Detroit synonymous with auto industry but commute horrible

The automotive industry is deeply rooted in Detroit. But the city would rather not have one of its honors. It has the most stressful commute in the country. Here are the stats. In Detroit, the average one-way commute time, 25.4 minutes; average annual days with precipitation, 135 days; relative collision likelihood, 22.9 percent above average; percentage of workers who drive: 83.0 percent; diversity of times people leave for work, worse than average. As a result, Detroit doesn’t fare well in the associated issues with long commutes. Many in the workforce leave jobs because of excessive commute stress. Likewise, lack of

Read more

#107, LA Auto Show set for industry spotlight

,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:55 — 38.3MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThe yearly LA Auto Show is about a month away. It’s always a must-attend event as the first major car show of the automotive season despite is unique dates near the end of the calendar year. Alexis Evans, the show’s communications director, is our guest on Episode #107 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss this year’s show with Evans. The event’s public days are scheduled Nov. 22. to Dec. 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The location

Read more

2019 Honda Civic: lagging sales, still rules as top-rated compact

The Fit, Civic and Accord, sub-compact, compact and midsize sedan siblings, collectively represent nearly everything right in the automotive industry. If value, durability, functionality, fuel economy, repair efficiency and resale value are important, there’s nothing better than the Honda trio. Yet the threesome, all rated at or near the top of their segments, are rapidly losing new buyers. It’s not logical. The 2019 Honda Civic defines the ideal compact. It’s now in the fourth year of its 10th generation after debuting in 1972. But between generations, Honda, like most manufacturers, makes model adjustments, subtle to substantial. With the 2019 model

Read more

#106, Andrew Noakes’ new book celebrates Bentley centenary

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:57 — 49.4MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreSometimes forgotten in the 100-year legacy of Bentley is the English manufacturer’s legacy at LeMans, the famous French racetrack and its 24-hour race. Joseph Bentley, the company earlier in-house designer was against the idea of participating in the event. He believed it was too severe to race a car at top speeds for 24 hours. But after attending the race, Bentley changed his mind and the manufacturer changed its perspective. Bentley won five of the first eight 24 Hours of LeMans events beginning in

Read more

Ready for a road trip? Napa Valley gets US honors in global survey

Vehicle finance company Moneybarn has released an intriguing automotive study. Compiling information from websites, tallying scores from seven criteria and adding a mathematical formula for “normalization values” it’s determined the world’s best road trips. Headquartered in Petersfield, England, the company named the 95-mile drive from San Francisco to Healdsburg as the world’s fifth-best trek. It’s among the journeys Moneybarn calls “50 Unbeatable Road Trips.” Designated as “Through Napa Valley,” the trip begins in San Francisco and advances to Napa via Vallejo. It progresses through more than a dozen communities including Yountville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Calistoga and Healdsburg. The wine country

Read more

Aptera Motors touts an industry first, a no-charge EV

,

Range anxiety will disappear in electric vehicles if Aptera Motors can make good on its latest promise to offer an EV that never needs charging. The San Diego, California-based maker of the self-advertised “world’s most efficient passenger vehicles,” has introduced Never Charge. It’s an integrated solar-charging option that means never having to charge your car again. Aptera says it’s going to offer the first solar vehicle-charging system capable of meeting well over the mileage needs of most drivers. The carmaker further says: “Power required for most driving comes from the sun, not the grid.” The Aptera, which can go 1,000

Read more

Say goodbye to 20 cars in 2020, Aston Martin to VW

Every year the auto industry bids farewell to cars. Some years, it’s the unpopular trim levels of well-established cars and trucks. Some years, a substantial selection of easy-to-guess cars are discontinued. And there are surprises, buyers’ favorites who’ve had their time. With many 2020 models now on the market, here’s a list (and synopsis of few departing vehicles) in alphabetical order of 2019 models being discontinued. The list represents a spectrum of standard sedans to sports cars and SUVs to long-time family favorites. And The Weekly Driver says farewell to our favorites with short commentaries. We’ve provided links to the

Read more

Nissan concept EV defines brilliantly bizarre city car future

,

Concept vehicles are polarizing, preposterous and brilliant, and sometimes simultaneously. Nissan has added to the wacky category with its new, all-electric IMk. Designed with the ideas of Japanese “city cars,” the IMk has been defined by Nissan as a chic vehicle and with the clever marketing phrase, “reduces driver stress.” What car has ever reduced driver stress? Built on a new electric vehicle platform, the IMk features ProPILOT advanced driver-assist technologies and seamless connectivity features. The carmaker reports the concept “gives a glimpse at what urban-oriented cars might look like and feel like in the near future.” The design and

Read more

New Jersey gets dubious honor, country’s worst highways

Lousy newspaper delivery, telecommunication company hassles and increasing utility costs are constant common public annoyances. But poor road conditions may be the leading frustration. The Reason Foundation embraces it. Among other public issues it investigates, the Los Angeles-based Libertarian think tank recently released is 24th Annual Highway Report. It analyzes via a varied list of considerations, the best-performing and most-efficient highways systems state-by-state and the worst. The report details what drivers may think seems obvious. After years of improvement, overall the nation’s highway systems are deteriorating. California ranks 43rd in performance and cost-effectiveness, one position worse than the previous report.

