. Set your calendars for Tuesday Aug 3rd at 730pm and we are excited to share that we are partnering with Brendan and Gary at the Market Tavern at the Original Farmer’s Market (3rd and Fairfax). Come as a team of two or with other vaccinated friends for a maximum of six players. Enjoy some great British food and see real like-minded people. No cover fee and there will be a few prizes. We look forward to hosting you. There is parking in the farmers market. But, Please remember to drink responsibly and don’t drink and drive!
Look forward to seeing you there!
Craig
