So long, farewell to the Volkswagen Beetle

Say goodbye to the most iconic car ever made, the Volkswagen Beetle. A representative from the German automaker told a reporter from the publication Autocar during the Geneva Motor Show that it plans to stop production of the vehicle at the end of its current generation. Frank Welsch, the carmaker’s research and development leader, said, “two or three generations is enough now.” The Volkswagen Beetle is the fourth best-selling vehicle in history, trailing the Toyota Corolla, Ford F series pickup trucks and Volkswagen Golf. But the Beetle’s sales have waned in recent years, with reports the carmaker’s engineers have lost

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2018 VW Golf SportWagen: humble, proud, best in class

Throughout its long history in the United States, Volkswagen has manufactured two of the most recognizable cars in history, the VW Beetle and the VW Van. It also makes the Golf, and it’s arguably the most understated vehicle on the road. The Golf’s humble exterior and simple, efficient interior define its personality. It’s about as far-removed from its individualistic siblings as possible, and that’s its appeal. It’s no-nonsense and versatile. And it’s the best-selling VW in history and third on the all-time global sales list behind the Toyota Corolla and Ford F-150 series trucks. While the three and five-door Golf

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Richard Petty set to auction career of racing stuff (live)

Richard Petty, the legendary NASCAR driver, is 80 and it’s time to purge his stuff. The winner of five Daytona 500 races and scores of other races, is selling some of his most well-known racing cars trophies and other items May 12 in an auction scheduled at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Petty’s iconic day-glow red and blue 1974 Dodge Charger is among the expected highlights of the auction. Petty, who had 200 career wins, drove the ’74 charger to 31 wins, including his fifth Daytona 500 victory. A 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Petty drove in 1979 when he won

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2018 Infiniti QX80: ridiculously big and beautiful

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With increased emphasis on green vehicles — entry-level economy boxes to electric supercars — one look at the 2018 Infiniti QX80 and a prevailing thought is that the luxury division of Nissan has missed the movement. The massive SUV is a small tank defined by opulence. It weighs more than three tons. It’s a heavy drinker, sucking down a gallon of fuel for every 13 miles it advances in city driving. It has 20-inch wheels (22-inch wheels are an option) and all-wheel drive. It often doesn’t fit in standard-sized parking spots. The QX80 has a 26-gallon gas tank that requires

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5 Best Online Car Games For 2018

If you’re a car buff, your love of cars doesn’t stop in researching and fantasizing about your favorite models and ideal car. If you’re an avid car lover, your love doesn’t stop with reading car magazines, it extends into other aspects of your life — the movies you see, the books you read and the games you try to master online. Finding the best car games to play can be difficult and tedious. As fellow car enthusiasts, we’ve sifted through the many options of car games available and boiled it down to a list of the top-five favorites we think

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Genesis cruises past Audi, tops Consumer Reports’ best car list

Genesis, the newcomer luxury brand from Hyundai, has accelerated past Audi and is now top-rated by Consumer Reports in its annual ranking of automotive brands. Audi was ranked No. 2, followed by BMW, Lexus and Porsche in the top 5. The remainder of the top 10 in order: Subaru, Kia, Tesla, Honda and Toyota. The magazine’s annual report card ranks brands based on road and safety tests, owner satisfaction and reliability. Lexus stood out in the rankings more for its reliability and standard advanced safety features than its road test scores, which often have trailed rivals. The magazine reported every

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Hertz, Avis among agencies, banks to sever NRA relationships

At least six car rental agencies and several companies that finance and insure cars and trucks have ended their relationships with the National Rifle Association (NRA) after the fallout from the organization’s statement following the massacre of 17 people at a Florida High School. In addition to several banks, Enterprise Holdings, which owns Enterprise, Alamo and National car rental groups, announced it will end the discount offering it has with the NRA on March 26. Hertz announced in a tweet it’s also ending its NRA rental car discount program. A partnership between the NRA and Hertz and advertised on the

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Episode 27, The legacy of one family’s 1986 Chrysler Lebaron

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:05 — 31.7MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThirty-two years ago, Karen Saylor’s parents drove into a downtown Sacramento, California, car dealership and drove away in a new 1986 turbocharged Chrysler Lebaron convertible. Like the legacies of many family cars, Karen Saylor fondly recalls going shopping with mother with the Lebaron’s convertible top down. She remembers trips to the Monterey Peninsula when mother and daughter had their hair blowing in the wind. A neighbor in East Sacramento, Saylor is our guest on episode #27 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. She recalls a