Read more

#105, Stuntman Robert Nagle talks Ford v Ferrari, long career

Robert Nagle is a Hollywood star. But he’s unheralded except for industry insiders who know his stuntman and engineering talents. Name a movie with the hard-to-fathom automotive scenes and Nagle problem was part of it. Nagle’s current project is the soon-to-be-released movie Ford v Ferrari, and he’s our guest on Episode #105 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. In 2015, Nagle was awarded an Academy Technical Achievement Award (with Allan Padelford). The honor was presented for the self-propelled, high-performance, drivable camera and vehicle platform dubbed “The Biscuit Jr.”). The platform was named after a similar giant rig put on mechanical horses

Read more

2019 Mazda6: worthy sedan struggles against Honda, Toyota

The 2019 Mazda6 is among several manufacturers’ offerings presented in recent years to infiltrate the dominance of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. It’s automotive competition at its finest. Beyond the Mazda6, consider the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy and Volkswagen Passat. Reasons abound for any of the alternatives to the midsize monoliths as solid choices. Honda and Toyota sedans remain the definitions of consistency and have among the industry’s best resale values. The Mazda6 in 2018 sold about 10 percent of the Accord and Camry tallies, and its best annual sales season

Read more

#104, RV expert discusses the ever-changing industry

Chuck Woodbury, publisher of RVTravel.com, is the preeminent expert in the ever-evolving recreational vehicle community. He’s traveled throughout the United States and in several other countries, documenting his journeys via the RV lifestyle. With his website and electronic newsletters, Woodbury and his contributors provide the industry’s leading source of news and information. Woodbury is also one of the few repeat guests on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia cover multiple components of the industry in episode #104. As we previously discussed, the RV industry offers many types of vehicles and various ways to experience a mobile

Read more

#103, On the mend for years, U.S. roads crumbling again

Poor newspaper delivery, slow internet speed and increasing utility costs are constant public annoyances. But arguably at the top of the list of everyday frustrations is the worsening condition of roads. The Reason Foundation has been reporting on the issue for nearly a quarter-century. And in its recently released 24th Annual Highway Report, the libertarian think tank based in Los Angeles reports the nation’s roads are deteriorating. Baruch Feigenbaum, lead author of the Annual Highway Report and assistant director of transportation at Reason Foundation, is our guest this week in an abbreviated edition of The Weekly Driver Podcast. We experienced

Read more

#102, Sacramento renaissance man drives a 1961 Studebaker

Dean Seavers has long appreciated vintage cars. He’s owned several, a passion that continues a family heritage. Seavers’ now-deceased father worked for General Motors in Fremont, California, and his son learned about mechanics and vehicle history at a young age. Seavers is also a renaissance man. He likes old stuff in his East Sacramento home. He appreciates craftsmanship from yesterday. Seavers’ interests are represented ideally by his current favorite automobile — a 1961 Studebaker Lark VIII station wagon. He’s owned the car for about three years and seemingly knows every inch of it. Seavers is our guest on Episode #102

Read more

2019 Nissan Titan: tough competitors, tough road ahead

,

Pickup trucks for many years have topped annual sales charts. With their sport utility vehicle cousins as co-conspirators, several manufacturers did what seemed unfathomable — abandon their sedan lineups. Poor gas mileage, difficult entry and exit and sometimes clunky rides don’t matter. Masculinity and versatility reign in new automotive purchasing. The top six best-selling vehicles in the United States in 2018 were either pickups or SUVs. Good reasons abound. In many instances, pickups are luxurious small apartments. The Nissan Titan is among the few trucks struggling. Sales slipped to just over 50,000 in 2018, a loss of nearly 5 percent

Read more

#101, Mark Aldrich has 33-year family affair with ’59 Metro

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:47 — 39.5MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreFerraris and Porsches are fine and define precision performance. Mark Aldrich appreciates those iconic cars as much as anyone. But the Aliso Viejo, California, lawyer’s preferred vehicle is a 1959 Metro 1500. When high-end machines arrive at car shows with their distinctive growls, massive engines or flawless designs as mechanical works of art, Aldrich makes his entrance in a 60-year-old masterpiece. Aldrich is our guest on Episode #101 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich (no relation) and James Raia discuss with Mark

Read more