WESHOOT2 wrote:I lived both in Arlington (as close as one can get to the Pentagon) and in Gaithersburg.
I worked downtown.
I understand your commute.
Another good reason I moved to Vermont........
Yup. My girlfriend lives in Crystal City in Arlington, VA. Literally walking distance to the Pentagon. I live in College Park, MD, barely inside the Capital Beltway and on the diagonally opposite end of the Beltway from Arlington. I work several blocks away from the Capitol building in DC. My commute in DC is a nightmare and considerably worse than the Southern California traffic jams I endured for years when I lived there. The issue with LA is traffic density. The issue with DC is that
plus dismal freeway infrastructure, pathetic drivers, the lack of synchronized traffic lights on surface streets, endless construction, and the plentiful bridges for the Potomac and Anacostia rivers which slow down traffic flow. There are so many factors that make DC a terrible place for driving. It's statistically the worst place in America for distance traveled vs. time taken in traffic jams for the reasons I stated. It's also got the most accident-prone drivers in the nation. Hence, I got myself a dash cam.
Last year, I visited my brother in Los Angeles and dropped him off at his work so I could use his car during the day. He warned me about the horrid LA morning rush hour traffic. I drove it to drop him off and laughed at him. It was a breeze compared to DC. Yes, there's traffic but it's simply not as atrocious as DC. His car is an automatic and mine a manual too.
I'd love to move to a place like Vermont or a place more in nature were I don't have to deal with traffic jams and drivers who look at their smartphone screens more than out of their windshields. I remain hopeful for one day ending up in a better place but for now, I must endure.
I really think I'd enjoy my Kizashi ownership experience more if 90% of it didn't entail me sitting in atrocious DC traffic, banging my head against the steering wheel in frustration.
. Car was out for a week since I ordered the parts and did it myself, and let me tell you, it was a looooooong week without my car. I always want to trade it in for something faster but I withhold from such decisions because what I lok for in a car is for it to be quick but most importantly rare. I only have good things to say about this car. I bought a lip for it, going to buy some touch up paint for rock chips, and am thinking about maybe lowering the car. But for the most part keeping it stock for commutes. 
. Fuel economy isn't a real issue for me, I love the fosgate system and everything about the car. If I actually plan on dropping a new engine into it when this one gives out. I don't plan on letting it go lol.