2016 Honda Civic: Driving the Tour of Utah efficiently fast

The Nevada and Utah highway systems are efficient and often afford long stretches of open range roads. Some sections in Utah have posted speed limits of 80 mph. And like in Nevada’s desert, only a few small cities interrupt the rolling hills, sage brush and often jagged and rust-colored rock formations After driving 455 miles on the first day from trek from Sacramento to Ely, Nev., in my Honda Civic (Touring Edition), I followed the next day with 202 miles from Ely to Cedar City, Utah, just in time to attend the Tour of Utah bike race press conference. My

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2016 Honda Civic Touring: Hot desert, high speed, long haul

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A long-distance haul into the desert is unlike any other driving experience, and it’s an ideal way to test a new vehicle. Yesterday, I completed a 647-mile, two-day trek from Sacramento, California, to Cedar City, Utah in a 2016 Honda Civic Touring edition. The trek was to attend the weeklong Tour of Utah bicycle race, which began August 1 and continues through August 7 in Park City. One year ago, I made the same trip on Interstate 80 with the first-night break on Elko, Nev. This year, I took the Hwy. 50 route since my Utah arrival destination was more

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2016 Toyota Avalon Hybrid: economic, near luxury

The Toyota Avalon debuted in late 1994 as the manufacturer’s flagship full-sized sedan. It replaces the Toyota Cressida. The hybrid trim was unveiled in December 2012, further adding to Toyota’s nearly always-expanding lineup. For 2016, The Toyota Avalon Hybrid has only a few changes. Most notably, there’s a redesigned front grille and front turn signal lamps. The base XLE Plus trim debuts; the Touring trim is discontinued. Technology features are also enhanced with a wireless smartphone charging system standard for the XLE Premium and Limited trims. The Toyota Safety Sense package is available as a Limited trim option. 2016 Toyota

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Customer Service vital for success in towing industry

Customer service is an essential part of any public-oriented profession. After all, every business needs clients. Keeping your clientele satisfied, including in the towing industry, is key to ongoing success. Any company that allows paying customers to walk away unhappy is risking its future. In the towing industry, excellent customer service is of particular importance. Towing Falcons, providers of towing services in San Leandro, California, attest to this: “We have years of experience working with the public, and know just how difficult dealing with a breakdown, a blown-out tire, or a crash is for drivers,” the company’s owner said. “Our

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Pokemon Go madness: Baltimore driver, player hits police car

How obsessive compulsive has the mobile reality game Pokemon Go become? One answer involves the extreme good fortune of a young man in Maryland. While playing the game on his smartphone while driving, the man crashed his vehicle into a parked police car. The driver’s sport utility and the police officer’s car suffered extensive damage, but the driver of the car emerged without injuries. According to a report on CBS San Francisco, A Baltimore Police Department officer was talking to two colleagues next to his parked patrol car following a service call around 3:30 a.m. on July 19. The driver

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When buying a used vehicle don’t forget the inspection

Purchasing a new vehicle always represents a significant financial commitment, even when your new vehicle isn’t new at all. Even pre-owned vehicles, significantly marked down from the original sticker price, will cost a few bucks, and it’s important to ensure they represent a decent value. This means doing your homework—reading reviews and consumer reports before you sign on the dotted line. It means taking the vehicle for a test drive, ensuring you like how it runs and how it sounds. And yes, it means inspecting the vehicle thoroughly. As you inspect a used vehicle, you can and should be meticulous.

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Worst driving city in the United States? Washington, D.C.

Like all major metropolitan areas, Washington, D.C., has its strengths and weaknesses. One dubious distinction is its designation as the worst city in the United States for driving. That’s the assessment of the personal-finance website WalletHub.com In its new study, which tabulates 21 metrics — average gas prices to delayed traffic time to auto shop repairs per capita — Washington, D.C., is the worst city among the country’s top -100 most populated cities for driving. Conversely, Scottsdale, Ariz., is the country’s best metropolitan area for driving. Arizona has five of top-10 best driving cities. Scottsdale is followed by Tuscon (2),

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Car air conditioning repairs best left to experts

Like windshield wipers that suddenly don’t work properly in a rainstorm or a flat tire when you’re late for an appointment, there’s no good time for your car’s air conditioning to fail. In summer months, of course, the process that cools and removes humidity from the air in a car is often used to its capacity. To run efficiently, it’s imperative an air conditioner has the proper level of refrigerant, the cooling agent. But if the air conditioning isn’t working or if it’s not blowing cold air of there’s a clicking noise coming from the engine, it’s likely the unit

