Automotive News, Car Reviews, and Podcast
NHTSA denied a petition over Acura SH-AWD spline failures in 2021-2023 TLX and 2022-2023 MDX. It confirmed the failure, and the dash that keeps hiding it.
Read moreOur 2026 SUV buyer's guide ranks 11 picks by use case, not rank. Best family SUV, best hybrid, best EV under $50K, with verified specs and five-year ownership math.
Read morePodcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:20 — 60.4MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreBuying a vehicle made in the United States is essential to many consumers. According to Cars.com, about half of the car buyers in the United States say they will pay more for a vehicle that creates U.S. jobs. Additionally, 24 percent of Americans believe a manufacturer has to be headquartered in the U.S. to qualify as “substantially contributing to the U.S. economy.” Jenni Newman, the editor-in-chief of cars.com, is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast. We discuss consumers’ preferences for cars made in the United States. Co-host Bruce Aldrich is away this week, so I interview Newman, a repeat guest, about
Read moreThe Acura Integra and Acura Legend were pioneers when the upscale division of Honda debuted in North America in 1986. The Integra was a streamlined, more sporty version of the Honda Civic. It became a top-selling, front-wheel sports coupe. It won plenty of awards and then went away. Sports coupes and sedans fell out of favor with the ascension of sport utility vehicles. But the Integra is back after more than a 20-year absence. Key Takeaways Test car: the Integra A-Spec with the Technology Package, a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder with 200 horsepower. $35,800 starting price and $37,395 with taxes and the $1,095 destination fee. 0-60 mph in 7.0 seconds. 29 mpg city and 36 highway. Transmission: A six-speed manual is
Read moreThe 2022 Acura RDX, marketed with “refined exterior and interior styling, a dramatically quieter cabin and a retuned suspension,” will debut Sept. 26 at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (California). A hand-crafted, limited-production 2022 RDX PMC Edition will be available at launch. Each 2022 RDX PMC Edition will be adorned in Long Beach Blue Pearl paint with Orchid Milano leather interior, both colors shared with the electrified 600-horsepower NSX Type S supercar. With production limited to just 200 units, it will be Acura‘s most exclusive PMC Edition yet. Each of the vehicles will be individually numbered with a serial plaque on the center console denoting the special edition. According to the carmaker, the standard technology will include wireless
Read moreLike many small businesses, The Weekly Driver Podcast remains on hiatus this week during the coronavirus crisis. Bruce Aldrich and I miss our weekly chats with auto industry experts and enthusiasts. It’s an analyst on one episode, a car collector on the next, and it’s all great fun. How about a 30-minute interview with a guy who turned an old firetruck into a mobile pub? How about a half-hour show with a guy from Sacramento who’s as passionate about his vintage Studebaker as any new car owner is about their flashy red, over-the-top, technology overloaded SUV? Or what’s up with all those cars in bike races? We take a several-hour drive on the opening day of training camp with the
Read moreProfessional road cyclists were once self-sustaining athletes. Vehicle support wasn’t allowed in races like the Tour de France unless via unscrupulous means. Catching a rider getting assistance from a car meant disqualification. Much has changed. With various other company relationships for bicycles, helmets, sunglasses and energy food, vehicle sponsorship is as much part of a team as its riders. Race organizers rely on manufacturer vehicles to keep the race intact and safe as it progresses along country roads and into mountain ranges. Andrew Bajadali, a former pro cycling and director with the Rally Cycling Team, is our guest this week on Episode #119 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. We discuss how pro cycling teams rely on team vehicles to assist
Read moreHonda and Acura are recalling 1.6 million cars dating from 2001 to 2015 in the manufacturers’ last phase of a several-year recall of potentially deadly Takata front passenger airbag inflators. The airbags, made with the chemical ammonium nitrate, are prone to exploding upon deployment, potentially hurling fiery shrapnel into passengers. Twenty-four people have been killed and hundreds injured by the inflators worldwide. When the newly announce recall is complete, Honda says it will have recalled or accounted for 22.6 million inflators in about 12.9 million vehicles. Affected Honda models include the 2001-2012 Accord, the 2010-2015 Crosstour, the 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, the 2011-2015 CR-Z, the 2003-2011 Element, the 2007-2014 Fit, the 2010-2014 Insight, the 2002-2004 Odyssey, the 2003-2015 Pilot and the
Read moreThe 2018 Acura TLX is the fifth year of the performance-oriented midsize luxury sedan. It’s matched against segment leaders from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz and it was upgraded this year to further find its way as the competition intensifies. Unveiled in April and available at dealers in the Bay Area three months ago, the TLX has restyled wheels and a revised grille, front fascia and fenders. Technology has also advanced with new infotainment features, including Android Auto and Apple Car Play. Key Takeaways Test car: A-Spec trim with a 3.5-liter V6, 290 horsepower and a nine-speed automatic. $44,800 MSRP and $45,750 as tested. 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds. 20 mpg city, 29 highway and 23 combined. Drive modes: Econ, Normal,
