Quick shifts to automatic transmissions continues

,

Thirty-eight car nameplates offer manual transmissions for their 2020 models, Aston Martin to Volkswagen. Truck enthusiasts who like to shift gears have far fewer choices. In fact, only two manufacturers, Toyota and Jeep, offer a manual transmission in their fleets. Here’s the full list of cars with manual transmissions, either as standard or optional equipment, for the 2020 model year: Aston Martin Vantage, BMW M2, BMW M4 (all body styles), Chevrolet Camaro (all body styles), Chevrolet Spark, Dodge Challenger, Fiat 124 Spider, Ford Mustang (all body styles), Shelby GT350, Genesis G70, Honda Accord, Honda Civic (all body styles), Civic Si

Read more

James Bond films mean Aston Martin scenes but no DBX

Whenever a new James Bond movie is released, a conversation with Ian Fleming would be fascinating. Is secret agent 007’s portrayal still recognizable from the author’s first book published nearly 70 years ago? And what would he say about the movies’ automotive coolness, the Aston Martin driving scenes? Fleming died 56 years ago in his native England. Scotsman Sean Connery played the debonair character in the first five Bond films (and seven overall). He began driving an Aston Martin DB5 in the third film, Goldfinger (1964). Connery is now age 89 and long ago retired. He presumably has priorities other

Read more

Have 20K or 25K for a truck? Toyota tops watchdog’s list

,

Toyota tops the list for most reliable and best buy in a new survey for consumers in the market for a used truck with a budget of less than $20,000 and less than $25,000, according to iseecars.com. The car search engine, based in Woburn, Mass., helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources. iSeeCars analyzed more than 6.1 million used cars sold from October 2019 through March 2020 from model years 2011 onward. Toyota used pickup get top marks Cars previously determined to be among the Longest-Lasting Cars and had an overall crash test

Read more

Lady Gaga goes gaga over cult 1993 Ford pickup truck

, ,

Lady Gaga missed out on the joys of teenage driving — at least officially. But she’s made up for lost time. After first getting her driver’s license at age 30, Gaga, 34, has made it a habit of buying cars. She owns about 20, including what appears to her favorite, a daily driver 1993 Ford SVT Lightning pickup truck. Gaga also owns a Chevrolet El Camino, Ford Bronco and Mercedes-Benz W123 sedan. The Ford truck she owns is among her least expensive cars the performer owns. The mint condition vehicle’s estimated value is $40,000. Lady Gaga like her vintage cars

Read more

2020 Rolls-Royce Wraith: Pricey, worthy ghost of Xmas now

,

By James Raia and Bruce Aldrich Once cited among the world’s most recognizable brands and of unequaled reputation, Rolls-Royce not too long ago lost its spirit. Various models with fading, hand-written for sale signs were prominent in neighborhoods throughout the carmaker’s native England. Often named after ghosts, Rolls-Royce became its namesake for an unimaginable reason. No one wanted one, even at near give-way prices. The car’s Flying Lady hood ornament, officially called the Spirit of Ecstasy, was heavily tarnished.   But in the decade since Torsten Müller-Ötvös assumed his chief executive officer responsibilities, Rolls-Royce has far surpassed its successes of

Read more

Ford F-150 has dubious honor — most stolen pickup truck

,

Pickup trucks are stolen so often, it’s an automotive epidemic. At least that’s the one-word description of the data compiled by the National Crime Insurance Bureau (NCIB) in Des Plaines, Illinois. The Ford F-150 pickup was the third most stolen vehicle in the United States in the past five years. Via statistics through 2018, the Chevrolet Silverado was the fourth most stolen vehicle during the past five years. Pickup truck dilemma: lots stolen According to the NCIB, the reason older Ford F-Series and GM trucks are stolen at such a high rate is because in 2007 most vehicles began having

Read more

U.S. Postal Service under fire again, this time burning trucks

For more than six years, the most susceptible truck to fire isn’t a newfangled high-technology machine with lots of electronics that can go wrong. Surprisingly, it’s U.S Postal Service trucks. According to Motherboard, the investigative component of Vice.com, more than 400 U.S. Postal Service trucks have been damaged or destroyed by fires since May 2014. It’s an average of about one fire every five days. The website’s reporter, Aaron Gordon, received a tip on a handwritten letter that read: “File an FOIA with USPS for LLV truck fires.” Long Life Vehicles (LLV)) are the delivery trucks synonymous with the postal

Read more

2020 BMW M8 Gran Coupe: Lots of car, lots of money

Four-door coupe is among the automotive industry’s numerous contradictory terms. But since 2005 when the idea of a sloping roofline on a four-door sedan returned after a several-decade hiatus, it’s become a thing. Mercedes-Benz featured the idea in its C class; BMW is now participating with its 2020 BMW M8 Gran Coupe. The criticism launched at Porsche several years ago over its four-door Panamera has waned. And it’s likely more BMW enthusiasts seeking to travel in an M8 performance machine would prefer as many as three passengers, not just one. With its additional M8 siblings (the high-performance version of the

Read more

#141, 2021 Ford Bronco debuts; Hagerty expert praises icon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:39 — 42.1MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreNearly a quarter-century after it was last made, the new Ford Bronco makes its debut today (July 13) with as much anticipation as any new vehicle in recent memory. Often cited as the first Sport Utility Vehicle, the Bronco has a loyal following and its new edition is likely to continue the iconic vehicle’s increasing legacy. Brian Rabold, vice president of valuation services for Hagerty, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast to discuss all things Ford Bronco. Ford Bronco:

Read more

Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 rocks, but worth 150K?

