News Service

Toyota faces $1.1 billion settlement in runaway car lawsuit

The strange, twisting and lingering litigation against Toyota has been settled with the Japanese automaker agreeing to pay more than $1 billion to settle U.S. litigation via claims its vehicles suddenly and unintentionally accelerated. According to court documents the deal, pending California federal judge approval, includes direct payments to customers as well as installation of a brake override system in about 3.25 million vehicles. The terms include a $250 million fund for former Toyota owners who sold who sold or turned in their leased vehicles between September 2009 and December 2010 at reduced prices because of bad publicity. And there’s also a separate $250 million fund for owners not eligible for the brake override system. Plaintiff attorneys are slated to

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1970 Chevy Chevelle SS shares Hollywood spotlight with Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher

Iconic cars have long played central roles in movies. Add the 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS to the list in the just released movie Jack Reacher starring Tom Cruise. Cruise plays the former cop turned turned vigilante. He a crime-fighter who messes with people after arriving and then departing confrontations in the ’70 Chevelle SS. There are many action scenes and the car eventually gets thrashed. But the official trailer offers a solid glimpse what happens throughout with the now 43-year-old car throughout the film shot entirely in Pittsburgh, Pa. Will the car scenes joins other iconic cars in movies like the French Connection, Bullitt or the legacy of the James Bond films? Or will the Chevelle role attain the status

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Nissan withdraws cycling sponsorship from RadioShack team

Nissan wasn’t the first carmaker to sponsor a cycling team, but it has just joined the increasing list of major companies withdrawing sponsoring from the highest level of the sport presumably in the expanding wake of the Lance Armstrong doping scandal. According to a report in the Luxembourg newspaper Le Quotidien and confirmed by officials at the manufacturer’s North American division on prominent cycling websites, the Nissan name will not appear on the jerseys or bikes the RadioShack team for the 2013 season. Nissan, which became a full-time sponsor of the squad that features prominent riders Andy Schleck, Chris Horner and Fabian Cancellara, will also no longer supply sponsor and staff vehicles to the team. Nissan has also been a

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Three Jeep, two Nissan models among 10 cars to avoid at all costs

Forbes.com can’t stay away from car lists. Best compacts to worst gas mileage, the varied online publication is more well known for its business trends than its automotive expertise. But with its automotive coverage, Forbes.com doesn’t shy away from controversy. It praises manufacturers for innovation and craftsmanship and criticizes carmakers for lousy visibility and underpowered engines. In its latest automotive list, Forbes.com selects the 10 new cars to avoid. In its assessment, Forbes.com used the facts and figures of several automotive expert organizations, including Consumer Reports, J.D. Power and Associates, the Highway Loss Data Institute, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Here’s the list of 10 cars Forbes.com suggests consumers avoid as well reasons for each vehicle: Dodge Journey

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Toyota dominates new ALG top resale value rankings

Toyota and its automotive Lexus and Scion families combined for nine top spots among 22 vehicle categories in the annual list of highest projected resale values offered by ALG, Inc. The Southern California source for automotive residual values provides the list for buying or leasing consumers. The reason: Depreciation is the largest percentage of overall vehicle ownership costs. Among mainstream brands, Honda was top-ranked for resale value, followed by Hyundai and Scion. Among premium brands, Acura was top-ranked followed by Infiniti and Audi. Toyota, however, had the most vehicles chosen at the top of their category Category Rankings Sub Compact, Honda Fit; Compact, Hyundai Elantra; Midsize, Honda Accord; Fullsize, Hyundai Azera; Sports Car, Scion FR-S; Alt-Fuel Vehicle, Toyota Prius c;

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Tesla raises prices, offers new warranties for 2013

Tesla, the high-performance, all-electric sports car manufacturer, will increase prices of the four versions of its 2013 Model S luxury sedan by $2,500 beginning January 1, 2013. New prices are $59,900 for the base version with a 40-kilowatt-hour battery pack, $69,900 for the mid-range 60-kWh model, $79,900 for the top-end 85-kWh level and $94,900 for the Performance model, which also uses the 85-kWh pack. Tesla buyers who make a deposit after January 1 will get a premium – 12-way adjustable heated front seats — without charge. Extended warranties, maintenance Telsa has also announced prices for its replacement battery packs and a new warranty program. Replacement battery costs: 40 kWh ($8,000), 60 kWh ($10,000) and 85 kWh ($12,000). New warranty option

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Chevy Spark all-electric version scheduled for summer 2013 debut

An all-electric version of the Chevrolet Spark, which has 130 horsepower and is powered by an electric motor and a 20 kWh lithium ion battery, will go sale next summer in California, Oregon, Canada and in South Korea, where it’s manufactured. General Motors didn’t disclose the range of the electric Spark, but said the electric version of the popular entry level car, will accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than eight seconds. The price of the Spark also hasn’t been released, but it will be eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit. The gas-operated Spark starts at $12,245, while the electric could cost nearly double the amount of its sibling. According to the Chevrolet, which is showcasing the Spark at

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2014 Honda Accord plug-in hybrid rated at 115 mpg(e)

The Honda Accord plug-in hybrid, which will debut January 15 at dealerships in California and New York, will be priced from $39,780 and is expected to compete with the Toyota Prius, Chevy Volt and just released Ford Energi. The Ford Fusion is priced ($39,495), while the Volt is priced at $39,145. The Toyota Prius begins at $32,000. According to information released at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which continues through January 9 at the LA Convention Center, the EPA rates the new Honda at 115 MPGe in electric mode. The Chevy Volt is rated at 98 MPGe, and the Prius Plug-in at 95 MPGe. Ford has promoted the Fusion Energi at “over 100 MPGe.” The new Accord Plug-In will achieve

