Matthew Wilde

Articles by Matthew Wilde

New Nissan Titan XD gets Cars.com truck of the year honors

Every car publication annual selects its cars and trucks of the year. It remains a mystery why it’s done early in the calendar year, but Cars.com has selected the Volvo XC90 as its 2016 Car of the Year.  And the debuting Nissan Titan XD as its 2016 Pickup Truck of the Year. In part, here’s what editors at Cars.com wrote about the 2016 Nissan Titan XD: “Not only does this new truck attempt to carve a unique place for itself in between two well-established segments (the half-ton and three-quarter-ton segments), but it also tries to re-establish Nissan as a competitive player in the world of full-size pickup trucks — and that’s a tall order. “Where the previous light-duty Titan was

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PREVIEW: 2017 Hyundai Elantra defines when more is less

The Hyundai Elantra, the South Korean manufacturer’s best-selling car, will begin its sixth generation in 2017 with a starting price $100 less than the 2016 model. The 2017 Hyundai Elantra will be available in SE, Eco and Limited trims. The SE comes standard with a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine with a 6-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transition. The MSRP is $17,150 for the manual transmission option and $18,150 for the automatic transmission. The Limited trim, which features leather upholstery as well as additional safety and technology features, has an MSRP of $22,350. The Eco trim pricing has not been announced. A sport model will debut later in 2016. Elantra’s base SE trim is available with a Popular Equipment package

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Mercedes Boss Toto Wolff Agrees: Formula 1 Too Predictable

The most watched sporting league in the world, the Barclays Premier League, is arguably as popular as Formula 1 because of its guaranteed entertainment and sheer unpredictability. Unfortunately, the same traits are not currently associated with the Formula 1 worlds. Since rule changes in 2014, competition has been limited and even boss Bernie Ecclestone has labeled the sport he runs as “crap”. Periods of domination aren’t always boring in Formula 1. Michael Schumacher’s years on dominance brought relentless excitement. But the late 1990’s were full of competitive races and podiums with new names. A the Mercedes domination at the top of Formula’ 1’s current hierarchy looks unlikely to change any time soon. As such, the biggest questions of the 2015

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Ford, Toyota dominate 2015 U.S. car, truck sales — again

As has occurred yearly since nearly the invention the the automobile, the Ford F-Series was the best-selling vehicle in the United States in 2015. The iconic pick-up truck, manufactured since 1948, had a 3.5 percent increase in sales last year from 2014. The Ford F-Series was the country’s best-selling vehicle for the 34th straight year. It sold 780,354 units in 2015, and it also led a top-three sweep of trucks as the top sellers in the country. The Chevrolet Silverado was the country’s second-highest seller with 600,544 units sold, followed by the Ram Pickup, with 451,116 units sold. The Chevrolet Silverado had 13.4 percent sales increase from 2014 to 2015, while the Ram had an increase of 2.6 percent. The

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Christopher Walken lends pipes, pitches Kia in Super Bowl 50

Christopher Walken may or may not drive a Kia. But like Blake Griffin, his predecessor as a celebrity spokesman for the South Korean manufacturer, Walken is anything but basic and boring. He doesn’t blend in. That’s the catch in the carmaker’s in three new commercials touting 2016 Kia Optima. Walken, the Academy Award-winning actor, narrates but does not appear in the already airing spots titled “Middle C.” He also does the narration only in the yet-to-be broadcast “Cookie Cutter” commercial. But fans be ready. Walken will appear in a another new Kia commercial set for broadcast during Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016. Kia is promoting the new Optima as a “vibrant alternative for those determined not to blend

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Volkswagen plan to fix diesel emission issue rejected

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has rejected Volkswagen‘s plan to fix its pollution-spewing 2.0-liter diesel cars. The vehicles are equipped with software that allows them to emit up to 40 times legalll allowable pollution. The CARB said VW’s proposed fix was not adequate or fast enough, according to a report from Reuters and several other media organizations. The agency said it would continue its investigation as well further discuss with VW new potential solution. Only the proposal to fix 2.0-liter diesel engines, the most common affected, was rejected. The proposal for fixing the 3.0-liter diesel engines also affected, is not scheduled for evaluation by the CARB until February 2016. Since the faulty VW emissions issue was announced in September

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Good Housekeeping debuts Best New Cars list

Good Housekeeping, the magazine whose testing institute has evaluated products and presented the Good Housekeeping Seal of approval since 1909, has unveiled its inaugural “Best New Cars” for 2016. The new list was compiled in conjunction with Car and Driver, the renowned automobile publication. The two publications’ collaboration narrowed 160 vehicles to 41 across four categories; eight winners: Compact, Sedan, Eco and Crossover. Then, the engineers from the Good Housekeeping Institute logged 2,000-plus miles on real roads, assessing performance, safety features, family friendliness, price, infotainment systems, usability, storage and intuitive design. Here are the winners, announced January 11, 2016 at North American International Auto Show in Detroit: Compact Mazda3 S 5-Door Grand Touring (2015): Swift acceleration gives this car a

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Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Dodge get dubious honors

Owning a Mercedes-Benz luxury sedan or a Dodge Charger muscle car might be a dream vehicle of your choice. Both automobiles have long been popular to different buying groups. But both vehicles are also expected to be among the worst depreciating cars in 2016. According to a new report on Forbes.com and compiled from statistics from the used-vehicle website Carlypso.com, the Nissan Leaf is expected to be with the worst anticipated depreciating in 2016. The Leaf will likely be worth only 52 percent of its original MSRP after one year. The Forbes’ article states depreciation values are “essentially educated guesses.” But it also cites the data from Carlypso.com and its most recent tabulation from 2015 of more than 46,000 used