German automakers have among the industry’s most loyal customers. In J.D. Power’s initial loyalty survey last year, Lexus led return customer ratings among luxury brands with 47.6 percent. Mercedes-Benz was second (44.2 percent), followed by BMW (43.6), Porsche (43.5) and Audi (43.3). What the prominent California data intelligence company can’t and shouldn’t be expected to determine is if automotive loyalty has a financial ceiling. When a customer decides to their sell their Mercedes-Benz, will they still purchase a new model regardless of price? A key example is the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63. It’s the high-performance, customized version of the Mercedes-Benz

Read more

2021 Lamborghini Huracán defines super confidence

The Lamborghini Huracán powers along in the niche supercar market as well as any automotive beast. The Italian carmaker celebrated its 50th anniversary six years ago and it continues to expand its diverse lineup. The manufacturer’s reputation is defined by performance, craftsmanship and tradition. Yet, Lamborghini has found another reason to boast as loudly as its car engines roar. The carmaker sold 8,205 vehicles globally last year, 60 percent of which were the Urus, the brand’s three-year-old sport utility vehicle. Some supercar enthusiasts may still have strong opinions against the introduction of SUV supercars. But Lamborghini would be unwise not

Read more

LA car hoarder’s legacy chronicled in new book

Graveyards of rusty, battered and weed-adorned cars scattered along backcountry roads are a stamp on society’s reliance on motor vehicles. Junkers are junkers, often hoarded and defining automotive blight. But in the chaos of crunched metal, cracked rubber and shattered glass is also history and sometimes rare riches. They’re piles of nirvana for automobile aficionados. Junkyard, the coffee-table book sub-titled Behind the Gates at California’s Secretive European-Car Salvage Yard (Motorbooks, $40) defines the latter. It’s history and mystery acres of abandoned vehicles in fields and warehouses and purposely collected behind high walls in Southern California by the now-deceased Rudi Klein.

Read more

Informa Tech announces WardsAuto top-10 best auto interiors

SPONSORED CONTENT Informa Tech Automotive Group has announced its 2020 WardsAuto interiors list that annually recognizes the best in design and engineering. This year’s winners display unique, customer-first and innovative approaches to interiors. The winners: Audi e-tron, Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X6 M, Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray, Hyundai Venue, Kia Telluride, Lincoln Aviator, Mercedes-Benz GLB, Nissan Sentra Toyota Highlander. Meet the 2020 Winners HERE WardsAuto will celebrate its 2020 list You’re invited to celebrate with us as we honor the winners through a virtual award ceremony August 19. It will be part of this year’s TU-Automotive Detroit, ADAS & Autonomous

Read more

#140, RV expert Chuck Woodbury discusses Covid-19

,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:48 — 45.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreChuck Woodbury has traveled in his motorhome for as long as two years at a time. He recently returned to his Washington state home from a seven-month RV trip that began as an expected far shorter journey. It quickly changed. In February, the first outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, six miles from where Woodbury lives in Everett. At least 37 people died. Early in their trip, Woodbury and his companion Gail Meyring heard the news from home and

Read more

2020 Toyota Avalon defines ideal hybrid sedan

,

Hybrid car owners often compromise. They embrace the superior gas mileage and environmental concerns mixed-engine vehicles offer. But odd-looking exterior designs, limited interior space and lackluster acceleration provide frustration. As such, many potential new buyers have dismissed the hybrid market. It’s why the segment has rarely reached 3 percent of yearly industry sales in the United States since the Toyota Prius debuted 20 years ago. It was the country’s first mainstream hybrid. The 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid is largely unchanged from last year’s second-generation debut. The Avalon gas-only model was unveiled 25 years ago. The hybrid trim was introduced in

Read more

#139, Cars.com index reveals ‘Made in America’ gains importance

Kelsey Mays, senior consumer affairs and vehicle evaluations editor for Cars.com, knows what it means for the industry and consumers when a vehicle is made in America. It means a lot. According to research from Cars.com in its recently released 2020 American-Made Index (AMI), 70 percent of shoppers consider a car’s U.S. economic impact a significant or deciding factor in their vehicle purchase. Mays is our guest this week on Episode #139 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Mays the 15th AMI and how during the COVID-19 pandemic it has further impacted Americans’

Read more