James Raia

Articles by James Raia

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2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid: bright future now

No one ever calls the 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid a Comfortable Runabout Vehicle or a Compact Recreational Vehicle. But like other vehicles known by acronyms, the CR-V is Honda‘s mid-range and most popular sport utility vehicle. It’s quickly likely to become further favored. The SUV segment, according to industry analysts, is expected to approach half of all new vehicles in the United States this year. Which makes it surprising one option hadn’t been previously offered. The Honda CR-V Hybrid, with documented histories to two original given names, debuts this year in a hybrid trim. The Honda CR-V Hybrid has increased in popularity for 11 straight years beginning in 2009 when slightly more than 191,000 sold. Yearly sales more than doubled

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Rare Dodge Dakota ragtop at auction

Mini pickup trucks were the rage during the 1970s, 1980s and into the early 1990s. But as sport utility vehicles became increasingly popular, interest in popular mini-trucks from Chevrolet, Datsun, Ford, Mazda and Toyota waned. To be different, Chrysler introduced the Dodge Dakota Convertible pickup truck in 1989. It featured a fixed roll bar and a simple manual top. About 2,500 units of the odd trucks sold in the debut year, only 909 were made in 1990 and eight in 1991. Dodge Dakota convertible at Mecum With all options available included, the Dodge Dakota convertible in 1990 costs about $18,000 new. The current equivalent is about $35,625. Only a few of the convertibles remain in good shape. One example will

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#131, Greg Griffin races a Ferrari, builds Florida homes

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:28 — 39.1MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreGreg Griffin is likely the only race car driver whose heritage features an Italian grandfather who owned 18 Ferraris including one used as a farm tractor by famed artist Andrew Wyatt. The owner and president of Griffin Builders in Naples, Florida, Griffin has been a custom home builder for nearly 20 years. But he’s been around the supercars for as long as he can remember. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia interview Griffin in Episode #131 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Greg Griffin: A family full of Ferrari After a two-week hiatus during the early stages of the coronavirus, Bruce and I resumed our

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Pickup trucks not perfect, but 5 make safety priority

Pickup trucks always seem safe. Sitting high off the road and in a vehicle with all-wheel drive or 4WD capacity provides a sense of security. But trucks don’t always have top safety ratings. No 2020 pickup trucks so far have received a Top Safety Pick or a Top Safety Pick+ — the highest ratings — according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Not all 2020 models have IIHS ratings yet, but at least three reasons contribute to trucks’ surprising ratings. Do pickup trucks seem too safe? Truck drivers, feeling safe, sometimes drive too aggressively in inclement weather. Pickup trucks often have body-on-frame construction and accident impact results are often severe. Some automakers may also focus on their cars

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2020 Nissan Titan: new, improved, still struggling

Nearly 20 years ago, someone decided on the not-so-keen idea of naming a full-sized pickup truck after a mythological Greek god. It’s been a curse for the Nissan Titan. Perennially low-selling in the country’s best-selling vehicle segment, the Titan has had only two generations since 2003 and none since 2016. The Titan had the poorest sales of any mainstream full-sized truck last year, losing nearly 38 percent of its share from a year earlier. Refreshing the truck for 2020 was the least Nissan could after only 31,000 Titans were purchased last year. The brand finished an unlucky 13th and at the bottom on the sales list. Nissan Titan tries to rebound The Nissan Titan was never bad; its rivals are

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BREAKING NEWS: Mercedes-Benz live celebrity Zoom show

With so many automotive events, the Geneva International Motor Show to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance to the Paris Motor Show, all canceled, Zoom had a good idea. In a hastily announced press release, Mercedes-Benz will have an online automotive show on Zoom called the Concours de Zoom. It will feature the Mercedes-Benz vehicles of celebrities and car collectors ranging from Jay Leno to Martha Stewart. The just-announced event will be broadcast on Zoom at 2 p.m. Pacific Time, 5 p.m., Eastern Time. Zoom in to Mercedes-Benz online car show Mercedes-Benz will make a financial donation to the American Red Cross after the event. Musician Ludacris, PGA Tour golfer Rickie Fowler, Riverdale star Madelaine Petsch and music video director Cole

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#130, Fair provides safe car leasing Covid-19 option

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:47 — 32.7MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreCraig Nehamen is a co-founder of Fair. It’s among several apps debuting within the past decade that provide a new car leasing option for way for consumers. The app, which launched in September 2017, allows consumers to lease a previously owned vehicle for a short or long time frame. Nehamen is our guest on episode #130 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with Nehamen about the business and the process of leasing a vehicle online via Fair. The car leasing option, Fair calls a subscription, is increasingly popular during the coronavirus. Consumers are still buying vehicles but car

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Rivian EV debut delayed by Covid-19 crisis

