Automotive News, Car Reviews, and Podcast
The Leaf can seat five adults and is designed to travel up to 100 miles on a single charge. It will be available at select Hertz rental sites, though the company did not specify where. Nissan expects to begin selling the Leaf in the United States later this year. The Japanese company also plans to use its partnership with French automakers Renault to mass market electric vehicles worldwide in 2012.
Read moreTwenty fuel cell buses are being operated by BC Transit in Whistler, site of many Olympic events. The buses are built by New Flyer Industries of Winnipeg and operate on fuel cells provided by Ballard Power Systems, with hydrogen storage provided by Dynetek Industries in Calgary. The hybrid drive system came from ISE Corp. in San Diego, California. Each low floor bus can carry 60 people and has a top speed of about 55 mph. The buses are twice as efficient as diesel powered counterparts and have zero tailpipe emissions. B.C. Transit’s new $89.5 million Whistler Transit Centre offers the
Read moreSome Korean car manufactures have blatantly copied luxury competitors like the Mercedes Benz or Jaguar. But the Forte only takes the better design cues from the Civic and builds on them with a unique, original and sexy spin on the standard Civic. So does the new Kia Forte SX offer dependability, comfort, style, and safety at an MSRP that won’t bust the typical budget? Facts & Figures: 2010 Kia Forte SX Price as Tested: $20,490.00; Engine, Transmission: 2.4 16-Valve DOHC CVVT 4-Cylinder engine with 4-speed automatic transmission; Horsepower: 173; G-Tac as tested Data at 5420 feet above sea level; 1/4
Read moreNo other nameplate has been around longer without at least some time off. The idea for the Suburban was born out of a need for a heavier-duty, truck-based wagon. Through the early 1930s, most manufacturers offered car-based wagons for professional use. Open models with windows and rear seating were known as depot hacks, and were used to ferry passengers and their cargo around train stations and boat docks. Enclosed models, typically without rear seats, were known as sedan deliveries. Chevrolet began experimenting with an all-steel wagon body mounted on a commercial chassis in the mid-1930s, and the Suburban Carryall was
Read moreBuying and selling luxury cars is nothing knew for Tom Price. That’s what Price does for a living in the San Francisco Bay Area. But when the purchase is a Ferrari collection of 21 vintage cars, that’s a different matter. Price, a car magnate in Belvedere, California, who owns several luxury car dealerships, purchased the collection of undisclosed Ferrari models on Feb. 2 from bankrupt Dutch vehicle-distributor Kroymans, according to a report in the Marin Independent Journal newspaper. Price declined specify the amount he paid for the vehicles, but the newspaper speculated the price at $30 million. The transaction was
Read moreCrosser’s Prius is scheduled to be recalled due to the possibility of the floormat becoming entrapped under the accelerator possibly causing the car to accelerate out of control. Nevertheless, Crosser believes the recall dilemma is overblown. For more unique car reviews, videos and other automotive content, visit: www.tflcar.com
Read moreAvailable only in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the Crosstour has generated as much industry buzz in its short tenure as any new car. Not all of the Crosstour comments have been good. In fact, there’s seemingly little neutral turf. The Crosstour has been simultaneously praised as innovative and criticized for its unique styling. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The round-trip trek from Sacramento to the East Bay area of San Francisco is 180 miles. Do it as often and I have during the past 35 years, it’s not nearly as boring as a “daily commute.” Few things stand
Read moreThe newest recalls applies to 2001 and 2002 model-year Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V, and 2002 Acura TL vehicles. The move expands a recall first announced in November 2008 for less than 4,000 Accord and Civic sedans due to faulty airbag inflators. The initial recall was expanded in July 2009 to cover an additional 440,000 vehicles. The company said it was not aware of any new incidents after the airbag recall was first broadened in July 2009. “However, we have concluded that we cannot be completely certain that the driver’s airbag inflator in the vehicles being added to this recall at
Read moreReuters was the first to report the recall of the top-selling Prius this week and the news service has been on the competitive edge of the ever-fluctuating automotive industry story since 2000. With Toyota‘s recall now of nine of its vehicles, Camry to Corolla, Lexus to Prius, Reuters has posted a piece its calling: “Timeline: Toyota‘s rise and run-up to its recall crisis.” It begins in 2000 when it reports Toyota launched program known as “Construction of Cost Competitiveness for the 21st Century.” Its aim was to cut costs of 180 key car parts by 30 percent, saving nearly $10
Read moreIt’s obviously a subjective list, but Cars.com, and its perfectly named blog, Kicking Tires, just picked its top-10 cars commercials from the Super Bowl. The Audi Green Police commercial was picked as Cars.com’s favorite. The WeeklyDriver.com gave the top commercial nod to 10 Years Strong, the commercial featuring Brett Favre. We found the Green Police video annoying. The WeeklyDriver.com a difference of opinion with other commercials on Cars.com’s but we like the site’s succinct way of presenting its list. So, here it is: Nevertheless, here’s the Cars.com list, with a synopsis of its top pick. 1. Audi: Green Police The
Read moreThe international news agency has obtained a document that details 223,068 cars in Japan across four hybrid models — the newest Prius model, the Prius PHV (plug-in hybrid), the SAI and the Lexus HS250h — will be recalled for the braking problems first reported last week. The Prius, the world’s largest selling hybrid, accounts for 199,666 vehicles recalled. Toyota will also recall about 213,000 other hybrid cars, including about 150,000 in North America, according to the document. Reuters is also reporting Japan’s transport ministry said Toyota President Akio Toyoda has a pending meeting with Minister Seiji Maehara when he’s expected
Read moreIt’s all about the Green Police, tracking down “violators” and arresting them for eco rules mistakes. The commercial’s controversial nature, including gratuitous violence, will likely get a lot more attention. But it may also join the fraternity of commercials that get remembered more for the nature of the commercial rather than the product it’s touting. For more new car reviews, videos and other automotive content, visit: dev.theweeklydriver.com.
Read moreSo, in an attempt to help ease the fear of owners of some of its older models, Ferrari has announced a new 24-month warranty program. The 24-month Power Warranty will only apply on certified used cars purchased through the official Ferrari dealer network. To qualify for the program, the vehicle must pass a 190-point inspection at an official Ferrari dealer or approved service center. The inspection includes a service history check to make sure the car has had its annual inspection and has been properly maintained. The warranty remains with the vehicle and has a duration of 24 months from
Read moreThe move comes in the aftermath of Toyota recently recalling eight million cars around the world because of sticky accelerator pedals. The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported an anti-lock braking system designed to prevent skidding is problematic and is expected to affect 270,000 vehicles in Japan and the United States. The Nikkei business daily said Toyota would also repair about 30,000 vehicles sold in Europe, China, Australia, Middle East and other areas. According to sources not named by Japanese newspapers, “The company will repair the software free of charge in the United States and other countries in a similar manner.” Toyota‘s
Read moreThe scene is set to the tune of “Funky Stuff” by Kool & The Gang. “Squirrel” is part of an integrated, multiplatform advertising campaign developed by Honda‘s long-standing agency of record, RPA, to support the vehicle launch. For new car reviews, video and other automotive content, visit: dev.theweeklydriver.com.
Read moreAutomakers have been major contributors through the years to a much-anticipated social phenomenon: Commercials of the Super Bowl. The 30-second and one-minute spots are the most expensive on television. And while it’s the game most fans tune in to watch, commercials, halftime entertainment and the rest of the pageantry are eagerly and equally awaited spectacles for many football and non-football fans. Chrysler will return to the commercial fraternity during the Super Bowl this year for the first time since 2004. Companies with connections to automobiles also involved in the Feb. 7 game (that’s less than three weeks) include: Hyundai, Bridgestone,
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