Electric carmaker Coda pulls plug after one year, 100 sales

Coda, which joined the green car fraternity and introduced its vehicles to California consumers about one year ago, has filed for bankruptcy protection after selling only about 100 of its all-electric sedans. The five-passenger Coda E.V., imported from China, had a range of 125 miles on a single charge. But the $37,250 vehicle was criticized for its no-frills styling. Its brief tenure also included a recall for faulty air bags. According to Reuters, the bankruptcy filing with the federal Bankruptcy Court in Delaware will allow the Los Angeles company to leave the auto industry and refocus on energy storage. Coda

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Ford Taurus Ecoboost, 2013: Fuel stingy, surprisingly powerful

I expected the large, sleek 2013 Ford Taurus sedan with its turbocharged 2-liter “EcoBoost” four-cylinder to be lazy. But it turned out to have strong acceleration and sparkling highway fuel economy for such a big guy. It wasn’t all that long ago a 2-liter four-cylinder engine in an American car was found in small economy autos and provided lackluster performance, especially outside town. A V-8 was needed if you wanted good performance on freeways and highways. Even a V-6 was a big step up from a four-cylinder, which was at home in small, light foreign sports car such as the

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Porsche adds beauty to beauty, names Maria Sharapova ambassador

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Maria Sharapova owns a Porsche, she’s famous, she’s athletic and she’s stunning. That’s the ideal combination for the German sports car manufacturer. It has signed Sharapova to a three-year contract as a brand ambassador. Sharapova, 26, of Russia, is a four-time Grand Slam winner and is currently ranked N0. 2 in the world. “Maria Sharapova is an exceptional athlete. She combines top performance in her sports with elegance and power. These are precisely the qualities that are embroiled in our sports cars,” said Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller. “Her profile and charisma are an ideal fit for Porsche. She is also

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Honda Civic Si, 2013: Coupe or sedan, it’s a sports car (video)

With the 2013 Honda Civic Si, there’s no transmission choice. The coupe and sedan only have a six-speed manual transmission option, which is a good thing. It further complements the once basic, competent Civic in its transition into its current sports car-like coupe or sedan. My weekly driver was the 2-door, 4-seat coupe. In addition to 17-inch wheels, the re-tweaked Civic has a new front grille, a new rear design and a host of other more subtle upgrades, including better-constructed seats. The more handsome sculpted design is matched with a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder, 201 horsepower engine. Driving the 2013 Civic is

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2013 Audi RS 5: Dynamic coupe a classically elegant race car

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The all-new 2013 Audi RS 5 almost feels like a race car for the street, with its glued-to-the-road suspension, strong brakes and awesome, high-revving 4.2-liter V-8 that generates 450-horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. That naturally aspirated V-8 is good for an oh-my-gosh 0-60 mph time and, says Audi,  an electronically governed top speed of 174 mph. A rear spoiler automatically raises at 75 mph and retracts at 50 mph —or can be manually raised and lowered via the push of a button. The exhaust system has two chromed oval-shaped exhaust outlets integrated within the bumper. They emit a performance

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2013 Honda Civic Si: New sporty look rekindles iconic reputation

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Despite its lofty, top-10 perennial yearly sales status and more than 40-year longevity, the ninth generation Honda Civic was hastily introduced in 2012 among quickly increasing competition. Some critics called it a disaster, other were more kind with descriptions like ill conceived. As a result, for second straight year, Honda re-did the Civic for 2013. It’s not a new generation, but there are enough changes everywhere on the car that the Civic’s fall from grace was a one-year-and-out ordeal. The Civic is back strong and in its proper and well-deserved place among the most successful cars in history. The Weekly

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Jaguar XJ, Kia Sedona among five cars you should never buy

A 2013 Jaguar XJ and a Kia Sedona may not seem to have much in common. And they don’t unless a potential of either car is interested in depreciation value. If that’s the case, don’t buy either. The $76,000 Jaguar and $25,000 Kia have among the worst depreciaton values over a five-year ownership. At least, that’s the opinion of IntelliChoice, the Campbell, Calif.-based research firm. In its findings, according to an article on Bankrate.com, logic often rules in the auto industry. Cars in high demand tend to have a high resale value, as do sporty cars, compact cars and the

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2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid: New competitor for dominant Toyota Prius

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The all-new 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid is designed to outgun the popular Prius V model, the largest Prius hybrid model. That’s a big job because the Prius is the darling in its various forms of the hybrid-car crowd. However, the front-drive C-Max appears to be a fairly well proven vehicle in that Ford says more than 100,000 have been sold in Europe since it was launched in late 2010. The Prius V is rather boring to drive, but the five-passenger C-Max is based on the sporty Ford Focus, which Ford proclaims was the world’s top-selling passenger car in 2012. Ford

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Hyundai Veloster, 2013: Looks like a sports car, drive disappoints (video)

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The Hyundai Veloster joined the South Korean manufacturer’s lineup in 2012. As contributing editor Dan Jedlicka pointed out earlier this year in his review of the 2013 edition it “Immediately drew attention with its unique three-door design.” He further adds for the 2013 edition: “The turbocharged version makes the car much faster and lots more fun. It has a twin-scroll design for quicker response and more low-end torque. The engine also has dual continuously variable valve timing and an intercooler for better performance and fuel economy.” He also comments: “Serious bumps and potholes cause jolts.” Add it all up and

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Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mazda in massive global airbag recall

Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi combined will recall more than three million vehicles dating to 2000 and for an often-repeated, recent-year auto industry woe — defected safety equipment. The latest crisis involves airbag inflators made by Takata, the Japanese safety gear producer. Takata made the products from 2000 to 2002. It’s the biggest recall involving Takata since 1995, when several automakers called back a then-record almost nine million vehicles to replace faulty seat belts made by the Japanese company. “It looks like the cost of the recalls may be pretty big,” Satoru Takada, a Tokyo-based analyst at Toward the Infinite

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Mazda6, 2014: Sporty, redesigned sedan challenges Toyota Camry, Honda Accord

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The 2014 Mazda6 is a slickly redesigned mid-size sedan that retains Mazda’s sporting nature, while providing lots of practicality. The new front-drive Mazda has to be good because it’s in a tough market. Rivals include the well-established Toyota Camry and Honda Accord—besides the popular Hyundai Sonata and new Ford Fusion. Virtually everything about the made-in-Japan 2014 Mazda6 is new, including the body, interior, powertrain and suspension. The stiff new unibody has straighter frame rails and more high-strength steel. A really nice thing about the new Mazda6 is that all systems work together flawlessly, making the car feel “just right.” The

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Ford announces special edition package for 2014 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

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Ford announced its F-150 SVT Raptor, one of the stablemates in the country’s best-selling vehicle lineup, will have a new optional Special Edition package that will complement the existing Luxury Package. The upgrade will include a Ruby Red Metallic exterior color and box-side graphics. Interior upgrades include Brick Red seat bolsters with black inserts and cloth honeycomb highlights, console top finish panel, and center stack and door panel appliqué accents. The 2014 F-150 SVT Raptor Special Edition, which will go on sale in the of 2013, will also be available in Tuxedo Black Metallic. The Raptor has found an enviable

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Five top gas mileage, wallet-friendly cars for 2013

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Once limited to niche brands, odd designs and ill-conceived marketing, carmakers in recent years have integrated hybrid, alternative fuel vehicles into the automotive mainstream lineup. Now, nearly every major manufacturer offers at least one hybrid and another alternative fuel car in its fleet. Combined with higher mileage gas-engine cars, the auto industry flush with improved fuel efficiency. Hybrid anxiety is passé. Alternative fuel cars formerly designed and operated as if related to moon vehicles or military craft now largely look and drive the same as their gas-only siblings. The “greening” of the automotive industry occurred primarily for three specific reasons:

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Mazda CX-5, 2014: More power, same clean, efficient style, ride

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Now in the second year of its debut generation, the 2014 Mazda CX-5 continues the carmaker’s third-time’s-the-charm good fortune. The compact, five-passenger sport utility vehicle follows the not-too-successful Tribute and CX-7, and it’s proven popular in a crowded segment with its modern look, clean styling, efficiency and economy. The Mazda CX-5 debuted as a 2013 model at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2012. For 2014, there are only minor tweaks to the car’s first year with increased horsepower in the top-two trims, a collision warning system option and advanced radio technology services. The Weekly Driver Test Drive One

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Hyundai, Kia recalling nearly 2 million cars dating to 2007 via faulty brakes, air bags

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Despite experiencing record sales and infiltrating many car-buying segments with innovation and value, Hyundai and Kia are facing major growing pains with a massive recall of nearly two million cars. The switch recall covers almost 1.7 million vehicles — most of the automakers’ model lineups from the 2007 through 2011 model years — to fix problems with air bags a brake light switches. In addition, Hyundai is recalling about 194,000 Elantra compacts from 2011 to 2013 to fix an air bag problem. A faulty switch can stop the brake lights from illuminating when drivers press on the pedal, the U.S.

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2013 Toyota Camry: Top-selling sedan still reliable, efficient

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The 2013 Toyota Camry sedan looks sharper since its much-needed redesign for 2012. It retained its long-standing status as America’s top-selling car last year. Could 404,886 buyers be wrong? Maybe not, if all they wanted was a reliable, efficient car with a good quality reputation—although most models aren’t fun to drive—just an appliance. There are a variety of Camry models, including several gas/electric hybrids, to fit various budgets. List prices range from $22,235 for the base “L” four-cylinder model to $30,465 for the XLE V-6 version The 2012 front-wheel-drive Camry sedan got a widened, lower stance and upgraded interior. It

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