Most reliable cars: Mitsubishi, Hummer. Really?

Steven Lang has had a unique automotive industry career. For more than 15 years, he’s been a car dealer, an auctioneer and a part-owner of an auto auction. He’s bought and sold cars. And he believes he has a credible list of the 10 most reliable cars — by brand. Lang has seen extraordinary cars and likely some that should have never been sold. He knows cars old and new. And he knows branding from the Lexus motto: “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection to the BMW creed: “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” A contributor to Motoramic, Lang has compiled an top-10

Read more

Ford recalls 1.4 million vehicles dating to 2006

Ford has joined General Motors in a dubious recent honors contest with the announcement of a recall of 1.4 million cars in a variety of brands and manufactured between 2006 and 2013. The biggest percent of the recalls, according to the Detroit News, involves 915,216 Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner and Ford-built Mazda Tribute CUVs. The vehicleating firm 2008 to 2011, for faulty torque sensors. The issue could could lead to sudden power steering failure. Manual steering would still be available, though. The recall includes 736,000 of the above brands built in the United States and the majority of the rest

Read more

2014 Toyota Highlander: Perfect family vehicle?

Revise an already good vehicle and you can end up with an appreciably better one. The revised, user-friendly 2014 Toyota Highlander is sleeker, roomier and even more user-friendly. For some, it might be the perfect family vehicle. The revised Toyota Highlander is slightly longer and wider than its predecessor. It also has a lower roofline, sculptured side-door panels, redesigned trapezoidal grille, wraparound headlights, deeply chiseled fenders and prominently protruding wheels for a more aggressive look. There’s also a new rear bumper for a “tougher” appearance. The first- and second-row seating areas are spacious. There’s also extra room in the third-row

Read more

2014 Nissan 370Z: Fast, fun, impractical

Now in its sixth year, the 2014 Nissan 370Z is the seventh generation of the Nissan Z-car line that dates to 1969. The 370Z succeeds the 350Z which succeeds five other generations — 240Z, 260Z, 280Z, 280ZX and the 300ZX. The original Z car had innovative good looks for its time, and it was powerful. It didn’t take long for the then Datsun 240Z to become a top seller. In 1972, more than 50,000 units sold in the United States. Fast-forward 45 years since the car’s debut, and the current Z car still has a reputation as a handsome, powerful

Read more

2015 Kia K900: Luxury for $20,000 less than rivals

The luxury sedan market has become more crowded with the addition of the 2015 Kia K900. The new K900 is Kia’s first V-8 sedan and first rear-wheel-drive luxury car. It’s for those who want to save approximately $20,000 or so if they don’t mind not getting an upper-line German or Japanese rear-drive V-8 luxury auto. Kia didn’t dare make a mistake with its flagship K900 because the car, as the automaker says, is intended to “redefine consumer perception and expectations of the Kia brand.” Snobby neighbors may scoff at the Kia nameplate, but they can’t honestly scoff at the car.

Read more

2014 Hyundai Equus: Luxury, value for comfy sedan

As the flagship model, the Hyundai Equus is the largest and most expensive vehicle in the Korean manufacturer’s lineup. It’s a full-size luxury sedan and it’s named after the Latin word for horse. Hyundai introduced a new version of the Equus on a rear-wheel drive platform in 2009. It’s the carmaker’s direct to aim to compete with the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8 and Lexus LS. The Weekly Driver’s Test Drive For 2014, the Hyundai Equus isn’t a new generation, but it has substantial revisions. Front and rear styling have been altered. And the instrument panel, control layout

Read more

General Motors slammed with $35 million recall fine

General Motors has been fined a record $35 million in civil penalties for its inadequate handling of a recall of more than two million vehicles with ignition switch problems. The Department of Transportation said GM violated federal safety laws and its decree said GM should change how it handles review of safety issues. The GM recall includes the 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. The fine stems from an investigation into the Chevrolet Cobalt and other GM cars that were found to have faulty ignition. The

Read more

Is Jetpack Misleading Users to Promote WordPress.com?