Read moreComedians In Cars Getting Coffee, the innovative and increasingly popular program in which Jerry Seinfeld drives another comedian or personality to a coffee shop in an iconic car, has switched its streaming broadcast from Crackle to Netflix. The 59 shows produced for Crackle and sponsored by Audi since 2012 will be all be cataloged on Netflix. Twenty-four new segments, two standup comedy specials and other pending programming are included in the new deal. New episodes of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee will debut in late 2017. The original program received three Emmy nominations. Seinfeld’s guest have included many of comedy world’s best-known performers. Chris Rock, Don Rickles, Howard Stern, Jim Carrey and Steve Martin have appeared as well as Seinfeld TV
Read moreIt hardly seems like the Acura MDX has been around for 17 years. But while competition has increased with the ever-expanding popularity of sport utility vehicles, the mid-size luxury crossover has retained its strong pace among three-row SUV options. Honda, which manufacturers Acura via its luxury nameplate, states the MDX was the first and current best-selling three-row SUV in history. More than 700,000 had sold by the end of 2014. Key Takeaways 3.5-liter V6 with 290 horsepower and a nine-speed automatic; front-wheel drive is standard and the test vehicle had the optional all-wheel drive. $56,400 MSRP and $57,340 as tested. 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds; 19 mpg city and 26 highway. New for 2017: a honeycomb grille and new headlights,
Read moreLargely unchanged from its massive makeover last year, the 2017 Acura RDX remains among the premier compact luxury sport utility vehicles on the market. Now a decade old, the Acura RDX required few, if any, changes from the success of the 2016 model. A year ago, a new grille, new headlights and taillights and several additional features were added to the standard equipment list. This year, there are a few new exterior paint colors offered and a few discontinued. Key Takeaways Test car: the RDX with a 3.5-liter V6 making 279 horsepower, a six-speed automatic transmission, optional all-wheel drive and the AcuraWatch Plus, Technology and Advance packages. $43,520 MSRP and $48,642 as tested. 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds. 19 mpg
Read moreIf you own an older Honda or Acura, the government is urging you to stop driving it because its Takata airbags have a 50 percent chance of exploding in a crash. The warning applies to about 313,000 models of the Honda Accord (2001-2002), Honda Civic (2001-2002) Honda CR-V (2002-2003), Honda Odyssey (2003), Honda Pilot (2003), Acura TL (2002-2003) and Acura CL (2003). Takata inflators that can explode in a crash have been linked to 10 deaths and more than 100 injuries in the United States. Auto safety regulators said eight of those deaths occurred in Honda and Acura vehicles subject to the warning. “With as high as a 50 percent chance of a dangerous air bag inflator rupture in a
Read moreNot too many decades ago, all new cars were released to the public in late summer or early fall. That’s no longer how it works. More domestic and international manufacturers are offering more higher-quality cars amid ever-increasing competition. Carmakers look for opportune times throughout the year for lineup introductions at auto shows around the world, and maybe to catch the competition off-guard. As such, many manufacturers, Honda to Volkswagen and Hyundai to Subaru, introduced 2016 models months ago and have already begun to promote 2017 and even 2018 models. Other carmakers haven’t introduced certain models of their 2016 lineups. Not All 2016 Car Models Released One month into new year plenty of worthy 2016 model year cars have emerged. Here
Read moreNow approaching the end of its first decade, the Acura RDX is in the fourth year of its second generation. The 2016 edition arrived with a massive makeover. The exterior has a new grille, jewel-eye LED headlights and new taillights. The interior has been updated with a new trim, more standard equipment and a new optional touchscreen. The 2016 Acura RDX also has several new optional features, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and mitigation, lane departure warning and intervention, a blind-spot monitoring system and automatic wipers. Key Takeaways Test car: a 2016 RDX with a 3.5-liter V6 producing 279 horsepower, a six-speed automatic, optional all-wheel drive and the AcuraWatch Plus, Technology and Advance packages. $43,420 MSRP and $44,340
Read moreAlthough it’s not a new generation, the 2016 Acura MDX has several updates from its one-year-older predecessor. The new edition of the luxury sport utility vehicle has a nine-speed, push-button automatic transmission and a revised all-wheel drive system. A frameless rearview mirror and several technology features are also new. Key Takeaways Test car: the 2016 Acura MDX with optional all-wheel drive, a 3.5-liter V6 with 290 horsepower and a nine-speed automatic, plus the Tech, Advance and Entertainment packages. $57,080 MSRP and $58,000 as tested. 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds. 19 mpg city, 26 highway and 22 combined. Safety: The standard safety equipment is the most impressive. Driving: The 2016 Acura MDX offers a comfortable, quiet drive with one exception. The
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