7 ways to make your used car last longer

COLLABORATIVE CONTENT If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to make your used car go the extra mile, there are plenty of options that won’t break the bank. From ordering new tires online to fixing the upholstery, you can make your used car look fresh again. Here are seven affordable ways to make your pre-owned vehicle look great: 1. Add Sound Matting Older cards can frequently begin to vibrate to an unpleasant degree, but you can dampen the sound to make your riding experience more enjoyable. Sound matting usually means adding a rubber material to your car, which does double duty

Read more

NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2022 Subaru WRX

The 2022 Subaru WRX, the third generation of the compact sports sedan, features improved performance and the most advanced features in the car’s nearly 20-year history. Powered by a new 2.4-liter, turbocharged 271-horsepower engine, the WRX has either a six-speed manual transmission or new automatic transmission. New also are a high-definition tablet-style 11.6-inch multimedia system and the latest generation driver-assist technology. The WRX adds a new top-of-the-line GT trim with a new automatic transmission, the Subaru Performance Transmission, as standard. The new WRX GT offers a first-ever for WRX, new electronically controlled dampers that can tailor the dynamic performance to

Read more

2021 Mercedes-AMG A35: a worthy double life

,

The 2021 Mercedes-AMG A35 4MATIC, a compact luxury sedan, is positioned in a wickedly competitive segment. It defines automotive industry rivalry at its best. Several BMW and Audi models are top German counterpart competitors. The Cadillac CT4, Infiniti Q50, Lexus IS and Volvo S60 are also long-time stalwarts. More recent additions include the Kia Stinger, Genesis G70 and Volkswagen Arteon, expanding the all-worthy list to more than a dozen choices. Pick one and rejoice in your good choice. The AMG (Aufrecht Melcher Großaspach) lineup showcases Mercedes at its best. The manufacturer customizes its vehicles with improved performance and more features.

Read more

GM changes priorities, announces more powerful Silverado

Just when it looked like General Motors was accelerating its electric pickup truck lineup as quickly as possible, a new priority has emerged — another Silverado. The automaker has unveiled the 2022 Silverado ZR2. It’s expected to go on sale in the spring of 2022. Three electric pickup trucks, including a Silverado, were previously announced. With the announcement of the off-road leading Silverado ZR2, the pending electric trucks from GM, may, if only briefly, have taken a backseat. New Chevy Silverado: New safety, convenience stuff “We are getting ready and coming very soon,” said Kelly MacDonald, director of Chevrolet truck

Read more

#196, Bruce buys a truck, letters and buy us a cup of coffee

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:18 — 55.3MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreDriving a new car is generally enjoyable; the process of acquiring it? Not so much. Bruce Aldrich, the co-host of The Weekly Driver Podcast, hadn’t purchased a new vehicle in more than a decade. His Subaru Outback will soon approach 200,000 miles, and it’s doing fine. But Bruce and his wife, Alene, decided a new Ford F-250 pickup truck is the vehicle to get. It’ll tow an RV just fine, which is a good thing since the couple is planning to do more traveling

Read more

Aston Martin, James Bond: No Time To Die

What would a James Bond movie be without iconic cars doing the impossible? OK, there’s espionage, guns, chase scenes, adventures in exotic places, tuxedos, pretty women in slinky dresses, villains and a martini or two (shaken, not stirred). But other than that, fans of the 24 films (and soon to be 25 movies) in the franchise need to see cars, notably various Aston Martin vehicles. Aston Martin needs the James Bond movies. The James Bond movies need Aston Martin. In the final preview before the nationwide debut of No Time To Die on Oct. 8, cars are in the mix,

Read more

2021 BMW M3 Competition: worthy showoff, fat wallet needed

,

A guy in a gas station parking lot with a stern look that quickly turned to a big smile asked if we could switch cars. Another onlooker boasted he had the best BMW ever made but that mine looked pretty good. Unsolicited commenters hated the matted exterior color and split “kidney grilles.” Other onlookers couldn’t offer superlatives fast enough. And so it is with the 2021 BMW M3 Competition, the debut of the model’s sixth generation. It’s a track-oriented, sports car thinly disguised as a family sedan. The M3 is far removed from its dullard relatives, those pedestrian BMWs parked

Read more

New Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider unveiled and unavailable

The 2022 Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider, unveiled during the just concluded Monterey Auto Week, is a new hypercar. Its stunning looks and impressive specs are equaled by its unannounced price speculated at more than $3.5 million. It’s also an unattainable vehicle unless you’re a current Aston Martin owner who was afforded the opportunity to buy one of the 85 examples manufactured. And good luck with that. They’re all sold.   By the numbers, the Valkyrie Spider has the same 6.5-liter Cosworth V-12 as the regular Valkyrie. Combined with its hybrid system, the new Aston Martin has a total output of