Are you using Jetpack’s publicize feature on your site? Recently while browsing through Facebook, we found several folks sharing links where WordPress replaced the site domain. Along with that, the status also read like this: Michelle Schulp published an article in WordPress. <img class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-25095″ title=”Facebook Status being hijacked by JetPack publicize” src=”https://cdn.wpbeginner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/fbstatusjetpackpublicize.jpg” alt=”Facebook Status being hijacked by JetPack publicize” width=”520″ height=”479″ /> This was alarming, so we decided to investigate the issue. When you click on the link, it takes you the website. However when you click on WordPress, it takes you to a WordPress.com signup page on

Read more

2014 Volkswagen Jetta: New engine, better ride

The Volkswagen Jetta is an affordable German-engineered compact sedan, which might partially explain why it is VW’s most popular model here. Major improvements for 2014 include a new turbocharged and intercooled 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that develops 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. It has direct fuel injection and replaces a 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine with the same horsepower. The new engine delivers better fuel economy than the five-cylinder: an estimated 26 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on highways with a five-speed manual transmission. A six-speed manual and efficient automatic transmissions also are available. Enabling the front-wheel-drive

Read more

Carmony re-focusing website with upscale brands

Carmony, one of the United Kingdom’s leading used car websites, is rebranding its website and will now focus on prestigious brands with price tags of more than 25,000 pounds. The Carmony website previously featured a full range of used cars. And it will continue is reputation for providing a simple, effect website that allow consumers to search for vehicles and dealers for the best products. The special lifestyle search feature allows consumer to look for a used car using criteria such as boot space or number of seats. Additionally, the website offers the latest news and reviews from the industry.

Read more

2015 Volvo XC60: Hot engine, better transmission

I’m happy to see Volvo is surviving. I’ve been an on-off-on Volvo fan since I bought a seemingly indestructible 1956 Volvo PV444 in 1963 with its stick shift and lively twin-carburetor engine. The midsize Volvo XC60 upscale crossover has progressed nicely since introduced a few years ago and is one of the best such vehicles offered, although it faces stiff competition. For 2014, the XC60 got a new hood, front fenders, redesigned headlights and new instruments, along with paddle shifters for the automatic transmission. It also got new 18-inch alloy wheels and new “corner traction control.” The XC60 is generally

Read more

Mercedes-Benz, Kia drop Clippers, Donald Sterling

At least six companies involved in the automotive industry, including Mercedes-Benz and Kia Motors, have removed advertising budgets from the Los Angeles Clippers and their now banned and fined owner, Donald Sterling. The exodus occurred prior to the announcement of the NBA’s decision to reprimand Sterling after the 80-year-old billionaire’s racially insensitive remarks. (Editor’s Note: The WeeklyDriver.com has decided not to print the remarks attributed to Sterling.) In addition to Kia and Mercedes-Benz, CarMax, State Farm Insurance, Red Bull and Yokohama have ended their relationships with the team. Several other major sponsors have also ended their relationships with the Clippers

Read more

Elio Motors, Pep Boys establish service deal

If the Elio Motors concept vehicle is launched, its buyers will have a nationwide official service provider, Pep Boys. The automotive aftermarket retailer has more than 800 service centers in 35 states and in Puerto Rico, and it will cover 90 percent of the markets where the start-up Elio Motors vehicles will be sold. Elio Motors will service vehicles at its company owned stores in remaining markets. For more than one year, Elio has promoted its three-wheel vehicle. The company claims it will have a price tag of $6,800, fuel efficiency of 84 miles per gallon and a top speed

Read more

Pontiac Aztek: Reviled, revered, cult classic

The Pontiac Aztek is likely the most maligned car in modern history. Like the Ford Pinto, Chevrolet Vega and Yugo it has been described as the ugliest car ever built and the worst car ever made. Sometimes, the criticism cut deep. One reviewer said of the Aztek, said: “The styling of the car is its best feature.” The 2001 Aztek was the most picked on model. It looked like a badly designed space vehicle or a tank that had been totaled. It was rough-edged and gaudy. Still, the Pontiac Aztek had such a rotten reputation, it’s become a cult car.

Read more

Brian Johnson of AC/DC set to host new TV car series

Brian Johnson, the frontman of the band AC/DC, can rock with the best of them. But he can compare car collections with anyone, too, especially his beloved Rolls Royce. Johnson’s passion for vintage automobiles has led to his new gig, host of the new series “Cars That Rock.” The six episode, 60-minute series will start May 8 on Quest, Freeview Channel 38 in the United Kingdom. The Back2Back Productions series will feature Johnson as he pursues his passion of cars. He’ll examine the history of cars, meeting fanatics and of racing. In a video clip of the new program, Johnson

Read more

2014 Hyundai Tucson: Nimble, versatile, no flash

How convenient when the name of a car is easy to decipher. Take the 2014 Hyundai Tucson. The now decade-old sport utility vehicle is named after the city in Arizona, and that makes sense. The compact crossover, like a lot of SUVs, is versatile for active buyers. It’s a daily driver, a weekend getaway car and good for families with kids needing lifts to their activities. It’s ideal for trips to the local market. It fits the lifestyle of Arizona and plenty of other regions of the country. Hyundai has made only two generations of the Tucson, with the second

Read more