Dear Dr. Stauffer, Rip,

Read your article; indeed, the dissonance between a decent product offering, and the poor quality of the service provided, can be quite unnerving. To the noises and smells. I agree that the smell of gasoline is rarely a good sign. I often use a taxi service that converted all of their Czech Skodas to natural gas, and believe me, the smell of odorant in the cabin does not make me nostalgic; in fact it leaves me with a sensation that a gas hob in the kitchen was left open :-)

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and your own experiences behind the wheel!

Yours,

Andrey

Dear Scott H. Thank you for your response. That much is true: there are only so many discerning consumers who decry fake materials. I totally agree that when the fact is candidly acknowledged by the seller, it is OK to use those. In most cases, fake wood, leather, or stone are offered as cheap alternatives to the expensive materials. Yet gas-scented fragrances and audio features for engine sounds are add-ons, not replacements. It is almost as if the seller makes amends for not offering you that good old furious muscle car, so he introduces superfluous features to comfort you. It is exactly as you put it: honest and simple, that wins long term. Thank you. Andrey