James Raia

Articles by James Raia

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2022 Range Rover: looks, power, big money

Land Rover decided 2022 was the ideal time to introduce the most expensive vehicle in the multi-national manufacturer’s nearly 75-year history. It’s called the Range Rover SV LWB. The rig is powerful. It features a 4.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 with 523 horsepower and a top speed of 155 miles per hour. Its vastness and power also result in impressive versatility. The Range Rover has an 8,000-pound towing capacity and it can also accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in five seconds. With its preposterously opulent collection of features, the new Range Rover is the quarter-million dollar car from Jaguar Land Rover. Since 2008, it’s been a subsidiary of India’s Tata Motors and makes cars in Brazil, China, India, Slovakia and the

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2022 Subaru WRX worth its long wait makeover

Thirty years after its automotive mentor, the Impreza, was unveiled for the World Rally Championship, the Subaru WRX debuted in its second generation. It’s been a long time coming. The first stand-alone WRX (World Rally eXperimental) arrived in 2014. Eight years later, the sport compact’s full makeover is welcomed and much-needed. It’s available in base, Premium, Limited and GT trims. The turbocharged WRX is among a stellar list of punchy sedans, a front-engine, all-wheel drive sedan with a desire to capitalize on its aggressive four-cylinder engine. They all make driving enjoyable. In the Subaru, shifting gears, darting around town and negotiating highway and mountain roads with zippy confidence makes it further desirable. It’s the consumer version of the original rally

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Little Mercedes-Benz GLB 250 SUV is big-time

Mercedes-Benz and its uber-luxury sidekicks AMG and Maybach offer 31 vehicles in 2022 models. Coupes, convertibles, electric vehicles, sedans, sport utility vehicles, roadsters and wagons are all in the mix. Add multiple trims in each segment, and whether via abacus or app, keeping track of the German manufacturer’s extended family of vehicles is a task. Mercedes-Benz Offers Lots Of Choices Even connoisseurs of the carmakers’ stoic vehicles might need a chart to differentiate the GLA 250, GLB 250 and GLC SUVs. The former is a luxury subcompact; the latter is a luxury compact. The Mercedes-Benz GLC is among the competitors of the GLB, which seats as many as seven. Now in its third model year, the 2022 GLB 250 continues

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#240, Vintage driver, vintage Bugatti

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:36 — 44.8MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreVisiting a grandparent as a youngster often includes affection, treats and wisdom, all offered for free. It leads to buying a Bugatti in parts for $150,000 less frequently. Nathanael Greene’s childhood visits to New Hampshire resulted in his 65-year history with the iconic automobile introduced by Italian-French carmaker Ettore Bugatti in 1924. Greene owns three, including the 1925 Bugatti Type 35 he’s competed in at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for many years beginning in 1997. The former investment executive was my recent guest on The Weekly Driver Podcast during this year’s automotive gathering, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. He participated for five straight days

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2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge redefines station wagons

American full-sized station wagons were dispatched from the new car lineup in 1996. Once chariots of choice to transport occupants and massive trundle-style suitcases to train stations, the three-row beauties were discarded in favor of a multi-brand brigade of sport utility vehicles. Thankfully, wagons still abound, with cargo space still relevant. It’s now part of the versatile vehicles’ three-part attraction that also includes sportiness and performance. The updated 2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge adds a fourth attraction. It’s a plug-in hybrid in both the T6 and T8 Inscription (hybrid twin-engine technology) trims. The last long-tenured American full-size wagons were family rooms on wheels, the Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster. Decorated often in plastic and leather, long-haul comfort was the priority. Dodge

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#239, SF man operates tiny firetruck as his daily driver

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:53 — 23.2MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreTodd Lappin is a self-described Japan geek. He visits the country often and says he speaks the language badly. He has also spent several years combining his interest in cars with his fondness for the Orient. A former magazine editor who lives in San Francisco, Lappin has imported two vehicles from Japan, including his latest find, a 1990 Daihatsu HiJet Firetruck. It’s named “Kiri.” Lappin, who showcased his truck at the recent The Little Car Show in Pacific Grove during Monterey Auto Week, is my guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Lappin, who bought the truck two years ago, qualifies. While uncertain

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Car Subscription Services: Pros, Cons, Costs; Worthy?

Forget about fitting winter tires to your loan car this year. Instead, take out a car subscription on an SUV for six months when the weather is at its worst. In the spring, exchange it for a convertible. It costs the same or less than a loan vehicle, and you don’t have to worry about servicing costs, insurance, road tax or breakdown cover. These are taken care of in the lease agreement in some car subscription services. What Is A Car Subscription Service? Around 6 1/2 billion people globally own a smartphone, which translates to around 90 percent of adults. What this means is the vast majority of the population is familiar with the subscription model used by smartphones, as

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#238, Consumer Reports’ Top-10 Most Reliable Cars For 2022

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:41 — 58.6MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreAfter nearly 20 years at Consumer Reports, Jon Linkov is an expert among automotive experts. The Deputy Auto Editor, Linkov is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast to discuss one of the publication’s most popular features — its annual most reliable cars list. Join co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia as we discuss with Linkov the “Top 10 Most Reliable Cars For 2022.” “What we do is survey our members, our millions of members, and ask about their experiences with the cars they own or have owned,” said Linkov of the most reliable cars list. “We just don’t look at current

