Cars

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TheWeeklyDriver.com’s 2019 Best Cars, Trucks

Welcome to the 13th annual Best Cars and Trucks of the Year list, selected by TheWeeklyDriver.com. As is our logical way, we wait until the end of the year to name our selections. As in previous years, the 2019 choices were selected only from the list of 35-40 cars and trucks manufacturers provided for weekly reviews. Co-host Bruce Aldrich and I will discuss the list on The Weekly Driver Podcast. The 10 vehicles on the 2019 Best Cars, Trucks list include manufacturers from the United States, South Korea and Japan. The Weekly Driver has been writing about our main automotive vent for years. How do prestigious industry publications determine their vehicles-of-the-year selections before the calendar year starts? Selecting a list

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2020 Hyundai Palisade Review: Worthy newbie SUV despite odd name

With the debut of the Nexo as a 2019 model and the Palisade as a 2020 offering, Hyundai now sells five sport utility vehicles. The South Korean manufacturer doesn’t do much wrong. But making more SUVs isn’t much different than making more traffic. There’s nothing good about more driving congestion. And how is it possible to find some area of the SUV segment that hasn’t been addressed? Key Takeaways 3.8-liter V6 with 291 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic. Limited trim reviewed: $44,700 MSRP with front-wheel drive, before destination, per Hyundai. 19 mpg city, 26 highway. Cargo: 86.4 cubic feet with all seats folded and 45.8 cubic feet behind the second row. Every Palisade includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Value:

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2019 Honda Civic: lagging sales, still rules as top-rated compact

The Fit, Civic and Accord, sub-compact, compact and midsize sedan siblings, collectively represent nearly everything right in the automotive industry. If value, durability, functionality, fuel economy, repair efficiency and resale value are important, there’s nothing better than the Honda trio. Yet the threesome, all rated at or near the top of their segments, are rapidly losing new buyers. It’s not logical. The 2019 Honda Civic defines the ideal compact. It’s now in the fourth year of its 10th generation after debuting in 1972. But between generations, Honda, like most manufacturers, makes model adjustments, subtle to substantial. With the 2019 model (the 2020 model is also now available), the Civic’s front end has been restyled; it’s less drastic and more attractive.

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Say goodbye to 20 cars in 2020, Aston Martin to VW

Every year the auto industry bids farewell to cars. Some years, it’s the unpopular trim levels of well-established cars and trucks. Some years, a substantial selection of easy-to-guess cars are discontinued. And there are surprises, buyers’ favorites who’ve had their time. With many 2020 models now on the market, here’s a list (and synopsis of few departing vehicles) in alphabetical order of 2019 models being discontinued. The list represents a spectrum of standard sedans to sports cars and SUVs to long-time family favorites. And The Weekly Driver says farewell to our favorites with short commentaries. We’ve provided links to the vehicles we’ve reviewed. Aston Martin Vanquish How does any Aston Martin leave us? It’s arguably the most beautiful car on

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#11, Libby Edelman writes on women loving cars (video)

Libby Edelman spent years raising a family, living in several locations around the United States and working as a fashion editor for national magazines. She also spent a lot of time thinking about women who love their cars, a curiosity prompted by a headline in The National Enquirer. While waiting in line at a grocery store one day, Edelman read in the supermarket tabloid about a woman who loved her car so much, she was buried with it. The result, while less bizarre but equally dramatic, is the new book Lovin’ My Car: Women in the Driver’s Seat. Edelman is our guest this week on Episode #81 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with

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2019 Lexus LS 500 Review: Commands the open road in style

Like naval fleets, automobile manufacturers have flagships. Commanding officers, weaponry or distinguished flags aren’t involved. Still, carmakers’ highest-profile vehicles are their proudest presentations. Luxury brands thrive on their top-line offerings, which for the upscale division of Toyota is the Lexus LS 500. Key Takeaways 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with 416 horsepower and a 10-speed automatic. 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds. $75,200 base price; the Executive Package adds $23,110 and the top price reaches $111,925. 19 mpg city and 30 highway. One trim level, rear-wheel drive standard, all-wheel drive optional and a hybrid version also available. Value: The LS 500 is satisfactory without options. Design and Powertrain Redesigned inside and outside last year, the 2019 LS 500 retains the full-size luxury sedan‘s

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#58 Consumer Reports’ expert discusses reliability survey

Mike Quincy is an expert among car experts. For nearly 20 years, he’s purchased, driven and evaluated cars for Consumer Reports. The well-respected magazine and website has tested vehicles for decades, and it’s considered the automotive industry’s most objective resource. Mike is our guest on episode #58 of The Weekly Driver podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Mike the publication’s recently released Most Reliable and Least Reliable vehicle lists for 2018. As Mike details, Consumer Reports purchases all of its test vehicles. The publication’s annual reliability survey analyzes data in 17 areas from more than 500,000 vehicles. Areas for potential problems include interior wear-and-tear, transmission repairs and squeaky brakes. Predictable results occur in the survey, so do

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2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback Review: Redefines nameplate

The automotive industry is ripe with contradiction. Who could imagine a four-door sports car or a sub-compact also defined in the sports realm? Porsche may have its old-guard enthusiasts who still don’t consider the four-door Panamera a sports car, but it is. Key Takeaways 2.0-liter engine with 168 horsepower and a six-speed manual that automatically matches engine revs. About $25,000 for the hatchback, with navigation a $1,600 option. Standard equipment: 18-inch wheels, LED headlights and taillights, push-button start and an eight-inch touchscreen. XSE trim: leather seating, heated front seats, a power driver’s seat and dual-zone climate control. Handling: Combined with its new lower profile, the hatchback’s overall sportiness is further assisted by its peppiness, firm and responsive steering and an