Read more

PREVIEW: 2022 Kia EV6 channels Tesla

The 2022 Kia EV6 crossover arrives as the carmaker’s first dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV). The introduction of EV6 signals the U.S. launch of Kia’s ‘Plan S’ strategy. It will deliver 11 all-new electrified models globally by 2026. Starting with the EV6, Kia’s EV lineup will carry a unique naming convention. The “EV” designation will be followed by a number indicating the car’s position in the lineup. The EV6 can be configured with rear-or all-wheel drive and is available with a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle or an electric motor on both axles. While all all-wheel-drive models

Read more

Chevy Spark tops 2020 cheapest car list

Six years ago, a small number of buyers in the United States could still purchase the cheapest car with a sticker price of less than $10,000. It was a 2014 Chevrolet Spark and considering all available rebates, including a military personnel discount and several other incentives, the base model Spark was available for a high four-figure tally. With the average price of a new vehicle now steadily advancing toward $40,000, only about a dozen new cars in the country are now available for less than $20,000. Despite the price increase, the top-10 cheap car list includes a substantially improved standard

Read more

Cheapest of the cheap cars? 2021 Chevrolet Spark LS

The average price of a new car in the United States is now more than $40,000. But it wasn’t too many years ago when $30,000 was the entry-level for a luxury car and $20,000 was enough to buy various new cars. It’s now what cheap cars cost. As recent as a decade ago, one new car could be purchased for $10,000. It was the Hyundai Accent 3-door and it was the last year a new vehicle in the U.S., without government rebates, had a base price of less than $10,000. A lot has changed in 10 years. Five years ago,

Read more

Michigan couple celebrates 25-year affair and more than 225,000 miles with a 1986 Honda Civic Si

Pamm and Rick Tarchinski recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of their love affair. Mostly, it’s a one-sided romance, but it’s still epic. The Michigan couple paid $10,000 in 1986 for a new Honda Civic Si. But it’s Pamm Tarchinski’s car or at least it sure seems that way. The original sales brochure made the car appealing, but it’s not perfect. Yet the Tarchinskis are forgiving and appreciative. Through muffler problems, near-catastrophes with deer and a countless number of potential trade-ins when no one wanted the vehicle, the husband-wife still own the car. And they hope to drive it at least

Read more

Hyundai Accent, 2003: The Weekly Driver Car Review

A four-wheel drive sports utility vehicle, with plenty of cargo space and easy access would have been the logical choice. Instead, the three of us, all at least 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, made the drive in a 2003 3-door Hyundai Accent GL. Long-time running friends, we arrived at Pollock Pines, Calif., elevation 4,000 feet, after an hour’s trek on a cool summer morning along Interstate 50 from Sacramento. When we arrived from the flatlands, it was just after sunrise and the dirt parking lot for the recreational retreat was full of SUV’s. Nevertheless, the entry level offering from the South

Read more

Hyundai Accent, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

With its new design for 2006, the Hyundai Accent is a formidable player in the compact class. It’s bigger, it has more power and it has additional safety features than its predecessor. Add Hyundai’s industry-leading warranty and the new Accent is hard to beat as an entry level vehicle that when equipped with every available option costs less than $15,000. My weekly driver was the GLS 4-door model with a  four-speed automatic transmission. The Accent is also available with a five-speed manual transmission, and that’s good news for RVers since Hyundai has approved its flat-towing capabilities Both automatic and manual

Read more

Suzuki Forenza, 2004: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Like Hyundai and Kia, the Korean manufacturer Suzuki has accepted the difficult task of trying to infiltrate the sub-compact market dominated by Honda, Toyota and Ford. Its new 2004 offering is the Forenza, a front-wheel drive sedan offered in three models, the S, LX and the top-of-the-line EX. All models have a 2.0-liter, 126-horsepower, 16-valve engine. The LX and EX models include 15-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, keyless entry and alarm, power sunroof and fog lights as standard features. The EX model I drove for a week includes standard leather upholstery. Cruise control, air conditioning and AM/FM/CD and cassette system

Read more

Suzuki Aerio, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

In January, 2004, the automotive industry arrived at another unique plateau. For the first time, the average price of a new car in the United States surpassed $30,000. Ironically, it was also only a few years ago, the same amount designated the minimum amount of a luxury car.

Read more