2019 Toyota Camry: top sedan gets better in soft market

For nearly 20 years, the Toyota Camry has been the country’s top-selling sedan. But for the past several years including 2018, there’s been a caveat to the numbers. And it hasn’t been good. Despite the debut of the enduring sedan’s eighth generation, Camry sales were down 11.3 percent last year from 2017. Toyota and other top sedan-makers continue to ponder the public’s mass exit from sedans toward the versatile range of sport utility vehicles and trucks. Ford and Chevrolet have abandoned their midsize segments. Statistically, the Toyota Camry was at its peak for four straight years beginning in 2012 with

Read more

#8, The Weekly Driver Podcast (video): Peugeot set for U.S. return

A date and what models will be offered haven’t been announced. But Peugeot will soon return to the North American market. Groupe PSA is the multinational parent company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall brands, maded the announcement in late February. Larry Dominique, President and CEO, PSA North America, Inc., is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Dominique reasons for the iconic vehicle’s return after nearly a three-decade absence. Dominique cites facts and figures and industry and trends. He

Read more

#77, Peugeot president discusses iconic car’s return

,

Groupe PSA is the multinational manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall brands. In late February, the French company announced it will soon re-introduce Peugeot to the North American market. Larry Dominique, President and CEO, PSA North America, Inc., is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Dominique reasons for the iconic vehicle’s return after nearly a three-decade absence. Dominique cites facts and figures and industry and trends. He explains that after China, the United States is the world’s second-largest car market.

Read more

Trends Now Affecting Auto Transport Industry

SPONSORED CONTENT As technology evolves and the economy constantly fluctuates, so does the auto transport industry. When car shipping changes as the result of things economy or technology, shipping rates get directly impacted. If you plan on shipping a car, understanding these trends and changes can help you better understand and predict possible future rate changes. Capacity Crunch – Capacity crunch is an auto industry freight term referencing to diminishing capacity for shipping. Realistically, this is being caused because there is a lack of people entering the freight industry. So, when people retire or leave the industry and don’t get

Read more

2019 Lexus LS 500 commands the open road in style

,

Like naval fleets, automobile manufacturers have flagships. Commanding officers, weaponry or distinguished flags aren’t involved. Still, carmakers’ highest-profile vehicles are their proudest presentations. Luxury brands thrive on their top-line offerings, which for the upscale division of Toyota is the Lexus LS 500. Redesigned inside and outside last year, the 2019 LS 500 retains the full-size luxury sedan‘s finer attributes. Its uber-quiet ride is complemented by its interior designer’s best traditional touches. Technology is top-shelf. Well-heeled German brands Audi, BMW Mercedes-Benz and Swedish rival Volvo all attract high praise for their handsome, forward-thinking exteriors designs. But with the South Korean-made Genesis,

Read more

Kaiyun Motors offers new, cheap EV pickup for $8,950

,

Cheap new vehicles aren’t a new phenomenon in certain countries. But so far it’s only been wishful thinking for a few niche manufacturers in the United States — until now. Kaiyun Motors will soon arrive. It will soon introduce the Pickman, an all-electric pickup in the U.S. It has a base price of $8,950. The price was listed mistakingly listed previously at $5,700, but it was for a non-street legal version of the truck not available in the U.S. The Pickman has a 5.5 horsepower engine and a top speed of 35 miles per hour. It’s classified as a low-speed

Read more

Toyota Sequoia tops vehicles achieving 200,000 miles

Which cars are proven to last the longest for their drivers? It’s a question the website iSeeCars.com wanted answered. Analyzing more than 13.8 million vehicles, the online automotive search engine and research website determined the Toyota Sequoia tops the list, with 7.4 percent of its vehicles reaching at least 200,000 miles. The average among major manufacturers is 0.8 percent. Here are the top 14 vehicles with the highest percentage of its vehicles reaching at least 200,000 miles: 1. Toyota Sequoia, 7.4 percent; 2. Chevrolet Suburban, 5.0; 3. Ford Expedition, 5.0; 4. GMC Yukon XL, 4.0; 5. Toyota 4Runner, 3.9; 6.