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Volvo, Tesla get Consumer Reports’ dubious reliability honors

Consumer Reports has long been recognized for its reliability to compile and present objective information. So who’s better than the service-oriented publication to provide lists of the most reliable and least reliable automakers? The publication’s annual reliability survey analyzed data in 17 areas from more than 500,000 vehicles. The areas for potential problems included interior wear-and-tear, transmission repairs and squeaky brakes. The annual list usually has surprises and this year is no exception. Volvo was the least reliable career in this year tabulations. The reason: The Swedish-made, Chinese-owned manufactured dropped six places from last year and had an average reliability score of 22. Volvo owners complained about three models was the S90. Its issues ranged from screen freezes and a

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2018 BMW X3 Review: Newly designed, eases highway burdens

Purchasing a BMW is often considered a sign of status. It’s ownership of a sedan, sports car or sport utility vehicle possessing superior qualities on the open road. The luxury carmaker offers vehicles, including the newly designed 2018 BMW X3, that uniquely ease the burdens of highway commutes and long hauls across state borders. It’s what Bavarian Motor Works has always done well. Key Takeaways 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 248 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic; all-wheel drive is standard. $42,450 starting price; the review vehicle reached $57,470 out the door. 22 mpg city and 29 highway. 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds in the review; BMW quotes 6.0 seconds. Cargo: 28.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 62.7 cubic feet

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2019 Volvo XC40 Review: Breaks tradition for younger buyers

When competition includes models from BMW (X1), Mercedes-Benz (GLA-Class), Jaguar (E-Pace) and Audi (Q3), Volvo had to do something different. It has. Welcome the 2019 Volvo XC40. The new compact crossover is the Swedish manufacturer’s smallest, sportiest and least expensive SUV. It’s positioned in the lineup as an alternative to the well-respected XC90 and XC60. Key Takeaways Turbocharged two-liter engine with 248 horsepower, an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. $35,200 base price; the top-line R-Design costs $45,340. 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds, as advertised by Volvo. 23 mpg city and 31 highway. Cargo: 20.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 47.2 cubic feet with them down. Build: Volvo offers vehicles as sturdy as any manufacturer. Trims and Equipment

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2019 Mazda CX-3 Review: Versatile foe in tough little SUV segment

Four years into its first generation, the 2019 Mazda CX-3 is upgraded from last year’s model. It’s a good thing since the subcompact-crossover sport utility vehicle competition continues to intensify. More support and comfort are now in the seats and leather upholstery is an option. Noise, harshness and vibrations are improved via an adjusted, smoother-running 2.0-liter engine. Equally subtle changes include: The anti-fog lights and B and C pillars get black trim; the front spoiler now has silver trim. Key Takeaways Grand Touring tested: 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 148 horsepower, a six-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. $29,625 for the top-line Grand Touring; the Premium Package adds $710. 0-60 mph in 8.0 seconds; 27 mpg city and 32 highway. 12.4 cubic feet

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2018 Honda Fit Review: Money car for budget-minded buyers

Two questions with similar themes percolate throughout the auto industry. Consumers want to know the best car for the money and the best car money can buy. The answers are subjective. But the first question is more relevant to more buyers, and so here’s one vote for the 2018 Honda Fit. Now in its third generation and 11th year since replacing the Honda Civic hatchback, the Fit is a five-door subcompact with more interior room than its appearance indicates. Versatile, well-constructed inside and outside and value-priced, the little engine that can is arguably the best new car available in the United States for less than $20,000. Key Takeaways Still one of the best new cars under $20,000: The third-generation Fit

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Episode 27, The legacy of one family’s 1986 Chrysler Lebaron

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:05 — 31.7MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThirty-two years ago, Karen Saylor’s parents drove into a downtown Sacramento, California, car dealership and drove away in a new 1986 turbocharged Chrysler Lebaron convertible. Like the legacies of many family cars, Karen Saylor fondly recalls going shopping with mother with the Lebaron’s convertible top down. She remembers trips to the Monterey Peninsula when mother and daughter had their hair blowing in the wind. A neighbor in East Sacramento, Saylor is our guest on episode #27 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. She recalls a lot about how much cars meant to her parents and to her husband with whom she owned several Ford Thunderbirds.

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2018 Ford Mustang: Less is more with EcoBoost model

Like other automotive icons, the Ford Mustang is unmistakable. Its long hood, short rear deck, pony badge, overall styling and unique debut by Henry Ford II at the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., on April 17, 1964, have all added to the sports car’s legacy. The Mustang’s current generation debuted in 2015. The showcase model for 2018 is the direct-injected, 5.0-liter V8 with 460 horsepower. It defines automotive testosterone for the masses and is the most powerful Mustang to date. But what if you don’t need all that power and the corresponding constant growl of the big beast? The alternative is the base model 2.3-liter turbocharged, four-cylinder, Ecoboost coupe with 310 horsepower and a 10-speed automatic transmission. With the

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Episode 20, 2017 year-end observations, goodbye to 21 cars

Every year, cars come and go. In 2018, nearly two dozen vehicles available in 2017 won’t be available as new models. Some of the cars, like the Chevrolet Spark, have been failing for years. Some of the other departing vehicles, like the Honda Accord coupe, come as surprises. In Episode 20 of The Weekly Driver Podcast, co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia bid farewell to the departing vehicles. Some we’ll miss. But for others, good riddance. With the new year upon us, we also look back on some of the popular topics in the auto industry during 2017. What exactly will happen beginning January 1 with the new marijuana laws beging is anyone’s guess. How will law enforcement officials handle

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