James Raia

Articles by James Raia

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Crash Test Dummy mangled in NHTSA faulty air bag video

Counterfeit air bags are being sold to repair shops for discounted prices resulting in more than 20 manufacturers’ vehicles being at risk, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The report released by the NHTSA details vehicles which have had an air bag replaced within the past three years by a repair shop not part of a new car dealership may be at risk. The risk is severe enough the NHTSA has a video showing what happens to a crash test dummy when it’s involved the crash of vehicle equipped with a faulty air bag. The 30-second spot below doesn’t have audio and it doesn’t need it. The consumer safety agency become aware of the problem after the

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Fiat 500, 2013: Plenty of 'Pop' in entry level soft top

I drove the Fiat 500 hatchback when it debuted and was generally impressed. The hot rod Abarth version arrived later and was even more fun. But I didn’t get a 500C “Pop” Cabrio model with its quasi-convertible sliding power soft top until late summer. While small, the front-drive, two-door 500 is practical enough, although the rear seat area is hard to reach despite long doors. Moreover, the backseat is only suitable for children, pets or cargo that doesn’t fit in the trunk. Rear seatbacks can be flipped forward to increase cargo space, although they don’t sit perfectly flat when folded. The 500 is fun to drive, and the 500C Cabrio model with its long sliding soft top should make it

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Tata Nano, world's cheapest car, debuting in the United States in 2015?

The Tata Nano changed the automotive industry three years ago when the minimalist machine debuted in India as the world’s cheapest car with a price of about $2,500. Now, the manufacturer’s CEO believes the Nano could be sold in the United States within three years and would be the cheapest cars sold in the country. “The U.S. is a very enticing market,” said Ratan Tata, CEO of India’s Tata Group in an recent interview with Automotive News. “We hope that the sub-$10,000 car has appeal.”The current Nano is a four-seater with a 32 horsepower and 624-cc, 2-cylinder engine mounted in the rear. To compete in the U.S., the Nano would have to be amended meet American standards including adding power

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Hyundai Elantra Coupe, 2013: Strong new contender in crowded segment

As North American Car of the Year in 2012, the Hyundai Elantra one year later remains largely the same vehicle. It’s value priced and while not outstanding in any single category, its very good status is so many categories vaults it to the top of the sedan segment. The Elantra Coupe joined its much older relative (the Elantra is now in its fifth generation) for 2013. It’s largely the same as the Elantra sedan with two exceptions. It has two doors and it has some minor exterior trim tweaks. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The Elantra Coupe is comfortable, which can’t be said for many coupes that showcase performance and treat other areas as after thoughts. My two-door test Elantra

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Honda Pilot cited twice in top-10 cheapest 2012 trucks, SUVs to insure

The Honda Pilot is the least expensive 2012 model truck or sport utility vehicle to insure, according to a MotorTrend article based on information compiled by CoverHound, the car insurance rate monitoring website. The 2012 Honda Pilot (Touring) cost on average $108.33 per month. The reasons: The Pilot received “good” safety ratings across the board from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which also named it a Top Safety Pick. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded it at least four stars out of five for all of its major metrics — front, side, rollover and overall ranking. Plus have you ever heard someone say, “Let’s go out and steal ourselves a Honda Pilot?”, MotorTrend editors write.

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If sex sells, 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe commercial works

The Netherlands, as does much of Europe, has a different outlook on sexuality and sensuality. In this instance, it’s a steaming, campy 45-second television commercial for Hyundai. TheWeeklyDriver.com can’t help it. We like it. But overt sensuality in a commercial called UpSkirt? We’ve got stunning models, long legs, a dripping ice cream cone, beads of sweat and a sultry voice moaning sultry lyrics. It doesn’t quite fit the car. But who cares? The commercial is fun. And if that helps Hyundai promote its cars, why not? And guess what? The commercial isn’t broadcast in the United States. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver

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Honda CR-V, 2012: New design, more power, more features, same top SUV

It’s hard to imagine the Honda CR-V is 18 years old. But with its sibling, the Element, discontinued, the CR-V is now the Japanese manufacturer’s entry-level Sport Utility Vehicle. There’s plenty of competition in the SUV segment, so for 2012, the CR-V was redesigned. The exterior has deeper sculpting, a bolder front fascia and a more overall aerodynamic look. More standard features, increased horsepower and one mpg improved mileage estimates also debuted with 2012 edition. Key Takeaways Redesigned for 2012 with more power: The fourth-generation CR-V gained deeper body sculpting, a bolder front fascia, and five additional horsepower (185 total) from its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Extensive standard features even on base LX: Standard equipment includes a rearview camera, Bluetooth, USB

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Counterfeit airbags concern prompts NHTSA consumer alert

Vehicles which have had an air bag replaced within the past three years by a repair shop not part of a new car dealership may be at risk, according to a new report issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The consumer safety agency become aware of the problem after the sale of counterfeit air bags that look nearly identical to certified, original equipment parts—including bearing the insignia and branding of major automakers. Testing by the NHTSA showed consistent malfunctioning ranging from non-deployment of the air bag to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment. NHTSA is not aware of any deaths or injuries connected to counterfeit air bags. While the full scope and

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Toyota reveals massive recall involving 7.4 million cars, trucks dating to 2005

