Matthew Wilde

Articles by Matthew Wilde

Questions To Ask Houston Auto Repair Shops

If you are new to any area or shopping around for a new place to take your car, it’s best to do your homework. Spending some time and energy asking the right questions can save you money, time, effort, energy and frustration. Ask Houston Auto Repair shops the tough questions instead of going to the wrong place. Your motor vehicle is one of your most important assets; it takes you everywhere. There may be a couple of places to choose from, so it’s best to choose right from the start. This way, you may end up only having to deal with one more Houston Auto shop for the rest of your life. While your options are plenty, Adams Automotive Services

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#220, IIHS, HLDI, Progressive work together for auto safety

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:29 — 44.6MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreMatt Moore, Senior Vice President of Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), oversees the organization’s research program, the collection of vehicle information and the production of loss data. A complementary company to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, HLDI processes insurance data from companies that represent approximately 85 percent of the U.S. private passenger auto insurance market. Moore is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia interview the automobile safety expert with an emphasis on his involvement in a new study released in conjunction with Progressive Insurance titled Does Tech Make Driving Safer? The HLDI reported in

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2023 Toyota Sequoia: vast upgrades for plush, powerful SUV

After five years of only slight changes, the 2023 Toyota Sequoia will debut this summer as a new generation of the large SUV with interior upgrades, technology improvements and a more powerful powertrain. The Sequoia will be offered in two-wheel drive or the available part-time four-wheel-drive system on SR5, Limited, Platinum and Capstone grades. The TRD Pro will be offered only in four-wheel drive. The part-time four-wheel-drive system relies on a transfer case, controlled via a lever on the center console to select between two-wheel-drive, four-wheel-drive high or four-wheel-drive low. One powertrain will be offered, the same i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain in the Toyota Tundra. It will include 437 horsepower and 583-pound feet of torque. The towing capacity has been

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2023 Ram ProMaster: bigger, badder, more versatile

The 2023 Ram ProMaster, a full-sized van designed for businesses, construction job sites and commercial fleets and a versatile-use towing capacity of 6,900 pounds, debuted recently at National Truck Equipment Association’s (NTEA) Work Truck Week trade show in Indianapolis, Indiana. According to the manufacturer, the new ProMaster will include best-in-class features like cargo volume, turning radius, standard interior cargo height, load-floor height, cargo width between wheel wells and maximum cargo width. Available in 19 configurations, the Ram ProMaster includes three roof heights, three wheelbases and four vehicle lengths resulting in cargo lengths of 8-ft, 10-ft, 12-ft and 13.5-ft.ew is the segment-exclusive rear roll-up door to satisfy the cargo loading and unloading required for vocational and delivery customers alike. The roll-up

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How to overcome a car accident: family, friends, legal help

Getting into a car accident can be a daunting experience. It’s not often easily forgotten and it may leave physical and emotional scars. But there are many ways to overcome those difficulties. Brushing up on driving skills can help you return to being a confident driver.  Likewise, talking with a professional, friend or family member about the experience can help. Here are several ideas to help someone who’s been in an accident feel secure and return to driving as soon as possible. Close friends and family members can often tell when something is negatively affecting you. A car accident can be difficult to overcome, especially if it involved severe injuries. When speaking to someone about the injury experience, consider their

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To keep or sell old cars, that is the question

The consensus among car owners is to keep their old cars longer. According to IHS Markit, the average age of cars on U.S. roads reached more than 12-years-old in 2021. It isn’t uncommon for vehicles to last well past the 100,000-mile milestone, with some cars exceeding 200,000 miles. In the wake of the post-pandemic economy, it is expected drivers will keep their vehicles even longer. Still, not every car owner is willing to keep their vehicle forever. In fact, despite the economic situation, some drivers are already wondering how to sell a car rapidly so they can buy their next vehicle. In a context where vehicles are durable and can maintain their performance for many years, it is worth asking

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Thinking about buying a sports car? Consider the pros and cons

There’s a lot to consider when buying a car Do you want a practical vehicle that can get you from Point A to Point B? Or are you looking for something more flair and excitement? If you’re leaning toward the latter, a sports car may be right. But  what are the pros and cons of owning a sports car? A sports car is a vehicle combining performance, style and handling. Sports cars are meant for driving enthusiasts who care about their speed and power rather than the comfort of passenger space or cargo capacity. One reason sports cars are fast and powerful is due to their turbocharged engines. Turbochargers, including diesel turbochargers, work by forcing extra air into the engine’s cylinders,

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New Tesla rear camera, trunk woes prompt 475,000 recalls

Tesla is recalling more than 475,000 of its Model 3 and Model S electric cars from model years 2014 to 2021 because of rearview camera and trunk issues that increase the risk of crashing. The U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer is recalling 356,309 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles to address rearview camera issues and 119,009 Model S vehicles due to front hood problems, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced The federal regulator has been discussing another camera issue with the automaker while probing the electric vehicle manufacturer’s driver assistant system and other issues. According to the manufacturer’s sales figures, the total number of vehicles being recalled is about the same volume of vehicles Tesla delivered in 2020. Tesla: Recall Issues

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A Simple Guide For Purchasing A New Motorcycle

