Kia Sorento, 2014: Crossover SUV adds style, power, now bigger contender

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The Kia Sorento crossover SUV has been sold for years, and continual improvements have kept it a contender. The improved 2014 Sorento shows Kia can keep this carlike vehicle very competitive. Formidable rivals include the Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot, Dodge Durango and Toyota Highlander. Styling counts for a lot these days, and the 2014 Sorento looks sharper than its predecessors. It has redesigned front and rear fascias to enhance its presence with a lower, broader look up front and a visually wider rear stance. Projector style headlights peer from behind tapered clear lenses. The Sorento rolls on redesigned

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2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata: World’s top-selling, two-seat roadster

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The Mazda MX-5 Miata was a sensation when it arrived as a 1990 model. It was an alluring, reliable copy for only $13,800 of the unreliable-but-respected 1960s-70s Lotus Elan costly low-volume sports car. The 2013 MX-5 Miata, which I tested in new “Club” trim, hasn’t lost the original’s charm. The first Miata quickly won over male auto buffs and replaced the Volkswagen convertible as the most desirable car among female high school and college students. And never mind that this two-seater lacked the Volkswagen’s back seat. The Miata is still very much with us, and is the record-holding top-selling two-seat

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Honda Accord Hybrid, 2014: 49 mpg

The enduring Honda Accord will likely expand its popularity this fall with the debut of the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid that will achieve a predicted 49 mpg. Scheduled for delivery to dealers in the United States in October, the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid will be a close sibling to the Honda Accord gas model. The differences: hybrid badge, LED running headlights, a blue-accented grille, a spoiler and a more aggressive wheels. The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid will be available in three options in its two-motor drive: EV, Hybrid, and Engine. In EV mode, in low speeds and medium to high

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Chrysler relents, recalls 2.7 million Jeep Grand Cherokee, Liberty models

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Chrysler has long promoted the Jeep Grand Cherokee as a rugged off-road vehicle with a practical side as a family people mover. But the influence of the NHTSA and public pressure have provided obstacles tougher than the enduring SUV. More than a week after refusing to comply with an NHTSA request to recall 2.7 million vehicles, Chrysler has relented. The carmaker announced a campaign to inspect and repair Jeep Grand Cherokee models from 1993-2004 and Jeep Liberty models from 2002-07. Chrysler Jeep recall dates to 1993 models The recall was prompted following an independent report fuel tanks in the Grand

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2013 Ford C-Max: Prius challenger shines (video review)

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A decade after its debut in Europe, Ford unveiled the C-Max in the United States in the fall of 2012 as the carmaker’s hybrid-only line. It’s available as a gas-electric hybrid and the Energi, a plug-in hybrid. It’s not available in a gas-only model. Ford’s goal is simple: It wants to infiltrate the long-standing dominance of the ever-expanding Prius family. And the carmaker is onto something with the Ford C-Max. It’s easy to like because like other hybrids, it has a quiet push-button start and a quiet overall demeanor. But it also performs with the acceleration, steering, braking and overall

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2013 Lexus LS 600h L: Luxury hybrid satisfying

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Maybe you can’t have it all in a full-size, fast, ultra-luxury sedan, but the 2013 Lexus LS 600h L hybrid sure makes it seem like you can. It should satisfy most spoiled—and some hard-to-please—luxury car buyers. Rivals to the LS 600h L are the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid and BMW 7-Series ActiveHybrid. The Lexus LS 600h L is no sports sedan, nor is it supposed to be—not when it weighs a hefty 5,115 pounds—or 5,203 pounds with the costly, optional executive seating package that is popular in China. Big shots there like to be driven as they ride in the back,

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BMW 750Li, 2013: stylish, hi-tech, hefty price

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The 7-Series is the BMW flagship and it deserves the status. It’s a beast of a sedan, a 4,600-pound cruiser best suited for long, open-road hauls. The 2013 BMW 750Li, my weekly driver, showcased BMW’s power, as in a 4.4-liter, 32-valve V8 with 445 horsepower and five-second, 0-60 mph prowess. But the long (201 inches) sedan is also a standard bearer of engineering, technology and for audio enthusiasts, an over-the-top whirlwind of sound. The 750Li has a base price of $90,000 and that’s reflected in all that BMW represents -— superior handling and superior design as well as industry-best comfort

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Chrysler strange, powerful bedfellows, Eminem, Clint Eastwood, Iggy Popp

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Saad Chehab, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chrysler Brand and Chrysler Group LLC, recently spoke to a group of automotive journalists at The Candy Store auto museum in Burlingame, California. Chebab’s talk and question and answer follow-up concluded a late afternoon, early evening test-drive opportunity of the 2013 Chrysler 200 and Chrysler 300, including the John Varvatos special edition, the limited production editon bearing the signature of the menswear designer from Detroit. Chebab covered a lot of topics in his presentation, not the least of which was Chrysler’s vision and choice of unique spokesmen for the brand. The

