Kyle, the king of car videos

If you are a) shopping for a car, b) waxing nostalgic about a car you used to own, or c) want to waste hours online, then you need to check out saabkyle04's Youtube channel.  In just a few short years, the pharmacy student from North Carolina has documented by video over a thousand different cars.  Each video is around ten minutes long and methodically shows the exterior and interior of a car.  His internet celebrity status was confirmed recently when the print magazine Car & Driver did a flattering piece on his video collection.

Kyle has agreed to an interview with me.  So if you have any questions, leave them in the comment section below.

In the meantime, here are some sample videos Kyle produced.  They cover the cars I had between 1996 and 2011.

1993 Jeep "Corky" Wrangler (owned between 1996 and 2001): This was my first car after undergrad and during grad school.  Mine was red with a black soft top as well.  It had a gutless 2 1/2 liter four with a 5 speed manual transmission.  I had aftermarket rims and tires as well but they were not as big and flashy as the ones in the video below.  I disabled the door ajar buzzer because I had the doors off during the summers.  Routine maintenance was a cinch-- I changed the oil without the need to jack up the car.  I drove 80,000 miles and the only thing it needed was a clutch.  I had that car while I lived in Berkeley, DC, and Oakland; it was broken into at least a dozen times.  That car was anemic and handled like a box of Kleenex but it was a lot of fun.  I sold it to the owner of my neighborhood liquor store.  He promptly retired and moved back to his native Fiji (and shipped the Jeep there).

2001 BMW "The Batmobile" 330i (2001 to 2004): With my first real job after school, I picked up a black on black E46 with the Sports and Premium packages.  My only regret was getting an automatic transmission.  It was the complete opposite of the Wrangler.  The ContiSportContact tires (the rear ones to be specific) would need replacing every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, and I didn't mind it a bit.  It ended up at the shop frequently for a variety of electrical issues and with the three year free maintenance program about to run out (and the warranty already expired), I regretfully got rid of it.

2004 Acura "Anon." TSX (2004 to the present): This has been an extremely reliable car.  It's arguably the best four cylinder FWD sedan out there.  My six speed manual transmission shifts crisply and precisely, even after 110,000 miles.  Besides wear on the driver's seat, it looks and feels brand new.

Compared to the one in the video, both cars have the same interior and exterior.  As mentioned above, mine has a manual.  I also did not get any of the extras-- fog lights, pinstripes, mud flaps, Bluetooth, or navigation.

And just for sh&ts and giggles, here's a big Phaeton: