News Service

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Kia Rio, 2012: Sleek, improved mpg, efficient sedan/hatchback

The 2011 Kia Rio looked plain, but was fairly lively, economical and backed with a long warranty. You either bought it — or maybe a used car. The redone 2012 model has slicker, European-inspired styling, more power, a better automatic transmission and improved fuel economy — besides keeping Kia’s 10-year/100,00-mile powertrain warranty. The front-wheel-drive Rio comes in base LX, mid-range EX and top-line SX trim. It’s sold as a sedan or hatchback. List prices range from $13,400 to $17.700, excluding a $750 destination charge. Standard for the LX are air conditioning, AM/FM stereo, CD Player, satellite radio, adjustable steering wheel with audio controls and large power mirrors. A six-speed manual transmission is standard in the LX sedan and hatchback, but

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Tour of California, stage 1: Sacramento to Santa Rosa via 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

The start of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California is in Santa Rosa, about two hours from my Sacramento home, and it was my first freeway driving with 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. My weekly driver edition is the Korean manufacturer's 348-hp 3.8L V6 sports car with stealth looks and surprisingly quick acceleration — and an under $30,000 price tag. Like other high-powered sports cars, the Genesis Coupe does certain things quite well. It's nimble and fast, which affords impressive lane changes and bolting along freeway ramps to merge into traffic with little effort. The Genesis Coupe has a six-speed manual transmission and it shifts through gears adequately, but not smoothly. One frustration: Shifting into reserve is a struggle, although at

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2012 Honda Fit video review

The 2012 Honda Fit sport model features a 1.5-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine with 117 horsepower and a five-speed automatic transmission. The sport model also includes 16-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler keenly integrated into the hatchback and an optional navigation system. The Fit’s interior is space efficiency defined. There's 20.6 cubic feet of cargo space, as much as some compact SUVs. With all seats down, cargo space expands to 57.3 cubic feet. Although numerous subcompacts and compacts are averaging more than 40 mpg, the Fit doesn't fare as well, with averaged of 27 mph in city driving and 33 mpg in highway driving. The MSRP is $19,690.00 Videographer Bruce Aldrich, publisher of www.tahoetruckeeoutdoor.com, produced the video below. James RaiaA sports,

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Dodge Dart, 2013: Pricing announced for return of iconic sedan

The 2013 Dodge Dart, which will be available in five trims when it debuts in the summer of 2012, will be priced from $15,995 to $22,495, according to Chrysler. The entry level price for the Dodge is lower than some of its main competition in the compact market, which accounts for about 15 percent of new car sales. “The all-new Dodge Dart is a groundbreaking car, offering features and benefits never before found in a compact car,” said Reid Bigland, Dodge President and CEO. With class-leading style, customization, safety, technology, and interior levels of roominess, the all-new Dart perfectly blends Alfa Romeo DNA and Dodge passion and style into one all-new car that customers will be proud to own and

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2012 Scion tC with Five Axis Designs Aero Kit and TRD Performance Parts

I have always been skeptical of aftermarket performance parts simply because changing anything from factory spec affects reliability and most often the fit and finish are not up to OEM standards. There are a few notable exceptions that have earned the trust and respect of carmakers – AMG, Shelby, and Mugen are a few names that quickly come to mind. For Toyota performance products, Five Axis Design (Five:AD), the Southern California-based design house responsible for putting together the Lexus  LF-LC Concept and creating the FR-S Concept car which toured the nation, builds an aero kit for the 2011-12 Scion tC that integrates marvelously with the current design and fits like it came from the factory in Japan. tC owners looking

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Two Fords, Two Chevys among 10 worst cars ever sold in America

It's not the first time the Pontiac Aztek has been named the worst car in history. But Jerry Hirsch, the long-time auto reviewer for the Los Angeles Times, has a lot of fun revisiting his list and calling it the "Ten Worst Cars Sold in America." The Aztec is again No. 1. The current list spans more than 85 years and includes four vehicles from the 1970s as well as two Fords and two Chevrolets. Each vehicle on the list is feature with a picture, and the axiom that one picture is worthg one thousand words certainly holds true by the looks of some of the beasts. But each vehicle is also followed by a brief description of why it's

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Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, 2012: Compact SUV keenly appointed, needs power

Now in its third generation and more than 20 years old, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is the compact version of the larger and older Outlander. Specifically, it’s 14 inches shorter, 2 inches lower about 700 pounds lighter than its sibling. The current generation debuted in 2010 and for 2012 there are only minor changes — the available of a rearview camera for the base SE trim, additional sound insulation for models with a continuously variable transmission and a recalibration of the transmission to improve response and acceleration. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Available in two trims, I test drove the SE all-wheel drive model, but the Outlander Sport is also available in two-wheel drive. Both models have automatic transmissions. Standard

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Hyundai confirms first hydrogen car Tucsan ix will debut in late 2012

Hyundai has confirmed its previously announced plans to introduce later this year its hydrogen car, the Tucsan ix, as a 2013 model and at a cost of nearly $90,000. The initial release will be 1,000 cars, with Hyundai predicting it will sell 10,000 units of the new vehicle per year by 2015. Most of the debuting hydrogen Hyundai models will be released in Europe. Most major manufacturers are planning fuel cell vehicle rollouts in limited production numbers in 2015, including Toyota, Honda, and possibly General Motors. Although the new vehicle is largely set for distribution in Europe, new Tuscan ix models that make it to the U.S., will likely be distributed in the Los Angeles where other manufacturers' fuel cell

