Tesla honored again, Consumer Reports’ best overall car

For the first time in four years, Consumer Reports has named a top overall pick in its annual best vehicle list. The winner is the 2014 Tesla Model S electric car. In 2010, the last time an overall pick was selected, the Lexus LS 460L received the honor. The magazine’s 10 top picks this year included five Japanese nameplates, including Honda’s Accord and Odyssey, Subaru’s Impreza and Forester and Toyota’s Prius hybrid. German manufacturers had two vehicles on the list, the BMW 328i and the Audi A6. American manufacturers were represented by Tesla and the Chrysler Ram 1500 pickup truck.

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2014 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: Thrifty, sleek, quiet

Volkswagen is an old hand at selling diesel-engine cars in America, having offered them in the 1970s and 1980s. Many VW auto diesel owners loved them, although the automaker’s latest diesel is far advanced from the old ones. Volkswagen has made its top-selling Jetta sleeker, larger, roomier, quieter and more refined for 2011, and the automaker’s four-cylinder turbodiesel engine makes the 2014 Jetta TDI model especially attractive. Auto diesel engines long have been popular in Europe, partly because of extra-stiff fuel prices. I easily cruised at 100 m.p.h. on a high-speed German autobahn during the media introduction of the 2010

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2014 Toyota Venza: wagon? SUV? All good

The 2014 Toyota Venza, like its older siblings, is positioned uniquely. It’s neither a wagon nor a true sport utility vehicle. Rather it’s a crossover with the all-wheel drive functionality like a wagon, cargo room like an SUV and the characteristics of a near luxury sedan. The result is a combo-car with a combo name. Plenty of theories abound what Venza means, including the Spanish translation, Conquer. Toyota says the vehicle’s name is a compilation of the words Venture and Monza, the Italian racetrack. It all makes sense, since the Venza is a compilation of car styles and sizes. Refreshed

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2014 Ford Focus: Euro-styled fuel sipper

Now 15 years old and in the third year of its third generation, the Ford Focus remains strong in the highly competitive compact field. The 2014 edition is much the same as last year’s model. The only significant change is a new Sport Appearance Package for the SE trim level. It includes sport cloth seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob and an available rear spoiler. Early in its tenure, the Focus reached annual U.S. sales of more than 286,000. The numbers slipped sharply with the second generation to 160,000 in 2009. But with the third generation restyle and

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PERK Vent Wraps make your car smell good

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PERK for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine. PERK Vent Wrap air fresheners are a novel idea. The approximately two-inch wrap fits discreetly on automobile and truck air vents — or anywhere else — and provides a fresh scent for 60 days. With the sub-title “Wake Up Your Space,” the wrap grips the vent tightly with a slight push. And unless you know it’s there, you’d never know it was there. If truth in advertising counts, the PERK Vent Wrap vent air freshener marketing folks are spot-on. The wraps

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gluttonous sink hole eats eight rare Corvettes

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Mother Nature has caused a lot of havoc, and her strange ways now include swallowing eight rare Chevrolet Corvettes formerly showcased peacefully in an automobile museum. The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., where the sports cars are manufactured, has reported a sink hole 40 feet across and as deep as 30 feet deep has caused what could a total loss of the cars. According to a museum spokesperson, here’s what happened: “We received a call at 5:44 a.m. from our security company alerting us of our motion detectors going off in our Skydome area of the museum. Upon

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Toyota woes again: 1.9 million Prius models recalled

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Toyota’s massive problem with recalls dating to 2009 has continued. The Japanese manufacturer is recalling 1.9 million hybrid Prius cars globally for a software issue that could cause the vehicle to stall. Toyota Motor Corp. said 997,000 Prius cars in Japan, 713,000 in North America, another 130,000 in Europe and the rest in other regions are being recalled for a problem in the software to control the hybrid system. No accidents or injuries have been reported related to the problem. The software could cause transistors to become damaged, causing warnings lights to go off, driving power to be reduced or

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2014 Mazda3: Driving fun, high efficiency

The redone 2014 Mazda3 shows the automaker keeps coming up with improved Euro-style models. It’s sharper-looking, has more interior room and features sparkling fuel economy. The Mazda3 is by far the Japanese automaker’s best-selling model in America, and more than 3.5 million have been sold globally. The new compact, front-drive Mazda3 has the styling and enough new features to attract more buyers. The re-engineered European-style Mazda3 has several trim levels. List prices range from $16,945 to $26,495. It comes as a four-door sedan and especially useful four-door hatchback. (Why automakers call a four-door hatchback a “five-door” is a mystery to

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2014 Mitsubishi Mirage: Thrifty hatchback for tight budgets

