Subaru Debuts Redesigned 2009 Forester At Detroit Auto Show

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Subaru of America, Inc., has introduced the redesigned, third-generation 2009 Forester, a crossover built on the manufacturer’s strong reputation for safety, dependability and versatility. The 2009 Subaru Forester expands that reputation. It features a bolder, more SUV-like design, and advancements in safety technology, comfort, and driving dynamics. The unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show occurred about three months before the Forester will arrive at dealerships nationwide. As with all Subaru models, the 2009 Forester comes equipped as standard with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. The new 2009 Forester again blends positive SUV attributes, including a high seating point and interior versatility with

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Ferrari Sees (More) Red In ’07 — And It’s All Good

It would be a disastrous year for almost any other auto manufacturer. But selling 6,400 cars in a year is huge — at least for Ferrari. The Italian manufacturer announced this week that its sales total for 2007 represented a 14 percent increase from 2006. According to ANSA, the Italian News Agency, the company’s greatest success of the year came with the car maker’s announcement of its new prototype, the F430 Spider. Ferrari currently has  more than 1,850 orders for its Scuderia model, including 500 orders in the United States. The manufacturer also currently has orders for 430 Ferrari 599

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Left Side, Right Side? Where’s The Gas Cap?

It’s happened to all of us. You’re driving a rental car or a friend’s car (or your own car) and you stop for gas. As you’re getting close to the pumps you realize you don’t know on which side of the car the gas cap is located. This video, which claims to showcase a sure-fire way to determine the proper side, is a popular video on the site www.Metacafe.com. The video has attracted its share of attention. Plenty of those commenting say it’s an absolute truth; Others say it doesn’t hold its share of . . well, gas. One things

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Ford Escape, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Ford debuted a smaller, less expensive alternative to The Explorer, its vastly popular sports utility vehicle, in 2001. In North America, it was called The Escape and in Europe it was called The Maverick. The new compact SUV was developed in conjunction with Mazda, which in turn is owned in principle by Ford. Thus, the Escape, the Mazda Tribute and Ford’s Mercury division SUV, the Mariner, are not surprisingly quite similar. A hybrid version of the Escape was introduced in 2004 and this year with the 2008 model, the Escape and its SUV siblings have all been redesigned. Why? The

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The Future Is Near: GM Talks Driverless Cars

Have car, no driver required. General Motors Corp., has announced cars that drive and park themselves could be ready for sale within 10 years. According to an Associated Press article, much of the technology already exists that will allow the vehicles to operate using radar-based cruise control to lane-changing warning devices. Rick Wagoneer, GM’s chief executive, discussed driverless cars as part of his speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In a recent interview with AP, Larry Burns, GM’s vice president for research and development, said “This is not science fiction.” The most significant obstacles facing the vehicles

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Car Manufacturers’ Decree: Green Is Cool, Just Not The Color Green

Few trends are more trendy than “going green.” But in the automotive industry, the concept and the color don’t match. According to recent study from DuPont, only two percent of new vehicles built in North America in 2007 were painted green. Green was even a less popular choice than yellow, which accounted for three percent of manufacturers’ color choice. While green cars are far from the rage, cars painted white are now the North American industry leader. For the first time in eight years, according to a report on MarketWatch.com, white overtook silver as the most popular color choice, with

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California Fuel Cell Partnership: Worthy Of A Good Look Or Visit

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The Sacramento Auto Show was largely underwhelming this year. Electrical difficulties prompted the shut down of two display building at Cal Expo. And manufacturers’ presentations were uninspired – like the reps were going through the motions of presenting new vehicles for the umpteenth time — which they were. There were a few exceptions, including the display and energy of the presentation at the California Fuel Cell Partnership booth. The California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) is a collaboration of 34 organizations that believe fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen have the potential to change the future of transportation. The CaFCP web

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Mazda RX-8, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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Sports cars are rarely known for comfort or convenience. But Mazda does a good job of overcoming the stigma with the RX-8. It’s a coupe with four doors (sort of) and it’s about as comfortable as sports cars get. Mazda further differentiates itself in the sports car class via its signature rotary engine. It’s the system that replaces pistons pumping in cylinders with triangular rotors spinning in oval chambers. My weekly driver was the 2008 Grand Touring model, the most expensive of the three options, including the Sport and Touring. Each has a 1.3-liter, 232-horsepower engine with a six-speed manual

