Automotive News, Car Reviews, and Podcast
Car-buying research details that women purchase 46 percent of new cars in the United States. More significantly, women influence more than 80 percent of the country’s new automotive sales. And considering the percentages, what are the most popular cars among women and men? The Honda Fit and Chevrolet Silverado (pick-up truck).
Read moreBeauty is in the eyes of thieves. That’s the ruth in terms of stolen cars since the most No. 1 hot-wired car in the United States is a 1995 Honda Civic. According to a new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB, the Civic is followed by its older sibling, the 1991 Honda Accord in terms of susceptibility to thieves.
Read moreAnother auto manufacturer seemingly joins the green automotive world each week. This time, it’s Chrysler and its new Envi division. Chrysler has announced it’s planning to launch all-electric vehicles within five years.
Read moreToyota is responding to changes in consumer demand and improving the production efficiency and stability of its North American operations by adjusting production mix at three plants. The changes include the addition of the Prius hybrid sedan to its North American lineup.
Read moreLooking to distance itself from the unpopular Freestyle, Ford decided to make a clean break, opting for a new name, new look and significant improvements. Although a practical seven-passenger vehicle, the car-based Freestyle never attracted much attention from car shoppers. It slid anonymously out of the Ford lineup after three years, replaced by the 2008 Taurus X, another crossover wagon.
Read moreToyota hasn’t provided details, but global media outlets, including the Japanese daily newspaper, The Nikkei, report the manufacturer’s highly successful Prius hybrid will include solar-powered air conditioning in its 2010 models. The solar panels on the roof of the new Prius model will provide two to five kilowatts of electricity, according to the newspaper.
Read moreThere’s nothing wrong with a good, healthy dose of competition. And in the automotive industry, there’s no better example than in the midsize sedan category. The top three players — Honda, Toyota and Nissan — all have loyal followers, and each manufacturer works nearly continuously to outdo its competitors.
Read moreChrysler has just announced a new highspeed wireless system call Uconnect. It will allow drivers to access the internet at stoplights while other passengers simultaneously utilize other high-speed internet features. This may sound like innovation and it may catapult the car world into “hot spot” nirvana. But to me it sounds like the automotive apocalypse. Do drivers need any more distractions? A Chrysler spokesman commented “We see great potential for this.” Potential for what? More absent-minded drivers? More head-on collisions? Increased road rage? The dealer-installed system, officially called UConnect Web, will be an add-on to Chrysler’s UConnect information and entertainment
Read moreAs part of the Sporting News Network, a guy using the logo “Tennessee & Random Crap,” has compiled a clever list of his 10-top cars in a very specific category. It’s not sexiest car list, more powerful list, most expensive list, most “green” list or any list that warrants passionate attention. Instead, the list is all about a lack of passion, so to speak.
Read moreThe French and Japanese may again join forces — in the automotive industry. Mitsubishi Motors of Japan and PSA Peugeot Citroen of France may enter the electric vehicle market in a collaborative technology effort to become viable in the “green” automotive segment The several-month project, announced in Tokyo, will involve joint development of components to transform electricity into driving force for small urban electric cars. Mitsubishi and PSA Peugeot Citroen already have various joint programs, including the recent announcement of the joint construction of a new factory in Russia. The French group is the largest global manufacturer of electric vehicles
Read moreThe Pontiac, G8 is the first full-size, rear-wheel drive sedan from Pontiac since the 1986 Bonneville. The G8 replaces the Bonneville, which ended production with its 2005 model and the Grand Prix, which will cease its tenure with the 2008 model.
Read moreHonda’s 2009 Accord will provide a strong challenge to the traditional premium manufacturers with new sporty styling and greater refinement. All engines in the Accord lineup will be Euro 5 emissions compliant, and the model will feature a sector-leading package of safety systems.
Read moreBy Jeff Weidel Taking another step from its uninspired, stodgy past, Volvo decided to pursue the makeover route for the 2008 XC70. Typically, there’s nothing wrong with redesigns, they’re sometimes long overdue. Not that the XC70 falls into that category, but it emergeed in 2008 as a more appealing vehicle.
Read moreIt’s unlikely Ferdinand Verbiest was known as an environmentalist nor did he likely have a quest to be “green.” But as a Jesuit priest of Belgian ancestry living and working in China, Verbiest was a visionary. Four centuries ago, Verbiest was a renowned astronomer and he spent more than a decade developing a four-wheeled vehicle that could be powered by steam or horse. It was the first hybrid.
Read moreLife is different in a Jaguar Super V8. It’s especially different in a Super V8 with a 400 horsepower, six-speed automatic and a 4.2 liter engine adorned with inlaid walnut burl veneer and a whole busload of other items I didn’t even know could be put in a car.
Read moreBy Jeff Weidel Confused about the differences between the Ford Escape and the Mazda Tribute? Don’t be. They are essentially the same vehicle. And if two options aren’t enough, how about three, with a hybrid model?
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