Buying a new motorcycle can be exhilarating. But it can also be an overwhelming process without proper guidance. Many factors need to be considered and you may not know where to start. But don’t fret. Here’s a practical guide on how to purchase a new motorcycle: Select A Dealership When you decided to purchase a motorcycle, determine where you’re going to buy it and its price. The purchase will likely be from a dealership like the official BMW motorcycle dealership to an online marketplace like Craigslist. But it’s paramount to consider the reputation, reliability and overall service of dealerships or online platforms before you make a choice. Read the reviews of previous customers. Visit the dealership by attending events hosted

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Toyota no longer king of the green car industry

It’s hard to believe that Toyota, the automaker behind the hugely successful hybrid-electric Prius, is no longer viewed as the green car industry leader. According to Danny Magill, an analyst at the London-based think tank InfluenceMap, Toyota has gone from a leading position to an “industry laggard” in clean-car policy as other automakers push ahead with ambitious electric vehicle (EV) plans. InfluenceMap gives Toyota a “D-” grade—the worst among automakers—saying it exerts policy influence to undermine public climate goals. While companies like Tesla have produced fully electric cars now part of the EV rage, Toyota, focusing on gas-electric hybrids and futuristic fuel cell vehicles, has started to lose market share. Toyota Prius: Losing Its Green Car Crown Records show the

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NVIDIA reveals AI solutions including autonomous driving

During the recent GTC Fall 21 keynote address this morning, NVIDIA Founder and CEO Jensen Huang announced industry-transforming AI and accelerated computing solutions to address the world’s toughest problems, including autonomous driving for tomorrow’s car. Here are the highlights of the address: Omniverse Replicator for DRIVE Sim – An engine for generating synthetic data with ground truth to train AV perception networks. Synthetic data has proven to be an incredibly effective tool in accelerating AV development. Now using Omniverse Replicator, DRIVE Sim produces hard/impossible ground truth that humans can’t label, such as velocity, depth, occlusion, severe weather conditions and edge cases. DRIVE Concierge & DRIVE Chauffeur – Two new AI platforms dedicated to removing the stress and hassles of daily

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4 Vital Steps To Take After A Car Accident

It’s common for drivers to be distracted when using their cellphones or listening to music. Inclement weather and poor road conditions also contribute to car accidents. If you’re involved in an accident, stay calm. First, determine if you and your passengers are safe before thinking about calling anyone or exchanging information with other drivers. When an accident occurs, here are four priorities: Exchange Information With The Other Party Car accidents can be stressful and confusing. It’s vital you take a few minutes to reduce your stress level. If the severity of the accident warrants, call your car accident lawyer, and exchange information with the others involved in the accident. You should exchange the following with each person involved in the

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#203, PitStopConnect.com helps predict, prevent auto tragedy

Ben Auslander, vice president of sales and marketing for PitStopConnect.com, is enthusiastic about all things related to predictive analytics in automobiles. And he has been for a long time. Auslander, our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast, worked on the GM Onstar program for more than 12 years. He helped launch VW‘s connected car program in North America. He also worked for Charge Point as its Automotive Director. Pitstopconnect.com sees the driving future “It’s allowed me to see and understand a broader picture around mobility,” Auslander says. Co-host Bruce Aldrich and I discuss with Auslander the ever-changing world of car connectivity. Based in Toronto, Ontario and Detroit, Mich., the company’s platform, according to its website, has: “Over 500,000

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Start a Car Rental Business in 2021: Beginner Model Car Kit

The Kit Car rental business is popular worldwide. The tourism sector is slowly picking up after the pandemic. Commute restrictions have also been loosened. People are more likely to start taking leisure road trips or commuting to work. This is the right time to invest in this profitable start-up. The global car rental market size was valued at $98.14 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.6 percent between 2021 and 2028. Make the most of this predicted industry growth to help your business flourish. But you need to take careful and calculated steps to stay afloat and earn the desired revenue in the long run. Leading model makers like Premier Car Models offer beginner

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#202, Joe Wiesenfelder of Cars.com talks future of EVs

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:39 — 53.1MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreJoe Wiesenfelder is the executive editor of Cars.com and he’s immersed in the future of EVs — electric vehicles. According to the website’s recent data, about one-third of car buyers are actively looking to purchase their first electric vehicle. But many questions remain with the anticipated growth. Wiesenfelder and his colleagues are counting on it. Wiesenfelder is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. EVs: Marketplace will expand Co-host Bruce Aldrich and I discuss with the long-time journalist the future of the electric vehicle market and the goal of Cars.com to assist consumers with their buying decisions. “Cars.com bought its first

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2023 Kia Sportage gets rugged

The 2023 Kia Sportage, beginning its fifth generation, has debuted and features a larger and more varied lineup of subcompact sport utility vehicles including new off-road trims. Under the manufacturer’s umbrella slogan “Movement That Matters, the new Kia Sportage lineup will include LX, EX, SX, SX-Prestige and X-Line and the new Sportage X-Pro and X-Pro Prestige trims geared toward off-road travel with all-terrain tires and other features. 2023 Kia Sportage: New Exterior, Interior Designs New features for the 2023 Sportage Sportage firsts include an available dual panoramic curved digital display Most Sportage trims will now be assembled in the U.S., alongside the carmaker’s Telluride, Sorento, and K5 in West Point, Georgia. The Sportage will also be available in a hybrid

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