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Cars Have Gone To The Dogs — Especially The Honda Element

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It’s nice to “reconnect” with someone you used to know 30 years ago. Gina Spadafori and I were on the staff of The Hornet, the student newspaper at California State University, Sacramento. I recently contacted her after discovering her cool web site that combines two great subjects — dogs and cars. I may have seen Gina once since college, but I’ve read her work for a long time. Gina’s had a great career in journalism, specializing in writing about pets. She co-authors the syndicated column, Pet Connection, and she has written several animal-focused books. With several other journalists, Gina  also

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Cadillac CTS, 2008: The Weekly Driver (Video)

A mid-size entry level luxury car, the Cadillac CTS was introduced in 2003 as a replacement for the Cimarron. Five years, later it’s become the manufacturer’s first success story in recent market campaign to sell vehicles to younger buyers. The CTS, in fact, is credited with rekindling the popularity of the Cadillac, whose sales dipped heavily in the 1990s in favor or Lexus, BMW and Mercedes. After its debut at the North American International Auto Show, success arrived quickly for the CTS after its public debut last August. Motor Trend magazine selected the CTS as its 2008 Car of the

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Total Recall: 2007's Surprising Most Recalled Car List

Last August, for example, Ford Motor Co., announced it was recalling 3.6 million vehicles, mostly trucks from the 1990s, to fix a speed control deactivation switch. And last spring, Volkswagen began recalling 1 million new Beetles from the model years 2001 to 2007 to repair a brake light problem. “Now almost any time you pick up a newspaper, there is a recall,” said Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis at J.D. Power & Associates in Troy, Mich. According to Libby, overall car quality has improved. However, since automakers are using more shared platforms and parts, the chances the sample

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Cadillac CTS, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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After its debut at the North American International Auto Show, success arrived quickly for the CTS after its public debut last August. Motor Trend magazine selected the CTS as its 2008 car of the year. After five years of the first generation CTS, it was redesigned for 2008, and it’s easy to see and feel why the car has generated glowing reviews. The base model features a 3.6-liter variable valve timing V6 with 258 hp. My weekly drive was the more powerful option, a 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 VVT engine with 304 horsepower. It has a six-speed automatic transmission, which is

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Nissan recalls mass quatities of Altimas, Sentras

If the problem occurs, the engine could stop running without warning when the car is driven at low speeds. Jeannine Ginivan, a Nissan Motor Co. spokeswoman, said Monday there have been no reports of crashes or injuries corresponding to the issue. More than 650,000 of the recalled vehicles are in the United States, with the remainder in Mexico and Canada. The Japanese automaker reported the problem in a Nov. 16 letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nissan, which will begin to notify owners Dec. 10, will reprogram the electronic control module to address the problem. For more information,

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Volkswagen Convertible, 2007: Weidel on Wheels

Even though the Beetle is still loved by women, the luster has worn off over the past decade even for the fairer sex. The Beetle has become commonplace and there is no big fuss or heads turning when the little “bug” is cruising down the road. When Volkswagen came back with the Beetle after a near 20-year departure in 1997, no hype was required for the unveiling. It seemed like every woman I knew was enamored with the endearing little Beetle, which became part of a successful retro campaign that drifted through the auto industry. Even my then 7-year-old daughter

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Saturn Vue, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Instead, Saturn wanted more success in the compact SUV segment and redesigned the Vue. The 2008 edition, nearly identical to its global counterpart, the Opel Antara, further establishes the Vue’s reputation. It offers a smooth, steady ride and superior handling and steering. The new Vue also has a new Euro-style look with sleek exterior curves and improved cabin quality. But in its early versions, the Vue was a lot cooler. It had a retro look with white background on instrumentation dials, for instance, and unique netting on map and accessory side door bins. Nonetheless, with the 2008 edition, the Vue

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Honda Element, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

More important, Honda doesn’t make a car without a plan. The Element was introduced as an urban utilitarian vehicle with hopes it would appeal to younger drivers seeking pickup truck cargo space in an enclosed area. The vehicle has attracted a young crowd to some degree, but the average buyer’s age is surprising. After its first year on the road, the average purchaser’s age was 43, according to J.D. Power & Associates. Regardless of age, Element owners are largely those who seek a vehicle with easy access to cargo areas for sporting equipment, groceries, luggage and work supplies. In the

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