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#237, Support The Weekly Driver website, podcast

Bruce Aldrich and I have co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast for more than four years. It’s available on all major podcast platforms, including TheWeeklyDriver.com. The independent automotive website, which I edit and publish, has been online since 2004. In this episode, Bruce and I discuss two books about as opposite as feasible — although both are about the automotive world. We introduce the books as a way of also introducing listeners to the podcast and visitors to the website to Patreon. The platform allows visitors to the site to support our efforts. The Weekly Driver Online Since 2004 At the bottom of each page is a Patreon logo. If you click on the icon, another page is presented that lists

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2022 Ford Bronco Raptor: Beauty of an Off-Road Beast

It’s not for everyone, but there’s something appealing about conquering muddy, boulder-laden lake beds, climbing awkwardly formed rock clusters or boldly going where only a few have gone before. It’s why the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor exists. It’s for those who viewed the 2021 return of the standard Bronco after a 24-year absence as a pedestrian effort. The debuting Raptor is the real deal. It’s huge, a monster off-roader equipped with a 418-horsepower, twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6. It produces 440 pound-feet of torque. It’s propelled with a 10-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel-drive system that features selectable G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) mode and 37-inch BFGoodrich K02 all-terrain tires. It will tow 4,500 pounds and the maximum payload is

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#236, Pulitzer Prize winner Joe White’s auto newsletter

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:06 — 48.2MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreJoe White has reported on the automotive industry for more than 40 years. Primarily based in Detroit throughout his career, White worked for The Wall Street Journal for 28 years, including tenures in Brussels and the United Kingdom. Since 2015, White has been employed by Thomson Reuters, the international data company and news service. He writes Auto File, a free, three-day-per-week electronic auto newsletter. It’s chock-full of business-oriented news stories and trends in the automotive industry. While co-host Bruce Aldrich is traveling, I interview White on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Like the always changing financial landscape, the automotive industry is

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TheWeeklyDriver.com expands free coverage, seeks support

TheWeeklyDriver.com, the independent new car review and news website online since 2004, has expanded its content platform in several key areas. With the addition of PRNewsWire content, readers can now visit the site to read general interest automotive business news updated daily. A separate daily content news feed features only Truck News. The new content supplements the mainstays of the site, new car reviews and automotive news. The site features more than 700 reviews of vehicles driven beginning in 2004. For more than four years, the website has also featured The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-host Bruce Aldrich and I have broadcast wide-ranging, 30-minute episodes with guests from the automotive landscape — authors to analysts, vintage car owners to industry experts.

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Walmart looks to the future, buys 4,500 Canoo vans

Walmart, the country’s largest retail began with founder Sam Walton driving often a 1979 Ford F-150 pickup truck loaded with merchandise, has taken a giant leap of automotive faith. It has purchased 4,500 Canoo electronic Lifestyle Delivery Vehicles (LDV). The futuristic-looking van debuted as a concept vehicle in 2019 at the Los Angeles Auto Show and will be used for delivery of the company’s online orders. Walmart First Canoo Fleet Buyer Walmart bought the vehicles, announced in 2021 with a starting price of $34,750, as part of its goal to eliminate emissions from its operations by 2040. The Canoo is on track to start production in late 2022 and will be delivered to the first customers, including Walmart, in 2023.

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Celebrity cars, big money in Monterey Auto Week

Michael Schumacher, the retired seven-time Formula One world titlist, hasn’t been in public for nearly a decade. He suffered major head injuries in a skiing accident in 2013 and was placed into a medically induced coma. But Schumacher’s unmatched career legacy remains, in keen focus via his son Mick, a current F1 competitor. Among the cars the elder Schumacher drove is a Ferrari F300, Chassis No. 187. It was driven by the German champion in his four victories during his 1998 World Championship season. Equipped with a 3.0-liter V-10 engine, a maximum engine speed of 17,500 rpm and producing 800 horsepower, the supercar will be among several celebrity vehicles offered for auction in August during Monterey Auto Week. Like real

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#235, TuneIn partners with Rivian as upstart EV’s ‘radio’

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:23 — 34.9MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreJen Collins knows digital business partnerships from more than two decades of career experience, Fox Entertainment to the Los Angeles Times. In her current capacity, Collins is senior vice president of business development at TuneIn, the world’s leading live streaming audio service. Collins is our guest this week to discuss TuneIn’s new relationship with Rivian, the electric pickup truck and sport utility vehicle manufacturer. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Collins the TuneIn platform and its integration with the innovative manufacturer as well as other carmakers. TuneIn Expands in Auto Industry “We are really a one-stop shop for the automotive field,” says

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Save Money By Doing Your Own Car Maintenance

Maintaining a car can be costly, particularly on older vehicles that often need more care. Further difficulty is keeping up with car maintenance considering other expenses such as fluctuating gas prices. But there are ways to save money, including your own maintenance. Making a car repair isn’t always  a realistic challenge unless you’re a professional mechanic. But many smaller tasks can be accomplished. Learn the Basics Nearly anyone can learn to carry out some basic car maintenance tasks even if you’re not a mechanic. Changing the oil or a fixin tire doesn’t require a mechanic and doesn’t require sophisticated skills. Reading the vehicle’s manual and getting to know vehicle can help you do some maintenance tasks that cost a lot

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