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2018 Ford Mustang: Less is more with EcoBoost model

Like other automotive icons, the Ford Mustang is unmistakable. Its long hood, short rear deck, pony badge, overall styling and unique debut by Henry Ford II at the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., on April 17, 1964, have all added to the sports car’s legacy. The Mustang’s current generation debuted in 2015. The showcase model for 2018 is the direct-injected, 5.0-liter V8 with 460 horsepower. It defines automotive testosterone for the masses and is the most powerful Mustang to date. But what if you don’t need all that power and the corresponding constant growl of the big beast? The

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Tips, best practices for buying a new or used car

Many people take owning a car for granted until they don’t own one. Having your own mode of transportation is ideal because you don’t need to depend on someone else to drive you around. You don’t need to live your life according to bus schedules. You can go places whenever you want. If you’re thinking about buying new or used wheels, here are several key considerations and tips to help you make a financially sound decision. Decide if you’re going to purchase a new or used car. It’s important because there are pros and cons to each option. A new

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Blinker expands into California, Florida, offers new protection

Blinker, the only peer-to-peer e-commerce platform that provides an end-to-end solution for buying, selling or financing cars, has announced two new components its business. Headquartered in Denver, Colo., Blinker is expanding its proprietary e-commerce and loan origination platform from Texas and Colorado to California and Florida. The company’s growth will allow millions of customers to buy, sell and finance vehicles easier, quicker and safer. Thirty percent of vehicle sales in the United States every year are between individuals. Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning, Blinker allows customers get guidance and tools to complete the entire purchase process themselves. The simple

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Episode 26, picky buyer looks for 6 months, buys 2018 VW Atlas

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (82.4MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreSeveral months ago, Chris Wood decided it was time for a new vehicle. He has a family, including four grandchildren, a 50-pound dog and a 5,000-pound ski boat and equipment to haul. He had $50,000 to spend, but he was faced with a lingering dilemma. Wood, 63, of Pleasanton, a retired Silicon Valley computer salesman, looked for six months but couldn’t find a new sports utility vehicle that fit his criteria and could match the quality his previous vehicle, a 1999 Ford Explorer. “I had it for

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2018 Infiniti QX60: Luxury SUV with class, comfort

The sport utility vehicle segment, small crossovers to three-row, boat-sized gas guzzlers, continues to appeal to the public in record numbers. Several manufacturers’ offerings have seemingly meshed into one universal vehicle. So how does a buyer make a choice? If luxury, versatility and a quiet ride are key buying attributes, consider the 2018 Infiniti QX60. It stands out among the horde of SUVs barreling down the freeway and lined up row after row in shopping malls and grocery store parking lots. Introduced as a concept at the 2011 Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, the QX60 debuted as a seven-passenger, mid-size

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Shaun White: three gold medals, two white Lamborghinis

Shaun White, now the three the two-time snowboard half pipe gold medalist, was featured on 60 Minutes  just prior to the start of the Winter Olympics eight years ago. The segment with interviewer Bob Simon covered several areas, including the athlete’s ownership of two Lamborghinis — one crashed, one intact. The exchange between interviewer and guest is brisk and humorous. Shaun White, reacting to his final half-pipe run in 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.During the 12-minute video of the segment, a minute or so includes Simon asking White about his penchant for the fast Italian sports car and

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RV industry awash in chaos; readers, advocate speak up

The Weekly Driver Podcast has reached its 25th episode, and we’re cruising toward highway speed. Our current broadcast, our most popular, investigates the complex issues in the RV industry. Sales have dramatically increased as more consumers can no longer afford traditional housing or are seeking a mobile lifestyle. But campgrounds are overcrowded, and retail box store parking lots, where more RVers live, are often unkempt. Further, the RV industry has a quality control crisis. Our podcast guest, Chuck Woodbury, editor and publisher of RVTravel.com, discusses his concerns. He believes the RV industry doesn’t care about the quality of its products.

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Report finds California needs tougher drunk driving safety laws

SPONSORED CONTENT A report published by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety revealed California’s traffic safety laws are leaving drivers and pedestrians vulnerable. Drunk driving was identified as a particular concern, though the state was praised for its laws surrounding seat belts and child seat safety. The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C.) rated the country’s 50 states based on their road safety. They explored which states had adopted the recommended regulations designed to tackle the biggest risks to traffic safety. One key process that has been created to combat drunk driving

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