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LA Auto Show: Sexy models just wanna have fun at automakers' debuts

On the second day Media Day of the Los Angeles Auto Show, the Green Car of the Year (Ford Fusion Hybrid) was the morning highlight. But with the emphasis on alternative fuel and engine technology, the women who work as models at auto shows around the country seemingly didn’t have much to do. There was a dance troop promoting different decades of Volkswagen. And there were two women who were having fun at the Buick unveilings. No one was around when I stepped to take their pictures and the taller of the two models said: “Doesn’t she look like my personal “mini-me?,” a reference to the character in the Austin Powers movies. And yes, she did. I asked one model

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Hyundai, Kia face additional scrutiny from national consumer group

Hyundai and Kia are under further scrutiny. The nonprofit consumer group Consumer Watchdog is asking U.S. House and Senate Commerce committees to investigate false vehicle miles-per-gallon (mpg) claims against the two carmakers. The non-partisan group called the revelation about some Hyundai and Kia vehicle mpg stickers by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “the first time in American history large numbers of vehicles carried window stickers with false mpg claims.” Hyundai Motor America and Kia Motors America currently face two U.S. civil suits seeking class-action status after the companies admitted to making bogus fuel-economy claims. Consumer Watchdog said it wrote to the EPA a year ago calling for retesting of the Hyundai Elantra after Hyundai’s self-tested mpg estimates “were far

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Danica Patrick hits life’s obstacle course, divorce after 7 years of marriage

Danica Patrick, whose good looks and competitive, spirited personality brought new interest to IndyCar and NASCAR racing, has announced she’s getting a divorce from physical therapist husband Paul Hospenthal after seven years of marriage. Patrick announced the split on her Facebook page. “I am sad to inform my fans that after seven years, Paul and I have decided amicably end our marriage,” she said. “This isn’t easy for either of us, but mutually it has come to this. He has been an important person and friend in my life and that’s how we will remain moving forward.” Hospenthal and Patrick met while the latter was being treated by the former for a non-racing injury. The two were married in 2005.

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2014 Ford Fiesta by the numbers: 1 liter, 3 cylinders, 40 mpg, 123 hp

The 2014 Ford Fiesta, which will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, will feature the smallest engine sold in the United States a — a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder with EcoBoost. Currently available in Europe and described by one car review site as “tiny enough to fit into an airplane carry-on bag,” the new Ford Fiesta will go on sale in the U.S. at an yet-to-be announced date next year. According to a report on GreenCarReports.com, the new Fiesta will have 123 horsepower and 148 lb-ft. of peak torque at 1,400 rpm. Ford didn’t quote projected gas-mileage ratings, but it did say the 1.0-liter EcoBoost in the 2014 Fiesta would get the highest gas mileage rating “of any non-hybrid

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LA Auto Show: Honda, Subaru, Toyota among 12 carmakers in new green technology showcase

The Los Angeles Auto Show for several years has been at the forefront of the automotive industry’s green car technology. The selection of the Green Car of the Year is a highlight of the year’s first major car show. But this year, under a new category, approximately 25 vehicles from a dozen manufacturers will participate in the Green and Advanced Technology Ride & Drive. The program will offer a preview and media test drive sessions of the latest in-car innovations and fuel-efficient vehicles. The participating vehicles will represent the latest evolutions of electric, hybrid, clean diesel and fuel cell. The latest driver assist platforms featured will include front crash mitigation, adaptive cruise control, radar-based object detection systems, blind spot monitoring

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Drivers often in the dark about difficulties on holiday nights

Holiday traffic often makes driving appreciably difficult. But driving at night during the holidays is usually even more difficult. In fact, nearly one of every three drivers reports tthey have difficulty seeing all or at least most of the time while driving in the dark. Eyecare experts warn against the potential pitfalls driving in the dark and offer tips to help alleviate problem while driving at night, particularly during the holiday. Consider: Common problems that affect nighttime driving: * Changing from seeing distance to near is difficult. A condition called night myopia makes it difficult for the eyes to focus on more than one thing; * When you look straight ahead, only the very center of your vision sees colots

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Acura to Subaru, BMW to Toyota among dozens of LA Auto Show world debuts

World debuts from Acura to Toyota and BMW to Subaru are among the nearly 50 vehicle unveilings at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the nearly two-week display of the automotive world’s best — electric vehicles to performance and luxury designs. Media days Nov. 28-29 will be followed by the public show, Nov. 30-Dec. 9, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The debut lineup also includes world firsts from U.S. manufacturers Chevrolet and Ford, as well as European automakers BMW, Fiat, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen. Asian carmaker debuts will also Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Nissan models. These debuts will highlight the latest in-car technologies, as well as continued fuel-efficiency with several hybrid, electric and alternative-fuel vehicles. Overall, there will be

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2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK350: Elegant luxury with power to spare

Mercedes-Benz gained ground in the prestige market in the United States against Cadillac in the 1970s, although its seats and ride were too stiff for many Americans accustomed to cushy U.S. luxury cars. But that seems like an eternity ago, and Mercedes vehicles such as its new compact GLK350 crossover fit nicely into the growing luxury crossover market here. The new GLK350 has a list price of $37,090 with rear-wheel drive and $39,090 with Mercedes’ advanced “4Matic” all-wheel drive. Those are reasonable prices for such a Mercedes with lots of comfort and convenience items, such as dual-zone automatic climate control and power everything. However, this model’s option packages aren’t cheap. My 2013 test GLK350 4-Matic had a $3,450 package with

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