James Raia

Articles by James Raia

2017 Toyota Corolla: Enduring sedan keeps getting better

The 2017 Toyota Corolla marks the enduring sedan’s 51st year. Through 11 generations, the former econobox-on-wheels has lifetime worldwide sales of 43 million through last year. Since 1997, when it surpassed the Volkswagen Beetle, the Corolla remains the best-selling car in history. A new generation arrived in 2012, with yearly updates since. In 2016, Toyota began to offer a limited special edition to celebrate the car’s 50th anniversary. While competition remains intense, the 2017 Toyota Corolla keeps up with new safety and driving improvements, some not standard on luxury sedans. A rearview camera, forward collision warning, lane departure intervention and adaptive cruise control are now standard on all models. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The compact sedan market may be

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Mecum Auctions offers best bargain at Monterey Auto Week

John Kraman, a broadcaster for Mecum Auctions, has been enamored by automobiles for as long as he can remember. His father was a Pontiac and Oldsmobile salesman in the 1960s in Southern California, and his employment locations were Kraman’s after school playgrounds. As family legend details, Kraman began to identify cars at age 2. Nearly 60 years later, vast auto industry knowledge has served him well. With three broadcast colleagues, more than a half-dozen auctioneers, 40 television crew members and 200-300 auxiliary staff, Mecum Auctions was back this year at Classic Car Week on the Monterey Peninsula with its four-day auction at Del Monte Golf Course. While Classic Car Week has several auctions and shows with overtly priced tickets, Mecum

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Love or hate ’em, here are 15 cars gone after 2017

One is 25 years old this year; others are still in their infancies. But for one reason or another, 15 cars including the iconic Dodge Viper, will cease production with their 2017 models. The powerhouse Viper, with is boisterous V-10, has always attracted muscle car aficionados. Other cars and their driver tend to get out of its way. The Viper was costly and it didn’t fare well with changes in its corporate ownership. But it did help Chrysler change its boxy, boring image and now it’s gone, a quarter-century old, the oldest vehicle on the soon-to-be deceased list. The Weekly Driver through the years has reviewed several of the doomed vehicles. I’ve linked to my reviews. Here’s the list of

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2018 Genesis G80: second-year upscale sedan shines

Now in the second spinoff year from Hyundai as its own luxury brand, the Genesis has quickly built its reputation as a worthy challenger in the upscale market. Style, craftsmanship and image mean a lot in the high-end segment. Value isn’t often a priority. Welcome the Genesis. The G80 and flagship G90 are currently available only at Hyundai dealerships. But four other models and a dealership network are planned by 2021. The Southern Korean manufacturer isn’t giving away its vehicles, but value gets equal billing with other luxury car expectations. Updates for 2018 models further exemplify the brand’s new clout. Full LED headlamps, front and rear styling, a revised instrument panel and updated technology are all new. The Weekly Driver

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2018 Acura TLX: Improved sedan still an underdog

The 2018 Acura TLX is the fifth year of the performance-oriented midsize luxury sedan. It’s matched against segment leaders from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz and it was upgraded this year to further find its way as the competition intensifies. Unveiled in April and available at dealers in the Bay Area three months ago, the TLX has restyled wheels and a revised grille, front fascia and fenders. Technology has also advanced with new infotainment features, including Android Auto and Apple Car Play. Acura, the upscale marque of Honda, has long used three-letter titles acronyms in its lineup. It’s uncertain if the some of the names represent a style or are hopeful, important-sounding marketing phrases. The TLX (Touring Luxury Sedan) replaced the

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Distracted driving can lead to death from behind the wheel

It’s likely you’ve seen or heard the disturbing commercials and public service announcements about the dangers of texting while driving. The messages are broadcast often on television, radio and the internet. But the marketing campaign hasn’t been effective. The Canadian Broadcast Company (CBC) marketed that British Columbia created a new awareness campaign specifically targeting young drivers. The reason? Texting is anticipated to become “the chief cause of death behind the wheel for teens.” Teenage drivers generally lack experience to handle tricky weather. They also may lack the defensive driving skills needed to avoid a crash, and they’re at an age where experimenting with drugs and alcohol is more prevalent. But teenage drivers’ addiction to technology may be their greatest threat.

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2017 Nissan Rogue Hybrid: Nice try, can’t match SUV stars

The Nissan Rogue is a decade old. It arrived in late 2007 as a 2008 model and joined the quickly expanding crossover SUV segment. It was oddly named because it didn’t offer much to differentiate itself from well-established competitors. The 2017 Rogue continues the improvement in recent years of the five or sevenn-passenger crossover. It has strong craftsmanship, ample interior space, lots of trim options and it’s fairly priced. But with the car-buying public further enamored with the versatility of SUVs and sales of many top brands improving, where does the Rogue fit in? Where is its market share versus the segment’s best — the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester and Mazda CX-5? Nissan’s approach to finding more buyers for its

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Stephen Curry nets two NBA titles, $201 million, Infiniti gig

Stephen Curry has lead the Golden State Warriors to two NBA titles in the past three years. His achievements have resulted in the richest contract in the league’s history and new business relationships — like a global partnership with Infiniti. A few days before signing a five-year contract extension for $201 million, the star point guard for the Golden State Warriors agreed to the business relationship with the luxury automaker. According to Infiniti, Stephen Curry’s outstanding achievements and personal ambition to be at the top of his profession embody the spirit of Infiniti’s new brand positioning ‘Empower the Drive.’ ” The manufacturer will feature Curry in upcoming global product and brand marketing communications campaigns. Curry’s first campaign with the carmaker