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2016 Honda Civic gets Car of the Year honors in Detroit

The perennially best-selling Honda Civic, manufactured since 1972 and in its 10th generation, was named 2016 North American Car of the Year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Volvo XC90 took top truck honors. Both models are repeat winners. The Honda Civic won the best car award in 2006. The Volvo XC90 claimed Truck of the Year in 2003. Repeat Honor For Honda Civic It was the third time since the awards were launched in 1993 domestic automakers were shut out Honda swept the awards with the Civic and Ridgeline winning in 2006. Land Rover and Hyundai won in 2012. The winners were chosen by a jury of 53 automotive journalists from a group of three

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2017 Preview: Honda Ridgeline Longer, wider, innovative

The 2017 Honda Ridgeline was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit with the pickup’s versatility, capability and comfort emphasized. Designed, developed and manufactured in America, the Ridgeline will be available to he public on a yet-to-be announced date in the first half of 2016. Honda is promoting the midsize pickup as having the “largest, most versatile cabin.” It’s touted as the “only 4-foot-wide flat bed space in the midsize pickup segment, along with payload capacity rivaling top competitors.” Powered by a 3.5-liter, direct-injected i-VTEC™ V-6 engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, the Honda Ridgeline will also feature the industry’s first in-bed audio system. For the first time, front-wheel and all-wheel-drive configurations will be available. Front-wheel

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Elio Motors counters NHTSA rule with spirited retort

Elio Motors reacted quickly to Internet reports that a pending legislation from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) could further delay the production of the highly marketed and often delayed debut of its three-wheel, 84 mpg vehicle. According to the accounts, the NHTSA has introduced a proposal to change its regulations related to three-wheeled vehicles. If enacted, Elio could face increased costs and further be delayed in its latest debut prediction of the unique-looking vehicle. Via Elio’s spokesman, Paul Elio, the company’s founder and CEO, released the following statement: “Elio Motors remains committed to engineering our vehicle to the industry’s highest safety standards. This particular rule from NHTSA was first published in 2013 and is not something new. NHTSA

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Volkswagen may buy back your dirty diesel

If you own a Volkswagen with a diesel engine affected by the recent emission scandal, the German carmaker may buy back your car. A German newspaper has reported Volkswagen Group “assumes it will have to buy back about 115,000 cars in the United States,” according to Reuters. Volkswagen officials have been working with U.S. regulators to come to an agreement about how best to fix the nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles in the U.S. discovered to illegally include software that misrepresents the emissions levels. The devices helped some of Volkswagen Group’s cars pass emissions tests in a lab but allowed the cars to pollute more heavily when driving under normal conditions. In the 2.0-liter engine diesel cars especially, models were found to

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Gas Mileage Averages Climb But New Rules Loom

It’s still a decade away, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and federal government a few years ago mandated a pending regulation. By 2025, new vehicles sold in the United States will be required to attain a combined 54.5 mpg. The automotive industry is improving, with a few surprising improved gas mileage averages in performance-oriented cars. But there are also disappointing mpg results, particularly among expensive sedans and sports cars. In one recent tally, the EPA reported new cars sold in 2013 averaged 24.1 mpg. That was more than 5 mpg more than new cars sold in 1995 averaged. Consider some improved 2015 individual totals: The most efficient versions of the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger all get

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Parking in Los Angeles is a pain, but there’s relief

Major metropolitan cities can be a source of constant frustration for daily commuters and tourists. As the country’s second-largest metropolitan area after New York, Los Angeles has more than its share of transportation problems. Parking in Los Angeles is among the most troublesome issues. In addition to often futile searching, the cost of  public parking in downtown Los Angeles is prohibitive. The issue is also not likely to be resolved soon since the population of Los Angeles metro area increased by nearly 3.5 percent from 2010 to 2014, according the U.S Census Bureau. But Los Angeles, like other large and small cities around the country, is trying to provide relief. Traditional alternatives like commuter busses and well-known cab companies are

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Fiat-Chrysler woes continue with Jeep, Dodge recall

Several types of Jeep sport utility vehicles as well as a Dodge Durango model totaling 570,000 units from 2011 and 2012 have been recalled for fire risks in two campaigns linked to problems with vanity mirror wiring and a low-pressure hose. The two brands’ problems are another dubious occurrence for Fiat Chrysler. Earlier this month, the manufacturer agreed to pay another $70 million in fines for failing to report vehicle crash deaths and injuries since 2003.   The recall includes: 477,000 2011-2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs after the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation in May to determine if vehicles serviced in a prior related recall were at risk for fires. Fiat Chrysler said

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Ford recalls 318,000 new trucks and old sedans

If you own a 2016 Ford truck or a 13-year-old Ford Crown Victoria it could be among the 318,000 varying vehicles the manufacturer has recalled for a host of reasons. Headlight failure linked to 11 crashes is the reason Ford has recalled 313,000 Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis units from 2003 to 2005. The light module’s solder joints could crack and interrupt power to the headlights and thus increase the risk of crash at night. The Ford Crown Victoria was often used as a police vehicle or taxis before the automaker phased it out in 2011. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a new investigation of more than 500,000 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis cars

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