Jerry Seinfeld back in cars getting coffee on Crackle

“Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” the contagiously funny show about nothing and everything all at once, has started its fourth season. The show has some changes, but it’s as if Jerry Seinfeld never missed a comedic beat during the show’s hiatus. The season opener features Seinfeld and Sarah Jessica Parker driving in her 1976 Ford Country Squire station wagon to Manhattan. The premise of the show is Seinfeld’s obsession with coffee and cars. It’s the most popular show on the Crackle network. There’s new static footage in Season Four, and the season opener begins with a clever exchange of why

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GM nailed again, this time $10 billion lawsuit

As if the recall of 20 million cars and a new CEO isn’t enough turmoil, GM is now being sued for $10 billion. The lawsuit, filed by attorneys Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, details GM hurt its customers by concealing defects. The result: devaluation of many late-model vehicles by about $500 to $2,600 in resale value. The news agency, Reuters reported the plaintiff is Anna Andrews, a California resident and GM customer. Andrews is seeking class-action status for people who owned or leased GM vehicles sold between the company’s bankruptcy and April 1, 2014 It’s the first legal claim that GM

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2014 Ford Fiesta: Best car $17,500 can buy

Now in its sixth generation and two years away from its 40th birthday, the 2014 Ford Fiesta continues the subcompact car’s enduring legacy. The Fiesta is manufactured in a dozen countries and is third in sales for Ford, trailing the Escort and F-series trucks. The current generation Fiesta (Mark VI) was introduced worldwide in 2010, marking the car’s return to North America. More than 16 million Fiesta units have sold since its debut in 1976. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The 2014 Ford Fiesta is available as a four-door sedan and a four-door hatchback. Both are available in S, SE

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2015 cars are here; best deals now on 2014 models

Models for 2015 cars and trucks in all shapes and sizes are steadily infiltrating the market. Which means it’s about the time when better prices may be available 2014 models. As edit and publisher of The Weekly Driver I’ve reviewed more than three-dozen 2014 models to date. And entry level sedans to luxury cars, sub-compacts to sport utility vehicles, the automotive industry has become increasingly competitive. So far this year, the Weekly Driver’s staff has contributed a few dozen other reviews and we’ve produced six independent videos. Videographer Bruce Aldrich, who edits and publishes, tahoetruckeeoutdoor.com, filmed and produced the videos.

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Tracy Morgan improves, sense of humor back

Tracy Morgan, the actor and comedian who suffered multiple injuries June 7 in a New Jersey highway crash that killed one of his friends, has been upgraded to fair condition. “His personality is certainly starting to come back as well,” Lewis Kay, Morgan’s spokesperson, said. Morgan, 45, the former “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock” star suffered broken ribs and a broken leg on the New Jersey Turnpike. The crash killed comedian James McNair and seriously injured two others. Prosecutors say Walmart driver Kevin Roper’s truck hit Morgan’s limo. Roper has pleaded not guilty to death by auto and assault

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World Cup, Hyundai have a good soccer marriage

Hyundai has had plenty of innovative commercials, particularly during Super Bowl telecasts. But the South Korean automaker may have outdone itself with a series of commercials for the World Cup soccer tournament. The first in a series of commercials shows a caravan of Hyundai vehicles on a pilgrimage to the World Cup in Brazil. The one-minute spot, called The Journey, briefly showcases the hotspots of the World Cup. Fans have painted faces and there are Brazilian players practice in the streets with impressive moves. There are children showing their emotional enthusiasm in anticipation of the globally popular event. There’s a

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General Motors: low spark in massive recall rate

The latest chapter in the omnipresent woes of General Motors revealed that four months after the company began recalling 2.6 million small cars to fix ignition switches, only seven percent of the vehicles have been repaired. The reason: Switch maker Delphi has had delays in making the part for cars that are no longer being produced. General Motors reported through June 12, nearly 177,000 cars have been repaired and another 423,000 parts kits have been shipped to dealers worldwide. Spokesman Kevin Kelly said Delphi had only one assembly line building replacement switches, which slowed parts distribution. Kelly added the company

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2014 Scion tC: Aggressive, sporty, fun coupe

Scion is becoming more aggressive to attract a greater number of male buyers. The 2014 tC, an upscale front-drive hatchback sports coupe from Toyota’s youth-oriented brand, looks racier, is quick and handles better than previous models. The new Scion tC has a longer hood, new muscular-looking grille and LED accent lights, besides LED taillights that enhance the rear. Many tCs once were ordered with an automatic transmission by women. Not that Scion minded that much, but it wanted the car to have more masculine appeal and thus modified later models accordingly—without discouraging women buyers. The tC is reasonably priced at

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Miracle on Snow: Michael Schumacher out of coma

Michael Schumacher, who sustained serious head injuries nearly six months ago in a skiing accident in France, is out of his coma and has been transferred from a hospital in France to a hospital near his home in Switzerland. Schumacher, 45, the most accomplished driver in Formula One history, has been in a Grenoble hospital since his accident Dec. 29, 2013. He left the French hospital Monday morning. Schumacher “is not in a coma anymore,” his manager, Sabine Kehm, said. Kehm gave no further details of Schumacher’s condition or medical outlook. But she added Schumacher will “continue his long phase

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Elio Motors suffers further setback, debut in late 2015?