Read more

Bugatti debuts most costly new car; sold for $18.9 million

,

Bugatti has never made a subtle car. Now, even by the elite manufacturer’s standards, the French carmaker has outdone itself. During this year Geneva Motor Show, the one-of-a-kind La Voiture Noire was unveiled. It’s touted as the most expensive new car of all time with a price of $18.9 million. Inspired by the Type 57 SC Atlantic, the La Voiture Noire references Bugatti’s heritage in its design. Constructed from carbon fiber and coiffed in a deep black finish, the one-off hypercar was handcrafted. It has a 16-cylinder, 1,479 horsepower, 1,180 lb-ft of torque, a top speed of 261 mph and

Read more

#7 The Weekly Driver Podcast (video): Electric vehicle guru

Alex Guberman is as prolific and passionate as anyone in the electric vehicle industry. He has a vast following on YouTube to prove it. A recent transplant from the Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento, California, Guberman publishes and narrates E For Electric on YouTube. Now driving his third Tesla, Guberman produces three videos per day for his channel. He breaks electric vehicle news. He discusses trends in the industry. And he provides strong opinions. A new business friend, Guberman is our guest on the new episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and

Read more

#76, Alex Guberman, YouTube electric vehicle maverick

,

Alex Guberman is as passionate as anyone about the electric vehicle industry. A recent transplant from the Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento, California, Guberman runs E For Electric on YouTube. Guberman, now driving his third Tesla, is prolific. He produces three videos per day for his channel. He breaks electric vehicle news. He discusses trends in the industry. And he provides strong opinions. A new business friend, Guberman is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Guberman, a native of Moscow, Russia, who moved

Read more

#6, The Weekly Driver Podcast (video): All-Electric Rivian examined

,

The all-electric Rivian concepts, the R1T pick-up and R1S SUV, have gained substantial attention since their debuts last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The vehicles’ debut is scheduled for late 2020 through direct sales. Michael McHale, the company’s director of communications, is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with McHale the pending debut of the vehicles and how the innovated truck and SUV could change the automotive landscape. The company has been touted as a competitor to Tesla, a proposition it welcomes. Rivian was founded nearly

Read more

#75, Rivian gearing up for electric SUV, pick-up debuts

,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:23 — 47.2MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreRivian debuted two concepts last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show and attracted as much attention as any vehicle at the automotive industry’s first major show of the year. The all-electric concepts, the R1T pick-up and R1S SUV, have gained substantial attention since. The vehicles’ debut is scheduled for late 2020 through direct sales. Michael McHale, the company’s director of communications, is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with McHale the

Read more

Ray Elliott Commentary: Never buy a Chrysler product

,

Oh My God. Never buy a Chrysler product. My reasoning? It’s a dangerous product that not only thinks for you, but also will endanger your life and damage the interior for something as simple as a flat tire. This, in my opinion, is one of the best examples of piss-poor engineering. Why? My first example was when I encountered one of these vans last winter. It was two weeks old, still with dealer plates, and it had overheated. It did start and run, but the windows were frosted over because of the cold morning. To see where I was going,

Read more

So long, Toyota Prius C; It’s been a good eight years

The Toyota Prius c, introduced in December 2011 as the carmaker’s least expensive and smallest hybrid, will likely be retired with the introduction of the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid. According to a report on Motor1.com, the little hatchback will be outdone in its well-touted economy by the new Corolla. Available in the spring of 2019, the EPA has already released the mileage estimates for the new Corolla, 53 mpg in city driving, 52 mpg on the freeway. The Prius c is rated at 48 mpg in city driving, 42 mpg on the highway Fuel economy for the 2020 Corolla Hybrid

Read more

#74, National Transportation Safety Board Most Wanted

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:15 — 47.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThe National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began in 1966 and since 1990 it has announced a Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. Its recently released list for 2019-2020 includes 46 recommendations. Bruce Landsberg, the board’s vice chairman, is our special guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Landsberg, the former president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, was confirmed last summer to his position as one of five board members of the independent investigative agency based in Washington, D.C.

Read more

#5 The Weekly Driver Podcast (Video): NTSB expert Bruce Landsberg

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began in 1966 and since 1990 it has announced a Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. Its recently released list for 2019-2020 includes 46 recommendations. Bruce Landsberg, the board’s vice chairman, is our special guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. It’s our 74th audio episode and #5 in our news eries of audio/video podcasts. Landsberg, the former president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, was confirmed last summer to his position as one of five board members of the independent investigative agency based in Washington, D.C. A former

Read more