Toyota has added another massive component to its more than three years of quality control issues by recalling 7.4 million cars and trucks globally for potential fires involving faulty power-window switches and including 2.5 million vehicles sold in the United States. The recall affects cars made between July 2005 and May 2010, including Camry and Corolla sedans and RAV4 sport-utility vehicles sold in Japan, North America, Europe, China, the Middle East and Oceania. Japan’s biggest automaker called the  latest recall its largest in history. Toyota globally recalled 7.7 million vehicles in 2009 and 2010 because of faulty floormats, but the automaker categorized that occurrence as a “safety campaign.”Toyota, which said it knows of no accidents or deaths stemming from the

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Honda offering $3,000 in free gas to 2012 Civic natural gas model buyers

Honda is offering its biggest incentive for its least marketed car. Buyers of the 2012 Civic Natural Gas prior to January 2, 2013 will receive a $3,000 fuel card. The prepaid card will be good only at compressed natural gas stations run by Clean Energy Fuels, a nationwide retailer of CNG fuel, and will only given to those who buy the car at participating Honda dealers. Honda has 199 dealers in 36 states accredited to sell and service the CNG-burning Civic Natural Gas model. The new promotion, which launched Oct. 9, is available at 19 dealers in California, Washington, Utah, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio. The base price of the Honda Civic CNG it is priced about $7,000 more than a

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Dodge Journey, 2012: Carlike SUV offers subtle ride, good cargo space

The Dodge Journey mid-size four-door hatchback crossover was substantially upgraded for 2011 to address shortcomings. It had everything from a redesigned suspension and sharp new interior to a more powerful V-6. The handsome 2012 model is virtually unchanged from 2011. Moreover, there are few changes for 2013. Grab a reduced-price 2012 Journey if it appeals to you. But avoid the standard 173-horsepower four-cylinder engine because it’s underpowered for the Journey, which is heavy at approximately 4,000 pounds. Moreover, this rather noisy engine works with a dated four-speed automatic transmission. The other choice is the quieter, smoother 283-horsepower V-6, which provides quick merging into fast traffic and fast passing above 65 m.p.h. on highways. The V-6 works with an alert six-speed

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2013 Volvo T5 S60: Sporty, quick-steering, traditionally solid, safe

Some may still think the 2013 Volvo S60 T5 sedan is among the first sporty Volvos sold in the United States because of the automaker’s long-lingering stodgy image. Volvo actually has built several sporty cars since it offered its conservatively styled 1956-58 PV444 family model here, complete with a strong dual-carburetor engine and a stick shift with a floor shifter. It was a practical auto, but could beat sports cars on race tracks. However, most sporty Volvos have flown under the general public’s radar. It generally was known as a conservative model with a heavy emphasis on safety features. The station wagon version was especially popular. The redesigned 2011 S60 Volvo four-door sedan went a long way to help break

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Honda recall now nearly 2 miillion in one week after CR-V window woes

Honda is recalling about 500,000 CR-V sport utility vehicles pushing the Japanese manufacturer’s potentially faulty vehicle total announced in the past week to more than nearly 1.1 million. Honda‘s latest call includes CR-Vs built between 2002 and 2006 and sold on the three continents because of issues with the vehicles’ power window switch. The company discovered rain water may enter the power window switch on the driver’s door, which could eventually cause the switch to overheat and catch fire. The automaker is recalling about 220,000 CR-V sport utility vehicles in Europe, around 268,000 units in the U.S. and less than 100 in Africa, a Honda spokeswoman said — pushing the total more than 490,000 units. There have been reports of

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Hyundai sets price for 2013 Azera, joins siblings with slight increase

The success of Hyundai continues, but in 2013 the Hyundai Azera will join siblings Elantra, Equus, Geneis 5.0 R-Spec, Santa Fe and Tucson with a slight price increase. The 2013 Azera will have a sticker price of $33,125 (including an $825 destination charge), a $250 increase from 2012. The new Azera is a carryover model from 2012, and with the 2013 model it’s priced less than 2013 Nissan Maxima but higher than the 2013 Chrysler 300 and 2013 Ford Taurus.The new prices for the Elantra, Equus, Genesis 5.0 R-Spec, Santa Fe and Tucson have already been announced. As a new model in 2012, the Hyundai Azera featured a Lambda II 3.3-liter GDI engine, six-speed transmission, 293 horsepower, nine standard airbags;

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Kia Optima Hybrid, 2012: Stylish, efficient sedan improves Korean lineup

Twelve years after the Kia Optima debuted in the United Sates with little fanfare and few sales, the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid was unveiled at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show and was available to the public one year later. The 2012 Kia Optima and the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, nearly the same as the 2011 editions, use the same powertrain, combining a 2.4-liter engine with a six-speed automatic transmission, and a 30kW electric motor and lightweight lithium polymer batteries to produce a full gasoline-electric hybrid. Key Takeaways Shared powertrain with Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: The Optima Hybrid pairs a 2.4-liter engine with a 30kW electric motor and lithium polymer batteries through a six-speed automatic, producing 206 combined horsepower. 35 city/40 highway/37

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Jerry Seinfeld, Michael Richards reunite for laughs, regrets in Volkswagen bus

Like other celebrities, Jerry Seinfeld is a car enthusiast, most notably via his collection of rare Porsches. But Seinfeld’s passion for cars and his friends has also resulted in the unique web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. In the recent season-finale, Seinfeld drives around Southern California in a 50-year-old Volkswagen Bus with friend and comedian Michael Richards. The 17-minute below video is funny. But it’s also poignant. Richards, Seinfeld’s neighbor Kramer on the the iconic program Seinfeld, candidly discusses his regrets in a 2006 rant when he used racial epithets during a nightclub performance. It ended Richards’ career. The season-ender of the 10-episode original series on the Crackle web-only network begins with Seinfeld driving to pick up Richards in

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