James Raia

Articles by James Raia

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2017 Toyota Prius Prime: Into the mountains with ease

Eleven days into coverage of the Amgen Tour of California, I’ve surpassed 1,000 miles while driving the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid. My trip began May 10 in Sacramento, and the race just ended in Pasadena. The women raced for four days, including two days in South Lake Tahoe and two days ending in Sacramento. The men raced for seven days from Sacramento to today’s concluding high-speed finale from Mountain High to downtown Pasadena. As the newest and most technologically advanced Prius since the hybrid debuted in the United States in 2000, the Prius Prime is among the few affordable green vehicles that can change the automotive industry. It joins the all-electric 2017 Chevy Bolt and the luxury Lincoln

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2017 Toyota Prius Prime has short shift, not short shrift

The transfer today for stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California took me from Morro Bay to Santa Clarita, California, and I’ve now driven a 2017 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid for a week. I’ve covered 775 miles and averaged 55.9 mpg, nearly two miles per gallon more than plug-in hybrid’s rating. The route from Morro Bay was a coastal trek on Highway 1 and then a diversion to Highway 101 south for about two hours. The route then turned inland on 154 through small hamlets before rejoining 101. The final short stretch into Santa Clarita was a switch to smaller inland roads on state route 126. The drive covered 184 miles. With two brief stops to stretch and

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Jerry Seinfeld set to auction rare Lotus super car in Texas

Jerry Seinfeld is known for his passion for Porsche cars. But the comedian has a vast interest in all kinds of automobiles, including a rare Lotus he used to own that’s now about to be auctioned. The 2009 Lotus Exige S260 sports coupe will be among 16 former celebrity owned cars in addition to 175 other vehicles set for the auction of May 27 in the Dan Kruse Classics Midland-Odessa Car Auction in Midland, Texas. The fastest to, from and around the track model, the 2009 Lotus Exige S260 Sports Coupe was among the vast collection that the car enthusiast owns is in special order Kawasaki green. Highlights of the super sports car include a 1.8 Liter Inline 4-Cylinder Engine

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2017 Toyota Prius Prime: Fuel efficient, safety galore

After nearly six full days of driving the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid during the Amgen Tour California, I stopped for my first refuel about two hours into a 3 1/2-hour evening drive from San Jose to Morro Bay, California. The route was primarily a long, straight haul north-south along Highway 101 before an undulating, often single-lane finishing 17-mile trek on Highway 41 into the ocean resort city. I stopped with about 90 miles left in the drive. I filled up the Prius Prime with 9.3 gallons at $3.09 per gallon for a total of $29.00. I’d driven 499 miles. The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime is rated at 54 miles per gallon. I averaged 53.3 mpg on my first

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2017 Toyota Prius Prime fares well on the long, winding road

After two days of brief, round-trip commutes of only a few miles each way from Harvey’s to Heavenly Mountain Resort, I returned today from South Lake Tahoe to Sacramento in my test vehicle, a 2017 Toyota Prius Prime. It’s a plug-in hybrid. I’m driving the new vehicle, the most upscale Prius ever made, for the entire Amgen Tour of California. The women’s race began May 11 in South Lake Tahoe and ends May 14 in Sacramento. The men’s race begins May 14 in Sacramento and will advance to its May 20 conclusion in Pasadena. Driving the reverse route of the 103-mile haul from my home in Sacramento to South Lake Tahoe, I made two brief side stops on the way

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Elio Motors sputters again, will miss promised job deadline

As if Elio Motors hasn’t had enough setbacks, now Paul Elio, the company’s owner and founder, says he’ll miss the deadline for the hiring of 1,500 jobs he promised for workers to staff the fledgling company’s manufacturing plant in Shreveport, Louisiana. A report in the Shreveport Times, the city’s newspaper, details that Elio still plans to build this three-wheel vehicle in the former General Motors plant. But he’s also running up against a possible financial per-job penalty from RACER Trust. The financial company was appointed to run the GM plant in 2011 by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, according to the newspaper. Elio Motors hasn’t begun production of the public vehicle. But it has touted prototypes for years at cars shows

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2017 Toyota Prius Prime: Cool technology for modern hybrid

The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid is the most upscale addition to the Prius family. Its exterior design removes the stodgy image of many of the models in the country’s best-selling hybrid lineup. The Prime’s interior is chock-full of technology, most visibly the JBL navigation system. It’s an 11.6-inch vertically oriented high-resolution touchscreen. While not available on the entry-level Prime Plus, it’s standard on the Prime Premium ($29,965) and the top-line Prime Advanced ($33,965). I’m driving the Advance trim for two weeks during the Amgen Tour of California, May 11-20. It will take the women’s field from South Lake Tahoe to Sacramento over four days. The men’s race will begin in Sacramento on May 14 and progress to Pasadena

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Pacific Coast Dream Machines: All things for all engines

The recent 27th annual Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show occurred exactly as billed. Trailer queens to muscle cars, dragsters to junkers, rarities to one-of-kind machines that looked like they were made for Mad Max movies, were all displayed at the Half Moon Bay Airport, 20 miles south of San Francisco. The all-inclusive event, a charity for an area adult daycare center, works well under the premise of 84-year-old founder Bob Senz, who says: “If it’s a mean matchine, you bring it.” Senz’s description works, albeit with a loose description of the word “mean.” Perhaps better described, about 2,000 vehicles on display were the possessions of passionate owners, whether the “mean machine” was a valuable vintage car or a vehicle of

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The Weekly Driver Newsletter, Volume 1, #2: Technology overload

The term technology overload is new to the automotive world. In recent years, manufacturers have gone to great lengths to provide more gadgets in their vehicles to beat the other guy. The competition is fierce, but what does it all mean? Do drivers need all this stuff? Many of the safety improvements, side detection mirrors, traffic monitoring, backup cameras, are beneficial. But over-sensitive bells and buzzers that engage seemingly at random? David Lyon, a former General Motors designer, speaking at the 2015 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress in Detroit, stressed the need for an industry “features intervention.” Likewise in 2015, J.D. Power, the global market research company, detailed the issue in its first Driver Interactive Vehicle Experience Report.

