Automotive Reviews

What to consider when buying a used car

SPONSORED CONTENT The search for a reliable used car in good working condition is often tricky. It’s natural to suspect the previous owner of wanting to get rid of the car for a reason. Add to it the time spent on looking for trustworthy sellers online and visiting used car showrooms. They’re acrivities that can sometimes stretch for months and wear you out. In short, purchasing used cars isn’t easy. But the process can be simplified if the buyer is prepared. Do your homework and utilize a convenient, pertinent checklist. The first step in a used car search is to list the features desired — Big or small car? How many seats? Sedan or SUV? Once that’s determined, it’s easier

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2018 Hyundai Ioniq Review: Serious challenger for Toyota Prius

Since the debut of the Toyota Prius in 2000 as the first mass-marketed hybrid in the United States, several manufacturers have tried to infiltrate the odd-looking green car leader’s dominance. All have failed. Now, there’s a legitimate contender, the Hyundai Ioniq. The unusual name is the combination of the words ion and unique, and the vehicle’s title works. The Ioniq‘s specs outdo the Prius numbers in multiple categories. Key Takeaways First car offered in three electrified flavors: Ioniq Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid, and full Electric — something not even Toyota’s Prius lineup matches in a single nameplate. 58 combined mpg tops the Prius: The Ioniq Blue is rated 57 city / 59 highway mpg, a few miles per gallon better than

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2018 Toyota Land Cruiser Review: Luxury, power, gas sucker

The Toyota Land Cruiser has been manufactured for 67 years, and it’s geared toward a niche audience of SUV buyers seeking ruggedness and off-road durability. It’s the second-largest and oldest vehicle in the manufacturer’s lineup. For 2018, the Land Cruiser remains much the same as last year. It seeks a market share with the Land Rover Discovery, Lexus LX 570 and Lincoln Navigator in the behemoth SUV category. The auto industry’s gas guzzlers are the easiest segment to dismiss. How can anyone justify an $87,000 SUV that averages 13 and 18 miles per gallon respectively in city and highway driving? For the few thousand Toyota Land Cruiser buyers each year, the answer is simple: They know what they want and

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2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Preview: 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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BMW in which Tupac Skakur shot for sale, $1.5 million

The 1996 7 Series BMW in which rap legend Tupac Shakur was a passenger when he was murdered nearly 22 years ago is for sale. The asking price is $1.5 million. The BMW is on display for the first time at the Celebrity Cars Las Vegas showroom at 7770 Dean Martin Drive in Las Vegas. Musician and producer Marion Hugh “Suge” Knight Jr. was driving the car on Sept. 7, 1996, when, at the intersection of East Flamingo Road and Koval Lane when a gunman fired four .40-caliber rounds into the passenger side of the vehicle. Shakur was hit in the arm, thigh and twice in the chest. He died four days later. When Skakur was shot in the vehicle,

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Documentary ‘I Am Paul Walker’ set for late actor

Paul Walker, the late actor, car enthusiast and humanitarian, will be honored in an upcoming documentary from Paramount Network, Network Entertainment and Derik Murray, who produced “I Am Heath Ledger.” The documentary, titled “I Am Paul Walker,” will explore the late Fast and Furious star’s acting and film career. It will also detail the actor’s passion for marine life, the ocean and his charitable efforts in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. Many of Walker’s friends and co-stars are expected to be featured in the film. In addition to his Fast and Furious roles, Walker starred in numerous non-automotive based movies. He was killed in November 2013 when the Porsche Carrera GT in which he was a passenger, crashed into a concrete

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2018 Lexus LC 500 Review: A beauty of a beast

A middle-aged man and his three teenage companions stopped in a coffee shop parking lot, gawked at the exterior of the 2018 Lexus LC 500 and asked if they could check out the inside. A guy in an old pick-up with a dilapidated camper shell stopped in the middle of a street near to where the Lexus was parked and started a conversation about saving his money to buy one. Some people pointed, others provided a thumb’s up or exclaimed “nice wheels, dude.” A few young drivers pulled up near me on the freeway, momentarily glared and sped off, perhaps suggesting I follow them. It was tempting, but no thanks, fellas. Key Takeaways 471-hp 5.0-liter V8 with Maserati-grade engine note:

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2018 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen Review: Humble, proud, best in class

Throughout its long history in the United States, Volkswagen has manufactured two of the most recognizable cars in history, the VW Beetle and the VW Van. It also makes the Golf, and it’s arguably the most understated vehicle on the road. The Golf’s humble exterior and simple, efficient interior define its personality. It’s about as far-removed from its individualistic siblings as possible, and that’s its appeal. It’s no-nonsense and versatile. And it’s the best-selling VW in history and third on the all-time global sales list behind the Toyota Corolla and Ford F-150 series trucks. Key Takeaways 170-hp 1.8-liter turbo across all trims: The SportWagen carries the same engine as the rest of the Golf family, paired with either a six-speed

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2018 Infiniti QX80 Review: Ridiculously big and beautiful

With increased emphasis on green vehicles — entry-level economy boxes to electric supercars — one look at the 2018 Infiniti QX80 and a prevailing thought is that the luxury division of Nissan has missed the movement. The massive SUV is a small tank defined by opulence. It weighs more than three tons. It’s a heavy drinker, sucking down a gallon of fuel for every 13 miles it advances in city driving. It has 20-inch wheels (22-inch wheels are an option) and all-wheel drive. It often doesn’t fit in standard-sized parking spots. The QX80 has a 26-gallon gas tank that requires refilling in less than 500 miles. When fully equipped, the QX80 has four option packages and a few miscellaneous items

