Matthew Wilde

Articles by Matthew Wilde

Episode 32, Coolest show on earth for all things engines

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:18 — 43.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThe Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show is a daylong festival of engines. Rare and sentimental cars, trucks, aircraft, law enforcement vehicles, tractors, busses, military machines and motorcycles, they’re all showcased. Add lives band, food and beverage vendors to its moniker as “the coolest show earth,” ideally defines the upcoming 28th annual event scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m April 29 at Half Moon Bay Airport. The six-hour gathering is a “massive celebration of mechanical ingenuity, power and style.” And it’s the best bargain and with proceeds benefitting the Coastside Adult Day Health Center in Half Moon Bay. In Episode 32 of The Weekly

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New car technology improves safety, increases distractions

As infotainment systems become more complex and carmakers use further technology to improve automotive safety, driver distractions can also increase. In fact, information and entertainment systems in many new cars can distract drivers for more than 40 seconds, according to a new study by the American Automobile Association (AAA), Foundation For Safety. The AAA reports removing your eyes from the road for only two seconds doubles the risk of an accident. Conducted for AAA by researchers from the University of Utah, the survey included voice-based and touchscreen features and studied the visual and cognitive demands required to operate infotainment systems. Thirty new 2017 vehicles were included in the study. Participants were tasked with using interactive technologies to make a phone

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Episode 31, Hyundai Ioniq, Pacific Coast Dream Machines

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:09 — 41.4MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThe 2018 Hyundai Ioniq is the first “green car” that can infiltrate the dominance of the Toyota Prius. The Ioniq is available in three modes — a traditional hybrid, full-electric and plug-in hybrid. The entry-level Ioniq plug-in hybrid Blue Line model is rated at 57 miles per gallon in city driving, 59 miles per gallon for highway treks. Its rating is several miles per gallon higher than the best mileage in the Prius lineup. In electric mode, the Ioniq has a 27-mile range. The efficient little machine can travel nearly 700 miles using gas only. Bruce Aldrich and I discuss the Ioniq in Episode

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Episode 30, The strange case of death by Uber in Arizona

Nearly two weeks after a woman was killed by an autonomous Uber vehicle while walking her bicycle across the street at night and outside of a crosswalk in Tempe, Ariz., much is still unknown about the accident. What is known is that the Governor of Arizona has ended the state’s autonomous vehicle testing program. The auto-parts maker that supplied the radar and camera on the Volvo SUV that killed the woman has stated they had disabled the standard collision-avoidance technology in the vehicle. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been investigating the case since. The local police chief initially called the incident “unavoidable.” But opinions changed after the release of a crash

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Common sense tips to avoid driving and texting

Most drivers try to refrain from texting and driving, but it’s easy to yield to the temptation of an incoming text. While it may seem harmless to glance at your phone just long enough to scan a message, it’s not. Texting and driving statistics reveal reading one text message takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds. That might not seem like a long time, but if you’re traveling 55 mph you can cover the length of a football field in 4.6 seconds. That’s a long distance to travel with your attention diverted. Texting and driving are not a good marriage.Since 18 percent of all fatal automobile accidents are caused by distracted driving, it’s a good idea to learn

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PREVIEW: 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid, priced lower

The fifth and newest addition to the Honda Accord electrified vehicle lineup will debut March 23 when the 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid is unveiled at dealerships at a lower price than the previous model. The Accord Hybrid, sibling to the 2018 North American car of the year, will have a starting price of $25,990, including its $890 destination fee. The price reflects a $4,505 price drop from the 2017 model, according to Honda. The Accord Hybrid lineup now comes in five trim levels: Hybrid, EX (new), EX-L, EX-L Navi (new), and Touring. The newest Accord has an estimated gas mileage average of 47 in city and highway driving. The new Accord Hybrid will offer a lengthy list of standard equipment:

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Uber halts self-driving program after pedestrian fatality

The Uber autonomous driving program has been suspended after a 49-year-old woman in Tempe, Arizona, was killed after she was hit by a car as she crossed the street. Self-driving cars have been involved in multiple accidents, but the pedestrian fatality is believed to be the first in the autonomous realm. Uber said it had ceased its autonomous program throughout North America. The accident, according to law enforcement accounts, occurred late in the evening on March 19 when the vehicle was autonomous mode. The vehicle also had a driver. Elaine Herzberg, the victim, wasn’t using a pedestrian crossing. She was transported to a local hospital where she died. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety

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Episode 29, Stunning new Lexus, bad tires and RV woes

The 2018 Lexus LC 500 is arguably the most attractive car made in the past several years. It turns heads in parking lots and gets stared at on the open road. Strangers point at it and give a thumb’s up. The new Lexus belongs on the list of the 100 most attractive cars ever made. It would be among the few modern-day vehicles on the subjective selections automotive publications publish about every 10 years. Bruce Aldrich, co-host of The Weekly Driver Podcast, and I shared driving duties in the new Lexus from Sacramento to the Delta hamlet of Courtland and back last week. We were on assignment at Hemly Cider, the craft cider maker. We discuss the new top-of-the-line Lexus