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2017 Kia Niro: New compact SUV redefines hybrid

The 2017 Kia Niro is new in the South Korean manufacturer’s lineup. It’s a sub-compact hybrid utility vehicle that looks more like a handsome, streamlined wagon. And it performs well enough to earn the loose translation of its name — strength. Unveiled at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show, the Kia Niro uses a 1.6-liter hybrid-electric powertrain with 139 horsepower. It’s built with lightweight metals which help most trims achieve the SUV‘s superior gas mileage estimates: 46 miles per gallon in city driving, 40 miles per gallon on the freeway. Accessories lights are all operated via the hybrid engine. There’s no traditional battery. Positioned in the Kia line-up below the Kia Sportage, the Niro’s strength isn’t so much performance-oriented as it

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The Weekly Driver Newsletter, Volume 1, #1

PUBLISHER’S STARTING LINE Since TheWeeklyDriver.com debuted in 2004, the repeated delays and controversy surrounding the three-wheel Elio vehicle has attracted more interest than any other topic. The innovative Tesla has changed the auto industry. Test drives and reviews of a Bentley sedan and SUV were special experiences. Driving a Rolls-Royce for a day in the Arizona desert was a rare treat. And through 13 years of publishing, many others vehicles, entry level to luxury, have been intriguing. But the reaction to the Elio, a vehicle that doesn’t exist, tops all. Here’s the deal: Paul Elio announced his intentions in 2014 to unveil a $6,800 three-wheel vehicle in 2015 that would change the auto industry. It was touted with superior gas

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The Quail: A Carmel car show with prestige, civility

Monterey Auto Week has something for every enthusiast. High-end auctions throughout the Monterey Peninsula attract wealthy silent bidders from far-flung countries. The Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach serves appropriately as a grand finale with its rarities and fanfare. The Concours on the Avenue in Carmel and the Little Car Show in Pacific Grove are free. They define the charms of small-city gatherings and the passion owners have for their vehicles regardless of value. Likely the most successful event in recent years during the August automotive pilgrimage is The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering. Billed as a “Luxurious Lifestyle Event,” the invitation-only show will celebrate its 15th edition August 18 at Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel. Reasons for the show’s

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Nissan goes to the dogs with luxury, safety plushness

Nissan has gone to the dogs, but it’s all good. With the belief that while traveling dogs should be as safe and comfortable as their owners, the new, elaborate “Rogue Dogue” project vehicle prototype debuted at the New York International Auto Show. “For all of the dog lovers at Nissan, the Rogue Dogue is so much fun – the equivalent, I guess you could say, of riding with your head out the window if you were a dog,” said Michael Bunce, vice president, Product Planning, Nissan North America, Inc. “Of course, we also take pets’ safety very seriously, which is why the Rogue Dogue includes secure leash fastening attachments in the second row and rear cargo area – along with

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2017 Honda CR-V: Top-selling SUV still reigns

For more than 20 years, the Honda CR-V has ideally defined the Japanese manufacturer’s reputation. It makes vehicles with a rare combination of style, efficiency, practicality and versatility. It was hard to complain about previous Honda CR-V editions. It’s been the country’s best-selling compact SUV for many years. But with the sport utility segment increasingly competitive, even industry leaders can’t become complacent. The 2017 Honda CR-V is the debut of the SUV’s fifth generation and it celebrates the vehicle’s 23rd birthday. Its exterior and interior designs are new. New safety features abound, and the CR-V is larger inside and outside. Its description as a compact SV is questionable with its expanded spaciousness. The CR-V is only slightly longer, wider and

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Lotus takes the lead with new cat helmets (April Fools)

Every car manufacturer looks for an edge against the competition. Lotus thinks it has found one — cat helmets. The luxury sports car manufacturer has introduced for a brief time (April 1) lightweight, optimized, ergonomically designed and stylish helmets for our four-legged friends. They’re called Pet Lids. According to Lotus, “Pet Lids are the ultimate accessory for animal-friendly sports car owners.” The innovative product was unveiled after “extensive and hair-raising time trials.” The new lifestyle range of stylish helmets is described as practical and desirable. Tipping the scales at a trim 25 grams, the wonderfully detailed lids can be personalized with your furry companion’s name and blood group. Available in a choice of contemporary and historic color schemes, the new

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For sale: 340 cars, 5 acres in British Columbia for $1 million

After 40 years of collecting vintage cars, Mike Hall has had enough. The rock scaler from British Columbia is selling more than 340 cars is various conditions as well as the property where the relics rest. Hall is the owner of the unique real estate listing. The combination of the five-acre listing includes the cars, a salvage business, storage property and a 900-square-foot stocked restoration shop. The asking price is slightly more than $1 million (converted from Canadian dollars). Hall explains further details of his obsession with old cars on the website www.driving.ca. While traveling often in his job as a rock scaler, Hall finds cars he wants and buys them. The cars range from Dodges to Fords to Chevy

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