Drew Dowdell

The two big things you need to know are How Acidic and how well it drains or not. I took a class last year on how to grow the American Chestnut. American Chestnuts like to be high on hilltops with very well-drained soils. There's a geomapping tool in Pennsylvania that uses known land and altitude data to populate the best places for Chestnut plantings, and my property is one of the best in the county. What I used was a mix of planter soil and something called Pittmoss, better than Peatmoss. Its manufactured here and is mostly recycled newspaper. It's good for containers because it holds moisture better than peat. Just put them in some 5-gallon buckets and let them go. I need to move them around a bit soon. True genetic American Chestnuts are very hard to find. If you find them online, they are most likely crossbred with something else that is blight-resistant. I got my seeds directly from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation at one of their research centers at Penn State.

They look like sticks right now, lol. Their leaves are just starting to come back. But here's what they looked like going in.

I am growing two endangered American Chestnuts in buckets in my back yard. I started them from seed last summer.

Did I stutter?

No boxer engine = no sale.

I need to know the name of that warranty company so I can short their stock.

Beautiful vehicles! I'm not sure that you've improved things on the reliability side, but at least the miles are a lot lower and it will ride nicer than the G? Opt for the extended warranty again.

It's just a Pilot.

Most destination chargers will remain at 11.5. And the V4 chargers are all magic dock capable. But remember, the Cybertruck is the only Tesla that goes over 250kW. You can plug a Tesla Model Y LR into a 350kW charger, but it is still only going to charge at 250kW. I remain convinced that over 250kW charging is only needed for the extra big battery packs like in a Hummer or Escalade IQ. Even 150kW was fine on my recent trip in a Model-3 SR

They did not say what the new DC-Fast charge speed was, but we can infer. They are probably making this move to have better compatibility with Tesla charging stations. Charging a Model-3 Long Range at a 250kW charger instead of a 150kW charge decreases charging time by about 9 minutes for the 10%-80% charge. So my guess is that the 2024 Mach-E has 250kW charging, but it could also be in the 175kW-200kW range. There is also the rule that non-Tesla cars can only use the 250kW V3 Superchargers, which furthers my suspicion that 250kW is the new rate.

Really? I like the steering wheel.

As one of Acura's most popular models, Acura doesn't need to change much with the formula of the MDX to keep it great.  Still, for 2025, Acura included some minor revisions that might be a big deal to some. Mechanically, all of the dirty bits you don't see carry over, so if you liked the ride and drive before, you will again. The engines available remain a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6, making 290 horsepower, or the stouter 335 horsepower 3.0-liter turbo V6 that comes in the Type-S. Either one is mated to a 10-speed automatic. Externally, you'll need to put the 2024 model next to the 2025 model to notice the changes.  The front bumper has a new shape, the grille is wider, and there is a new mesh design.  Acura has rejigged the entire trim lineup, adding a new A-Spec Advance that offers a taste of features previously only available on the Type-S. The Type-S itself has been dropped and is now only available in the top-of-the-line Type-S Advance trim. Both A-Spec Advance and Type-S Advance come with quilted leather front seats with massage, a heated second row, sound isolation, and a heads-up display. The Type-S Advance also gets a heated steering wheel and a 31-speaker Bang & Olufsen entertainment system, up from the previous year's 25-speaker ELS unit. The most welcome change is the removal of the console-mounted touchpad in place of a new 12.3-inch touchscreen. Removing the touchpad also makes more room for additional storage and a closer reach for the wireless phone charging pad. The infotainment system is powered by Google Built-In and supports wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto.  If you didn't opt for the Type-S Advance trim, you'll have to make due with an 11-speaker system in the lower trims or a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen system in the higher trims. On the safety front, the 2025 Acura MDX gets an upgraded AcuraWatch safety suite with a new front camera and grille-mounted radar that improves detection range. The field of view is wider to spot pedestrians and lane markings. Range for the blind-spot monitoring system is also improved. The upgrades will arrive as soon as next month when the 2025 Acura MDX goes on sale.  No pricing has been announced. View full article