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Toyota Corolla 2014 unveiled: sleeker, better mpg

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The Toyota Corolla 2014, the 11th generation of the biggest-selling car in history, has been been unveiled as expected with the automaker’s theme of “Iconic Dynamism.” With mechanical and aerodynamic upgrades and a target of more than 40 mph, the new Toyota Corolla will showcase a sleeker, more modern design with a longer wheelbase. The new 2014 Toyota Corolla will also feature shorter overhangs, more pronounced wheel arches and cleanly sculpted surfaces. The faster sloping roofline blends into a shorter rear deck to lend the sedan a sportier image.   The new Corolla’s athletic character is complemented by a broad

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Toyota Prius recall worries continue with braking issues

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The ever-lingering recall of Toyota vehicles has continued with a voluntary safety recall of  Toyota Prius and Lexus HS 250h vehicles from 2010 because of potential braking issues. The total of 87,000 vehicles from 2010 models in the two brands being recalled are equipped with a brake pressure accumulator that may develop a fatigue crack on an internal part due to vibration. There have been no report of accidents of injuries via the Toyota Prius recall, but it occurs about two month after one of the largest recalls in the carmaker’s history. Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi combined will recall

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2014 Toyota Corolla: New look, better gas mileage

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Since it’s the best-selling car in history, look for continued keen marketing when  2014 Toyota Corolla is soon completely unveiled. In the meantime, the carmaker is steadily leaking details of the Corolla. And it takes the entry level vehicle at least as seriously as the debut of any of its cars — the Camry to the Prius to the Tacoma pick-up. The next generation of the Corolla, the 12th since the car’s debut in 1966, has slowly and steadily been leaked onto the Internet in stages. The front end was recently teased with a few images. And now images of

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Ford C-Max hybrid, 2013: Can it challenge Toyota Prius clan?

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Ford touts the 2013 C-Max as a hybrid that drives and looks like a “real car.” The marketing approach is a direct shot at the Toyota Prius, which despite its immense popularity still has plenty of detractors. The Prius still has a futuristic-looking exterior and it drives like . . . a hybrid. A decade after its debut in Europe, Ford unveiled the C-Max in the United States in the fall of 2012 as the carmaker’s hybrid-only line. It’s available as a gas-electric hybrid and the Energi, a plug-in hybrid. It’s not available in a gas-only model. Ford’s goal is

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Bugatti honor: World’s fastest, most rare, most expensive car

The 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic recently won the Best of Show at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy, and there’s plenty of reason. Only four production Atlantics were made and they were made with plain aluminum, featured flowing coupes lines and a pronounced dorsal seam running front to back. The body panels were riveted, creating the signature seam, and were retained for style based on the concept of the vehicle made three years early and built from magnesium alloy. The car that claimed the recent Best of Show is one of two Type 57S cars remaining and is from

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Volvo C30, 2013: Cool look, safe ride got Swedish retro hatchback extinct quickly

The Volvo P1800ES is arguably the coolest and most unheralded sports cars from the 1970s. It’s still around and without too much difficulty could be mistaken for the current Volvo C30. The current version has also been discontinued, which means 40 years from now it will look as hip and the P1800ES, now also in its 40s. Both have the unique-to-the-industry tapering roofline and glass hatchback. Volvo has always been known for industry-leading safety features. But the Volvo C30, introduced in 2008, is several steps away. It’s a perceived sports car, and it never sold particularly well. The 2013 edition

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Ford F-150, country’s best-seller, facing NHTSA scrutiny for power failure

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The Ford F-150 pickup truck, the best-selling vehicle in the United States, is under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration scrutiny. The NHTSA has opened preliminary investigation into 400,000 of the perennially popular trunks from 2011-2013 for acceleration problems. The NHTSA has received 95 reports of incidents of reduced engine power during hard accelerations in 2011-2013 Ford F-150 trucks equipped with 3.5-liter gasoline turbocharged direct injection engines. Some complaints allege unexpected sharp reductions in engine power during hard accelerations at highway speeds, such as attempted merging or passing maneuvers. NHTSA said Ford has issued three technical service bulletins related to intermittent

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Drivers feign poor vision to police officers most often to escape tickets

Car websites compile creative lists — best used car buys to most expensive sports cars and most family friendly cars to best cars for pets. Arguably the most creative list compiled in recent memory is the list compiled about driving habits, specifically the excuses given when drivers get tickets. The website Insurance.com earlier this year polled 500 licensed drivers age 18 older and older and their approach to negotiating with a police officer after being stopped for a violation. The most common excuse given by motorists was the inability to see the sign that  prohibited their just committed infraction. In

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