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Rare Tesla offered as children’s fundraiser giveaway

Kimbal Musk, often cited as a global social entrepreneur, is conducting a fundraising campaign through Omaze for fans to the chance to win the philanthropist’s personal and fully customized Tesla Model 3, the sixth model ever made. Musk, the younger brother of Elon Musk and founder of Tesla, is considered the “founding father of the modern food movement.” Proceeds raised from the campaign will benefit Big Green, Kimbal’s initiative to provide healthier futures for kids through learning gardens and food literacy programs. Your donation will help Big Green establish a culture in schools that promotes youth wellness and reduces preventable diet-related health disparities. Funds raised can provide seeds, plants and supplies for a school’s garden; give students access to brand new

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Episode 28, Rats eating cars, winter driving, Genesis shines

If you live near a river and your vehicle is parked outside and near trees, there’s likely one more reason to be concerned about its welfare — rats. Owners of cars from several manufacturers are increasingly reporting that rodents are eating their vehicles from the inside out. Reports in several states by owners of Honda and Toyota vehicles, as well as other carmakers’ models, are claiming rats are devouring the wiring in their cars and causing major costly repairs.  The problem, owners claim, is that “green car” concerns have resulted in manufacturers using soy-based engine wiring and coverings. Several lawsuits have been filed, with Honda and Toyota stating the litigations have no merit. But several years ago, Honda introduced a

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Richard Petty set to auction career of racing stuff (live)

Richard Petty, the legendary NASCAR driver, is 80 and it’s time to purge his stuff. The winner of five Daytona 500 races and scores of other races, is selling some of his most well-known racing cars trophies and other items May 12 in an auction scheduled at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Petty’s iconic day-glow red and blue 1974 Dodge Charger is among the expected highlights of the auction. Petty, who had 200 career wins, drove the ’74 charger to 31 wins, including his fifth Daytona 500 victory. A 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Petty drove in 1979 when he won his seventh series championship and a 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix he drove during his farewell tour are also set for

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5 Best Online Car Games For 2018

If you’re a car buff, your love of cars doesn’t stop in researching and fantasizing about your favorite models and ideal car. If you’re an avid car lover, your love doesn’t stop with reading car magazines, it extends into other aspects of your life — the movies you see, the books you read and the games you try to master online. Finding the best car games to play can be difficult and tedious. As fellow car enthusiasts, we’ve sifted through the many options of car games available and boiled it down to a list of the top-five favorites we think are most worth your time. These games greatly vary, but they all have one crucial thing in common — cars.

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Genesis cruises past Audi, tops Consumer Reports’ best car list

Genesis, the newcomer luxury brand from Hyundai, has accelerated past Audi and is now top-rated by Consumer Reports in its annual ranking of automotive brands. Audi was ranked No. 2, followed by BMW, Lexus and Porsche in the top 5. The remainder of the top 10 in order: Subaru, Kia, Tesla, Honda and Toyota. The magazine’s annual report card ranks brands based on road and safety tests, owner satisfaction and reliability. Lexus stood out in the rankings more for its reliability and standard advanced safety features than its road test scores, which often have trailed rivals. The magazine reported every Audi model tested, which totaled eight in the latest survey period, and every Genesis tested, just two models, are all

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Hertz, Avis among agencies, banks to sever NRA relationships

At least six car rental agencies and several companies that finance and insure cars and trucks have ended their relationships with the National Rifle Association (NRA) after the fallout from the organization’s statement following the massacre of 17 people at a Florida High School. In addition to several banks, Enterprise Holdings, which owns Enterprise, Alamo and National car rental groups, announced it will end the discount offering it has with the NRA on March 26. Hertz announced in a tweet it’s also ending its NRA rental car discount program. A partnership between the NRA and Hertz and advertised on the association’s website has been removed. Avis and Budget, owned by the same company, were also listed as discount providers on

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Episode 27, The legacy of one family’s 1986 Chrysler Lebaron

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:05 — 31.7MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThirty-two years ago, Karen Saylor’s parents drove into a downtown Sacramento, California, car dealership and drove away in a new 1986 turbocharged Chrysler Lebaron convertible. Like the legacies of many family cars, Karen Saylor fondly recalls going shopping with mother with the Lebaron’s convertible top down. She remembers trips to the Monterey Peninsula when mother and daughter had their hair blowing in the wind. A neighbor in East Sacramento, Saylor is our guest on episode #27 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. She recalls a lot about how much cars meant to her parents and to her husband with whom she owned several Ford Thunderbirds.

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Tips, best practices for buying a new or used car

Many people take owning a car for granted until they don’t own one. Having your own mode of transportation is ideal because you don’t need to depend on someone else to drive you around. You don’t need to live your life according to bus schedules. You can go places whenever you want. If you’re thinking about buying new or used wheels, here are several key considerations and tips to help you make a financially sound decision. Decide if you’re going to purchase a new or used car. It’s important because there are pros and cons to each option. A new vehicle is less likely to have mechanical problems and, as a new vehicle, will be accident-free. With rare exceptions, a

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