The debut of the Rivian Automotive pickup truck, the much-anticipated and hugely financed potential competitor of Tesla, has been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Amazon, Ford and Cox Automotive have combined for nearly $3 billion in investments for the innovative truck and sport utility vehicle. And the unveiling was scheduled for later this year, perhaps at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. The vehicle received global attention when prototypes were unveiled at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. With its investment, Amazon ordered 100,000 custom-designed electric delivery vehicles. Rivian has best EV range Industry analysts predict the R1T and R1S trucks, marketed with a range of 400 miles per charge, can challenge Tesla. The efficiency estimates would be the

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#129, A Subaru Impreza, a sudden crash, a family heals

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:46 — 35.4MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More Ron Richman, an attorney in San Francisco, recently received a phone call from the eldest of his two sons, Sam, a lawyer in Los Angeles. The father immediately heard something in his son’s voice that wasn’t right. His instincts were accurate. The younger Richman, 29, had been driving his 2014 Subaru Impreza hatchback with a friend as a passenger on Santa Monica Blvd. at 30-35 miles per hour. He was hit from behind by a car witnesses estimated was traveling about 80 mph. The Subaru Impreza then hit a bus. Sam Richman suffered a concussion, bruised lungs and kidneys, deep bruises from his

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Wacky Aussie trailer a bunker on wheels

It’s part tank, part trailer, part Mad Max movie star on wheels. It’s the latest from Australian Off Road (AOR), and it’s as innovative as a buyer wants to be creative. A small version of the AOR Sierra square drop trailer, the new Sierra ZR is a simple, make-to-your preferred spec cargo hauler. It works and feels like an entry-level, off-road camper. Its base cost is about $19,000, about $8,000 less than its bigger sibling. “We know that many campers start off small and have their own gear loaded up and ready to go,” said an AOR spokesperson. “With the ZR, almost everything is optional – you can option up or bring your own roof-top tent, awning, fridge, BBQ and

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2020 Nissan Sentra, a new hipster nearing 40

Nearing its 40th birthday, the Nissan Sentra has endured weird names and different marketing strategies. Once a sub-compact, it’s now a compact or small sedan. Its peculiar names in different countries include Tsuru, Sylphy and Almera. It’s also a direct descendant of the Datsun B210. The 2020 Nissan Sentra, available in the United States, isn’t named after a crane, a slender young woman or a princess. Its moniker is a variant of sentry, which also isn’t quite right. But guardian or protector-on-wheels is workable. The Sentra has adapted and remains strong in an ever-crowded marketplace. Key Takeaways Eighth-generation redesign targets hipsters instead of rental fleets: A two-tone Monarch Orange body with Super Black roof and black wheels signals the biggest

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Takata airbag issues affect 250,000 Nissan vehicles

The Takata airbag issue won’t go away. This time, the Japanese supplier of safety equipment to many domestic and international brands is facing a recall from Nissan SUVs, trucks and vans. The Nissan recall covers about 250,000 Nissan NV Cargo and Passenger vans from 2012 to 2017, the 2013 to 2015 Nissan Titan pickup and Armada large SUV, and the 2011 and 2012 Infiniti QX56 SUV. Projectile shrapnel is the problem. The vehicles have airbags with volatile ammonium nitrate that can explode with too much force. The airbags have a moisture-absorbing chemical that was supposed to make them safe. Takata faulty airbags prompt shrapnel Documents posted by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) detail that the company packed

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#128, WeatherTech Raceway adjusts to COVID-19, stays on course

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:14 — 47.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreWithout one vehicle negotiating its 18 percent devilish descent on turn 8 or even one engine starting, WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway has negotiated a lot of racing in recent weeks. But it’s all been behind the scenes and against the calendar clock and uncertainty of the coronavirus. Joining the ever-lengthening list of sports teams and venues, the raceway and recreation area has amended its yearly calendar with a series of rapid-fire announcements. Barry Toepke, director of marketing and communications for the raceway, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. He discusses with co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia how the

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Pickup trucks, SUVs rule global market

Grande Prairie, Alberta is a petroleum and agriculture-dominant city about 300 miles northwest of Edmonton. Winter driving is brutal. Citizens and seasonal oil field workers mostly rely on pickup trucks or sport utility vehicles. A few years ago, when visiting the city for several days during the late summer Tour of Alberta, the now-defunct professional cycling event, I re-enacted a version of the old family vacation game. But instead of counting license plates from different states, I counted vehicles. On two early morning runs with temperature in the mid-30s, I categorized the first 25 vehicles viewed. Combined, 43 of the 50 were pick-ups or SUVs. The roads were icy and muddy, potholes plentiful. Driving a heavy, all-wheel-drive vehicle made sense.

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