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2018 Infiniti QX60: Luxury SUV with class, comfort

The sport utility vehicle segment, small crossovers to three-row, boat-sized gas guzzlers, continues to appeal to the public in record numbers. Several manufacturers’ offerings have seemingly meshed into one universal vehicle. So how does a buyer make a choice? If luxury, versatility and a quiet ride are key buying attributes, consider the 2018 Infiniti QX60. It stands out among the horde of SUVs barreling down the freeway and lined up row after row in shopping malls and grocery store parking lots. Introduced as a concept at the 2011 Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, the QX60 debuted as a seven-passenger, mid-size luxury crossover in early 2012 as a 2013 model. It was the first three-row SUV offered by Infiniti, the upscale

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Shaun White: three gold medals, two white Lamborghinis

Shaun White, now the three the two-time snowboard half pipe gold medalist, was featured on 60 Minutes  just prior to the start of the Winter Olympics eight years ago. The segment with interviewer Bob Simon covered several areas, including the athlete’s ownership of two Lamborghinis — one crashed, one intact. The exchange between interviewer and guest is brisk and humorous. Shaun White, reacting to his final half-pipe run in 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.During the 12-minute video of the segment, a minute or so includes Simon asking White about his penchant for the fast Italian sports car and the  accident in his first Lamborghini. Here’s the text of the Lamborghini segment, followed by the video, which includes White

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Episode 24, Eric Wohlberg: cycling champion, vintage Buick driver

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:37 — 31.1MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreEric Wohlberg spent more than a decade traveling around the world to compete on two wheels. He participated in three Summer Olympics for Canada and won multiple cycling national individual time trial titles and stage races. But Wohlberg, 53, of San Jose, in his sixth year as a director for the Rally Cycling Team, now prefers four-wheel transportation. He often travels to the team’s camp and its races in the United States and his native country while driving one of his two vintage cars. Since 1990, Wohlberg has owned a 1965 Mustang Fastback. For his 50th birthday, he purchased a 1964 Buick LeSabre estate

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2018 Ford Mustang GT Review: Further defines iconic muscle car

Nearing the end of its sixth decade, the Ford Mustang is among the few remaining iconic American-made cars. It began as an affordable sporty coupe. For 2018, it’s undergone a refresh to showcase its muscle car masculinity. The Mustang legacy has endured multiple generations, reconfigurations and engine types. But it still resembles its debuting style, highlighted by a long hood and short rear deck. It was a new look for its time in 1964, and the Mustang’s success helped launch competitors like the AMC Javelin, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Pontiac Firebird and Plymouth Barracuda. The Mustang’s current generation debuted in 2015, but its makeover is substantial. The new Mustang gets a more aggressive front-end collection, including standard LED headlights and

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2018 Lexus GX 460 Review: Beauty and the Beast

The 2018 Lexus GX 460 is a large, plush three-row sport utility vehicle that transports seven occupants in style but has the ruggedness to venture off road. It’s largely unchanged from the 2017 edition. Sales have increased yearly since the GX 460 was introduced in 2010. The luxury SUV segment is appealing to more buyers simultaneously seeking prestige and versatility. Key Takeaways 4.6-liter V8 delivers 301 hp and genuine off-road capability: Body-on-frame construction with a 32-valve V8, 6-speed automatic, and full-time all-wheel drive across all trims, unusual in the modern luxury SUV segment. Seven-passenger capacity with 40/20/40 second row: Optional second-row captain’s chairs drop seating to six but add legitimate first-class comfort. Third row uses a 50/50 split with optional

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2017 Volvo V90 Cross Country Review: New station wagon redux

Stations wagons were all the rage 75 years ago. The 1941 Chrysler Town and Country bubble-back design had a cavernous interior and featured top-line woodgrain paneling. It was the most expensive vehicle in carmaker’s lineup and cost $1,495. Much has happened since. Somewhere in recent years, manufacturers began to believe the word station was a disservice as a prefix to the word wagon. Mercedes-Benz has estate wagons. Audi has the all-road. Volkswagen has its SportWagen. It’s all new lingo far-removed from the name station wagon, the name given to the spacious but trunkless vehicles used to carry multiple occupants and their luggage to train stations. The 2017 V90 Cross Country is the new station wagon from Volvo. But like every

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2018 Hyundai Elantra GT Review: Watch out Honda, Volkswagen

Compact hatchbacks often deserve more credit. They’re positioned in an unglamorous car segment, but they’re difficult to beat considering their combination of durability, economy, performance, space and style. New for 2018, the Hyundai Elantra GT expands the South Korean manufacturer’s lineup to further compete with hatchback stalwarts like the Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Subaru Impreza and Volkswagen Golf. The standard Elantra sedan includes a four-cylinder 147-horsepower engine. There’s also a four-cycling turbo-charged option with 128 horsepower. The GT, my test vehicle, adds further variety with 2.0-liter, 161 horsepower configuration matched to the same four-cylinder engine. The sport model has 201 horsepower. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard and a six-speed manual transmission is also available. The Hyundai Elantra

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