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Chevrolet Bolt set for early nationwide debut in August

The Chevrolet Bolt, the all-electric sedan with a 238-mile range that debuted in two states last December, will be available nationwide in August. General Motors‘ recent announcement means the sedan’s full unveiling will occur one month sooner than originally planned. Dealers across the country are now accepting orders. “We were waiting for the training to be done, we were waiting for the right tools to be in place,” Majoros said at a Chevrolet media event in Nashville, Tenn., adding all dealers wanting to sell the vehicle had to install DC fast-charging stations. “We are kind of ahead of schedule on implementing all of those things as well as making sure we have enough sufficient inventory.” California and Oregon were the

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Kia retains top perch in J.D. Power annual quality study

Kia, the unheralded South Korean manufacturer still often scoffed at by mainstream car buyers, has achieved the top spot in the just-released J.D. Power annual report card on vehicle quality for a second consecutive year. With 72 problems reported per 100 vehicles, Kia retained its No. 1 position despite a shake-up in the 2017 U.S. Initial Quality Study rankings that included significant shifts with the German and Japanese brands. Most notably, Toyota and Lexus fell behind many U.S. and Korean brands. “This is without question the best quality the world has ever seen,” Dave Sargent, vice president, global automotive at J.D. Power, said when releasing the results at an Automotive Press Association meeting in Detroit. “The industry is picking up steam

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2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF: Driving nirvana with an asterisk

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is the best-selling and most polarizing roadster in history. It’s driving nirvana for its vast fan club. For others, it’s a too small, overrated phenomenon. But the MX-5’s numbers give credence to its enduring popularity. Since its debut in 1989, sales have averaged slightly more than 37,000 units per year through 2016. That’s minimal compared to top yearly sellers like the nearly 800,000 Ford F-150 trucks sold last year. Yet the little two-seat sports car has retained its loyal following for nearly three decades. The overriding reason: The soft-top convertible, hardtop and new RF (retractable fastback) define motoring fun at a fair price. The MSRP for the RF trim, my test vehicle, is $33,825. The RF

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Classic Auto Week adds Ferrari Concours at Pebble Beach

Ferrari is likely the most popular supercar and the auto industry’s most powerful brand. It’s involved in nearly every avenue of high-end racing, exotic consumer cars offering and classic car shows. Now more than 75 years old, the iconic company was founded by Enzo Ferrari in Modena, Italy, in 1939. And its nearly seven-decade relationship between Pebble Beach and Ferrari will expand exponentially in August when the Ferrari 70th Anniversary Concours will be held in conjunction with the Concours d’Elegance on Aug. 20 at Pebble Beach Golf Links. The double Concours will also mark the debut of the Fairway One project, which adds 38 guest rooms — 30 units in three two-story buildings and eight units in two four-bedroom golf

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2017 Kia Forte worthy compact option beyond Honda, Toyota

The 2017 Kia Forte is the 10th year of the South Korean compact. It’s among the best of several cars in different segments trying to find a market against some of the country’s long-standing, best-selling vehicles. Matched against the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, Volkswagen Jetta, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3 and others, the Forte remains unheralded. It’s in the sixth year of its second generation, but for 2017 has a restyled exterior, including more modern crafted headlights and taillights. Available as a sedan in LX, S and EX trim levels, the Kia Forte also has a hatchback variant, the Forte5, in LX, EX and SX trims. The two-door Forte Koup was discontinued after the 2016 model. For my test vehicle,

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2017 Honda Civic hatchback: sporty value gem returns

A small percentage of the car-buying public still enjoys the mechanics of driving. But manual transmissions are increasingly rare. Meet the 2017 Honda Civic hatchback sport. Honda decided this year to make its perennially top-selling compact more versatile, via an imported hatchback. The 10th generation of the sedan, manufactured in England, is available with a six-speed manual transmission. While the efficiency of continuously variable transmissions has simplified driving and Honda is at the automotive forefront with its version, the carmaker also appreciates tradition. Thirty years ago, about 25 percent of new cars sold in the United States featured manual transmissions. Today, it’s less than five percent. The Civic debuted in 1972 and it’s perched between the Honda Fit and the

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Forget Elio; How about a simple $5,490 T3-1 Micro?

Micro vehicles are nothing new. But they’re getting more innovative, including the newest electric scooter from ZEV (Zero Emissions Vehicles), the T3-1 Micro. A miniature car, or as one prominent tech site called it, “a quarter of a minivan,” the T3-1 in an enclosed, three-wheel trike. It’s ideal for short commutes or as a light delivery vehicle. The Micro has one door, one front seat and a parking brake. It’s is fully shielded from the weather, including a windscreen wiper. It also has “luxury items,” windows you can wind down and an optional sound system. Space isn’t cavernous, but two children or one adult can fit in the 35-inch wide rear seat. The scooter has a battery-electric, using a 4-kilowatt

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2017 Toyota Prius Prime: Efficient new hybrid shines

The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime, a plug-in gas-electric hybrid, is a new addition to the country’s largest selling hybrid family. It replaces the Prius Plug-in and it’s the most ambitious Prius on the market. Its exterior design, full of sharp angles and a unique narrow exterior light design in the mainstream automotive industry, removes the stodgy image of previous Prius models. The Prime is chock-full of technology, most visibly the navigation system and infotainment center. It’s an 11.6-inch vertically oriented high-resolution touchscreen, and it dominates the dashboard. It’s standard on the Prime Premium ($29,965) and top-line Prime Advanced ($33,965). It’s not available on the entry-level Prime Plus ($27,100). I drove the top-line Advance trim recently for two weeks during the

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