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2016 Chevrolet Cruze: new edition offers plenty

Now eight years old, the Chevrolet Cruze has been redesigned for 2016 and further adds to the long list of competition in the compact sedan market. The new Cruze has a more masculine exterior appearance with a split front grille and it’s slightly longer than its predecessor. The Weekly Driver Test Drive With the market full of standard bearers like the Honda Civic, Mazda3, Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla, the 2016 Chevrolet moves toward to the top of the list with its debuting second edition. Like others in the compact sedan group, the Chevrolet Cruze is offered in several trims,

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2016 Honda Civic: sales jump for new sporty icon

It’s no surprise when pickup trucks sell well, but joining the perennially top-selling vehicle for honors in the first half of the year is the 2016 Honda Civic. The 10th generation of the compact is well on its way to 200,000 units sold this year and has achieved a 10.7 percent increase in sales from one year ago in June. So far this year, the Civic has improved monthly sales of 43 percent in January, 32 percent in February, 22 percent in March, 23 percent in April and 2.7 percent in May. The 2016 Honda Civic, which The Weekly Driver

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Leonardo DiCaprio: green car, issue advocate chided

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Leonardo DiCaprio is a well-known proponent of global warming issues. But the Academy Award winner is being criticized for his approach to hosting his Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Annual Gala To Fund Climate and Biodiversity Projects. The occasion will be held July 20 at the Bertaud Belieu Vineyards on the French Riviera. The actor is flying is top celebrity guests from around the world. Critics of DiCaprio, including the Daily Mirror newspaper in England, report guests’ travel will result in substantial overload of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions. The reception list includes: actors Kate Hudson, Charlize Theron, Cate Blanchett, Marion Cotillard,

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Tesla woes continue with production shortfall

Tesla has had its second disappointment in a week. The luxury electric carmaker has fallen short of shipment targets for the second straight quarter, raising further questions of the manufacturer’s ability to meet production demands of its pending Model 3. The carmaker said it shipped 14,370 cars in the second quarter. It missed its target of 17,000. The shortcoming also put Tesla’s claim of delivering 80,000-90,000 cars this year in jeopardy. Further, the announced delivery date of late November 2016 for the affordable Model 3 has now also been questioned. About 400,000 wannabe be buyers of the new vehicle have

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2016 Lexus NX 300h: Luxurious, efficient, pricey

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Now it its second model year, the 2016 Lexus NX 300h continues from its debut last year without major changes. The luxury compact crossover is rare in its segment. Its only competition is the Audi Q5 hybrid. The Weekly Driver Test Drive A gasoline-electric hybrid, the 2016 Lexus NX 300h features a 2.5-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder gasoline engine matched with two electric motors supplied with a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The marriage produces 194 horsepower. Like all Lexus vehicles throughout the high-end lineup, the Lexus NX has a substantial standard technology and safety equipment list equaled by a similarly sized list

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Auto Insurance required, but types, benefits vary

A vehicle is a valuable asset and if you own one, it is legally mandatory in the UAE to get it insured. Your vehicle’s insurance is a safety net. Your car can get stolen or be involved in an accident. It can be damaged in several other ways. But with a good insurance plan for your vehicle, you are guaranteed partial or complete financial coverage, with the bonus of peace of mind. After all, even the most skilled drivers can sometimes cause accidents. With so many insurance policies available nowadays, it can be confusing to choose the right one. Before

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Elio debuts test vehicle, but no production car date set

The long and circuitous journey Elio Motors has taken to introduce a high-mileage, three-wheel vehicle, has reached another level with the announced completion of its first E-Series test vehicle. The company, which has touted the $6,800 vehicle for several years and collected deposits from thousands of wannabe buyers, said test vehicle debut is a big step for the launch of the vehicle. The first E-Series vehicle, according to Elio, continues to development of final vehicle. The test vehicle will be “put through a battery of tests that will help refine and finalize the overall design prior to final production.” Elio

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Stop driving older Honda, Acura models

If you own an older Honda or Acura, the government is urging you to stop driving it because its Takata airbags have a 50 percent chance of exploding in a crash. The warning applies to about 313,000 models of the Honda Accord (2001-2002), Honda Civic (2001-2002) Honda CR-V (2002-2003), Honda Odyssey (2003), Honda Pilot (2003), Acura TL (2002-2003) and Acura CL (2003). Takata inflators that can explode in a crash have been linked to 10 deaths and more than 100 injuries in the United States. Auto safety regulators said eight of those deaths occurred in Honda and Acura vehicles subject

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