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Mitsubishi has come up with an affordable fuel-sipper. The 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback sedan is rated as the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid gasoline car in its class sold in the United States if equipped with its continuously variable automatic (CVT) transmission. That should be impressive enough to get the thrifty or those on tight budgets interested in this subcompact, which has been sold overseas since 2012. The Mirage’s estimated highway economy with its CVT is an impressive 44 miles per gallon, while the city number is 37. The Mirage also comes with a five-speed manual gearbox. Estimated figures with the manual

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Toyota on hot seat, shuts down production

Toyota sold more cars than any other carmaker worldwide in 2013. But the Japanese manufacturer’s vehicles also had the most problems in 2013. For 2014, it’s worse. Because of a potential fire hazard in seats via seat heaters, Toyota has stopped sales of nearly all of its new cars and trucks. Included in the stoppage: Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra vehicles equipped with seat heaters. According to Toyota, in some the carmaker’s best-selling cars a portion of the seats were not manufactured with materials that met flame-retardant standards. Toyota said that a small portion

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Carmen Electra does Wayne Chung in VW Super Bowl commercial

The mix of actress, model and personality Carmen Electra and English new wave band Wayne Chung might seem  odd. But Volkswagen thinks it works in the manufacturer’s teaser for its 2014 Super Bowl commercial. Puppies, a rooster, babies, confetti, an annoying car alarm and some cheap jokes are in the mix, too. It’s all accompanied by the tune, “Everybody Have Fun Tonight.” It’s of five Top 40 hits Wayne Chung had and it reached No 2 in 1986. The spot shows two Volkswagen engineers developing an algorithm to create the ultimate Game Day commercial. Things quickly go awry. And the

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Michael Schumacher slowly being taken out of coma

Retired Formula 1 race car Michael Schumacher is gradually being brought out of his month-long coma “to allow the start of the waking up process,” his manager has reported to international media outlets, including the French newspaper, L’Equipe. Schumacher, 45, suffered a severe head injury Dec. 29 when he fell and hit a rock while skiing in the French Alps. Surgeons performed two operations to remove blood clots around his brain. The coma was induced to help reduce and control swelling in the brain. The process of reducing sedation and bringing Schumacher out of the coma “may take a long

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REVIEW: 2014 Toyota 4Runner ruggedly defines SUV

The 2014 Toyota 4Runner continues to define the original meaning of a sport utility vehicle. It’s a long-established favorite among off-road SUV enthusiasts. Unlike crossovers largely best suited for road use, the 4Runner is more versatile. With a redesign that features a rugged new exterior and increased comfort and convenience interior upgrades, the 4Runner is fine on the road. But it’s equally comfortable on off-road treks. Versatility, in fact, is the 4Runner’s strongest attribute. New model year owners have choices: a rear wheel 4×2, part-time 4×4 or a full-time multi-mode 4×4 with a locking center differential. All models are equipped

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REVIEW: 2014 Toyota Camry reliable like a good friend

Approaching its 35th birthday, the Toyota Camry is the top-selling car in the United States. The 2014 edition extends the current generation and will likely continue the midsize sedan’s reputation. It’s a dependable four-door machine that does a lot right albeit without fanfare. In 11 of past 15 years, the Toyota Camry has surpassed more than 400,000 sales annually. Buyers get a comfortable, efficient and not-too-complicated vehicle. It’s not the fastest or the most handsome. It doesn’t have the best fuel economy or the best performance. But the Camry does most things right and very little wrong. Which is what

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REVIEW: 2014 Toyota Corolla: roomier, still reliable

The Toyota Corolla may be with us forever, judging by its past performance. The Corolla has the reputation as among the world’s most reliable, durable cars. There’s no reason why the 11th generation 2014 Corolla can’t maintain it. With some 40 million (and counting) Corollas sold globally, this front-drive compact is considered the world’s best-selling car. Actually, it’s the world’s top-selling nameplate. That’s because other automakers have changed the names of their entry models through the years, while Toyota has wisely kept the Corolla nameplate. That, although the car has undergone many changes while keeping its quality, durability and affordability.

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Smartphone case madness one car owner’s delight

Car art is nothing new. But this creation is among the wildest (and ugliest) I’ve seen. Is it social commentary? Is it a bad dream? Is it a smartphone company salesperson’s idea of clever marketing? My friend Dan Clarke, editor and publisher of tastecaliforniatravel.com, spotted this beast in front of Peet’s Coffee in Sacramento. I haven’t counted the number of smartphone case and nor have I called the phone number made from yellow phone cases along the passenger side of the vehicle. Of course, depending upon one’s perspective, this car art wonderment is either a masterpiece or complete trash. If

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