The future of the much-discussed Elio Motors three-wheeler has been further delayed — likely for more than a year — according to several website reports. The Dubai-based news portal, AirHerald.com report funding issues have stalled the pending start of manufacturer’s production site in Shreveport, Louisiana. The dilemma may push back the public debut of the vehicle to at least September, 2015. Officials at Elio Motors had hoped production of the $6,800 car would be last March. In addition to funding issues, uncertainly from regulators how three-wheel vehicles should be classified have further complicated the much-anticipated car. According to AirHerald.com, Elio

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2014 Volkswagen Passat: Unheralded, worthy sedan

The 2014 Volkswagen Passat is a family sedan that for years has fallen into an odd category. It doesn’t turn heads via an overtly handsome exterior. And neither are its performance nor interior styling spectacular. But for more than four decades the Volkswagen Passat has done a lot right and little wrong. That places the car in a category among few family sedans, particularly those in the high $20,000 to low $30,000 range. It’s hard to find anything wrong with the car. The sixth and current generation debuted in 2011 and was named the 2012 Motor Trend Car of the

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Tracy Morgan wreck spotlights long-haul trucking woes

The crash last Saturday involving comedian Tracy Morgan, his entourage and a Walmart truck driver accused of overt fatigue, has again brought to the forefront the inherent potential dangers of long-haul trucking. Bill Briggs, writing for the website of NBC news, has filed a lengthy and compression article titled: “Tracy Morgan Crash: Why Are Some Long-Haul Truckers So Tired?” In the article, Briggs writes in part: “One year ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) installed several rules to try to keep weary truckers off highways, including mandating a 30-minute break during the first eight hours of their shift and

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Muscle car madness: Corvette tops the power list

Muscle cars may be defined differently by different enthusiasts of the car segment. But it’s unlikely there’s a more diverse list of muscles cars than those outlined by the website autodesk.com. In an non-bylined article, the editors have chosen their list of the top-15 muscle cars still manufactured. In reverse order, the list begins with the Dodge Viper and ends with the Chevy Corvette. The list also includes some curious choices. Here’s what autodesk wrote in part about the Dodge Viper: “In January 1992, Dodge introduced the Viper to the public as a car that was unlike any other American

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Jerry Seinfeld does coffee, cars with Jon Stewart

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Eighteen-wheelers, station wagons, vintage AMC cars and Jaguars have little in common. Unless, of course, Jerry Seinfeld and one of his comedian friends are the occupants in one of the vehicles and they’re going for coffee. The fourth season of the web series, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” will debut June 19. It will be the first episode in a new five-season deal with the Crackle network. The new season introduction video (see below) shows Seinfeld in short clips with his guests for this season, Jon Stewart, George Wallace, Sarah Jessica Parker, Robert Klein and Aziz Ansari. Since its debut,

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GM image enhancer: Test-drive a Cadillac, get $100

General Motors hasn’t been a beacon in the automotive industry recently. As such, the company is looking for new ways to market, like giving potential buyers $100 for test-driving a Cadillac. According to several automotive sites, the Cadillac promotion is simple. Customers would receive a $100 gift card after test driving a Cadillac. There are two “catches.” The new test-drive promotion is open to drivers over the age of 21 and who own a non-GM vehicle that’s newer than 2004. General Motors’ theory behind the promotion is simple marketing. The company believes potential customers will be so impressed with Cadillac

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Remember me? Alfa Romeo set for U.S. return

Chrysler has awarded 86 Alfa Romeo franchises in the United States and Canada ahead of the Italian brand’s limited return of the Alfa Romeo 4C coupe later this year. The franchises are in 33 states, primarily in California, Texas and Florida, according to the automaker. Seventy-nine of the initial 82 franchises in the United States were given to existing Fiat dealers. The initial supply of Alfa Romeos will be limited. Only 1,500 Alfa Romeo 4Cs will be distributed in North America annually. A mid-sized Alfa Romeo sedan, based on the brand’s new Georgio architecture, is expected to debut in Europe

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