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Dodge Dart 2013 will offer automotive first, wireless charging

The 2013 Dodge Dart will not only mark the return of an iconic car in the summer of 2012, it will mark at automotive first — wireless charging for electronic devices. Called a power bin and measuring 8.27" by 9.5" by 3.25", the charger, made by Chrysler Croup's Mopar division, is installed just below the center stack and in front of the center console. The bin has a built-in charging grid activated when customers place in their battery-powered device. The unit begins to charge when the vehicle is started. A phone case, specifically designed for a variety of smartphones, is required and included with the feature. Mopar in-vehicle wireless charging is available for $199.99, plus installation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPzJCr9N3RI   Matthew WildeMatthew

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Bubba Watson, Carl Edwards talk golfer's 1969 Dodge Charger (Video)

Unlike other pro golfers who drive and sometimes arrive at PGA Tour events in Mercedes-Benz sedans to motorhomes and vintage Porsche coupes to Cadillac Escalades, Bubba Watson prefers Chrysler — a 1969 Dodge Charger, General Lee edition. Only slightly more than 300 of the 1969 Dodge Chargers were modified and used in the television program, The Dukes of Hazzard. In the program, cousins Bo and Luke Duke drove the cars in chases and stunts, especially high jumps, in almost every episode. The doors were welded shut, leaving the cousins to climb in and out through the windows. Watson purchased his Dodge Charger at the Barrett-Jackson auction in January for $110,000 and calls the General Lee his "dream car." It's called

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Chevrolet dominates 2012 safest small cars list

Advanced design, safety features more stringent seatbelt and DUI laws have resulted decreased traffic fatalities in recent years. But nearly 33,000 people died in traffic accident in the United States in 2010, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA further details the yearly death vehicular accidents mean a fatality occurs once every 16 minutes and that vehicle collisions remain the leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of three and 34. As such, with an increase in the purchase of small cars because of better fuel efficiency, safety or lack of safety are omnipresent in small cars. And the begs the question: What are the safety small cars. Forbes.com has compiled a list of

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Mazda2, 2012: keen handling lightweight among top sub-compacts (video)

The sub-compact car segment is increasingly popular among buyers on tight budgets and interested in saving money on rising fuels cost. The 2012 Mazda2 joins the Chevy Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio as top offerings in the class. A year after Mazda introduced the third generation of the "2," the 2012 edition remains the same. It's a 100-horsepower, 1.5-liter, four-cylinder entry level sedan with a a five-speed manual transmission standard or a four-speed automatic optional. Videographer Bruce Aldrich (www.tahoetruckeeoutdoor.com) produced this video and The Weekly Driver (James Raia) provided commentary. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.

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Hyundai popularity continues with all-time record sales month

Hyundai achieved its all-time best sales month in March 2012, with the South Korean manufacturer selling 69,728 vehicles. The record was a 13 percent improvement from March 2011, the company's previous best sales month. For the first quarter 2012, Hyundai sales have increased 15 percent over 2011 and overall retail sales through dealerships have risen 33 percent over last March. “As Hyundai continues to offer more fuel-efficient vehicles, we are seeing more and more consumers in our showrooms, resulting in greater 40-mpg highway vehicle sales than ever before,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. “Our 40-mpg vehicle sales are up an astonishing 67.5 percent over last March.” Here are Hyundai's comparative sales numbers from 2011 to

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Flying car Terrafugia flying to the public soon (maybe) for $279,000 (video)

About six years after the company started, flying car manufacturer Terrafugia has announced its prototype has completed its first flight and it now hopes to begin selling its Transition model within a year. The vehicle has two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car. Last month, it flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes. Around 100 people have paid a $10,000 deposit to purchase a Transition, which will be introduced this week at the New York Auto Show. The vehicle is expected cost about $279,000. Five years ago, Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Mass., was helped by the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision create a separate and less restrictive set of standards for

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Volkswagen Tiguan, 2012: Roomy SUV that drives like a sports sedan

The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan has an odd “half tiger-half iguana” name decided on by an apparently intoxicated group of Germans. But never mind — because it’s among Volkwagen’s top vehicles. The 2012 model has mildly revised front styling that will be unnoticed by most. But that’s no demerit because the solid Tiguan looked good to begin with when introduced for 2009 as Volkswagen’s first car-based crossover/SUVand is among the most refined models in its class. Actually, the Tiguan is more of a crossover vehicle than an SUV, because it’s built on a Volkswagen auto platform, not a truck frame. That helps it feel carlike, with quick, nicely weighted electro-mechanical power steering and a supple ride. The Tiguan is fun to

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Mercury no longer rising, Rachel Veitch stops driving her 1964 Comet 'Chariot'

Five years after becoming an international celebrity at age 88 as the sole owner and sole driver of a 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente, Rachel Veitch has stopped driving. Veitch, who recently turned age 93, told FoxNews.com that she is legally blind and will no longer drive the yellow Comet she called "Chariot." "They don't have to take it away," Veitch said of the car with about 576,000 miles on its chasis. "I would not dream of driving that car again." After running a red light in March, Veitch volunteered to stopped driving the car she bought new on Feb. 17, 1964 for $3,289. The four-door Caliente has a tan interior, a 164-horsepower/260-cubic-inch V-8, automatic transmission, air conditioning, power steering and

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