Ford F-150

Scion iQ, 2012: Brainy microcar with a lot of room to roam

Three years to the month after it made its debut in Japan, the Scion iQ arrived in the United States in October 2011 as the country's second "city car." And, of course, it's the immediate rival of the Smart ForTwo, the now nearly teenage microcar. Like its rival, the Scion iQ mini-car is innovative, controversial and immediately attracts attention with its petite presence. Like the Smart ForTwo, the Scion iQ also has an odd name. Toyota, the Scion parent company, explains the "i" means "individuality," "innovation," and "intelligence." And the "Q" stands for "quality." The Weekly Driver Test Drive During my test drive, several people stared at the car while it was parked in front of our house. One guy

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Ford F-150, 2012: Bigger gas tank, fewer stops on long hauls

The Ford F-150, perennially the top-selling vehicle in the United States, will take its owners farther in 2012 — up to 756 miles on one tank of gas. The Ford F-150 EcoBoost 4×4 now comes standard with a 36-gallon fuel tank. With an EPA rating of 21 mpg in highway driving for the four-wheel-drive model, the F-150 can now be driven nearly the length — and perhaps even the entire length — of California between fill-ups. The length of California in 770 miles. "We know the majority of our customers use their F-150s daily for work or play. It’s an essential tool that enhances their productivity," said Doug Scott, Ford Truck Group Marketing manager. "Reducing downtime for fuel stops can

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Hyundai Accent, Suzuki SX4 return to school with honors

Kelley Blue Book has announced its recommendations for the best cars for students going back to school, with the 2012 Hyundai Accent and 2007 Suzuki SX4 respectively receiving best new and used cars. The vehicles chosen were based on: safety, affordability, versatility, reliability, cost of ownership, fuel economy, aesthetics and driving fun factor. All cars had to be available for less than $18,000 using KBB’s pricing guide. The Best New Back To School car is the 2012 Hyundai Accent. According to KBB, “Like its bigger brothers the Sonata and Elantra, the 2012 Hyundai Accent appeals to a finely-tuned sense of value, putting a lot of equipment into a stylish, roomy package that competes more than favorably with competitors like the

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Honda, Toyota again top U.S. top 10 most stolen car list

In its yearly report called “Hot Wheels,” the 1994 Honda Accord was the most stolen car in the country in 2010, following by the 1995 Civic and the 1991 Toyota Camry. Hot Wheels is the only report that examines all theft data without regard to a vehicle’s insured status thereby providing a more complete view of the vehicle theft landscape. For example, certain models of older cars and trucks are popular with thieves because of the value of their parts — but many are not insured against theft. Whereas newer, more expensive and insured vehicles are often stolen to be resold intact with counterfeit vehicle identification numbers or shipped out of the country. Overall, vehicle thefts continue their decline. Preliminary

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Ford recall: 1.1 million pickups including best-selling F150

Ford, whose line-up of pickups includes the perennially largest-selling vehicle in the United States, is recalling 1.1 million trucks in 21 states and Washington, D.C. because their gas tanks can fall off and cause fires. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall includes the Ford F-150 (1997-2004), the country’s best-selling vehicle, F-250 (1997-’99) and Lincoln Blackwood (2002-’03). The recall affects trucks sold or now registered in cold-weather states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. “Prolonged exposure to road de-icing chemicals may cause severe corrosion of the fuel tank straps which secure the tank

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Hyundai, Toyota, Honda, Ford get best used cars honors

Hyundai keeps reaping praise. Edmunds.com, the respected California-based automotive web site, has selected two Hyundai models on its list of the top-15 recommended used cars since 2004. Hyundai, Ford, Honda and Toyota all had two models on the list, with the Hyundai Elantra selected as the best used sub-compact and the Hyundai Azera chosen as the best used large sedan. “With used car prices still soaring, it’s important for consumers to have expert guidance to get the best value,” said Scott Oldham, editor in chief of Edmunds.com. “By taking into consideration a range of factors from consumer ratings to NHTSA crash safety tests, to True Cost to Own metrics, these cars are the most attractive options in the used car

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Bugatti Veyron gets another honor — 'meanest' car

Manufacturers take pride in “green” cars honors and automakers like Honda, Nissan and Toyota aggressively use the accolades in various marketing and public relations campaigns. But not so much exotic carmakers like Bugatti and domestic truck manufacturers Ford, Dodge and Chevy. They’ve all been awarded positions on the dubious list of the “meanest” cars — the country’s biggest environmental losers. Bugatti‘s position on the top of the bad list is nothing new. It’s a notorious gas guzzler, which the Italian manufacturer doesn’t much care about since the Veyron is among the most exclusive and fastest cars made. Among gas guzzlers, the Veyron’s 8 mpg in city driving is the lowest average of any car and the only single-digit average. So, while

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Honda gets "green" car top honors, Chevy Volt shorts out

For the 8th year, the 2011 Honda Civic GX has claimed top honors as the “greenest” car in the United States, according to the 14th annual ratings for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Some newcomers — including an electric vehicle and a plug-in electric hybrid — did well, while several of the regulars held their ground and other cars, most notably the Chevrolet Volt, fared poorly. This year’s ratings reveal a face-off among plug-ins, gasoline hybrids, diesels, natural gas vehicles, and improving “conventional” gasoline vehicles. notwithstanding changes to Green Book® rating methods that boost. The all-electric Nissan Leaf places second, followed by the gasoline-powered Smart Fortwo. Hybrids take the next three spots, followed closely by Ford’s new

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Ford recalls 363,000 F-150 pickups — faulty door handles

Ford is recalling nearly 363,000 F-150 pickup trucks, the perennial best-selling vehicle in the United States, because of a potential problem with the door handles not working properly. The automaker and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced 280,294 F-150 trucks in the United States, 68,000 in Canada and 14,000 in Mexico and from model years 2009 and 2010 will be recalled. The F-150 trucks, the top-selling vehicle in the U.S. for the past 34 years, being  been recalled were produced from January 2008 to November 2009. In a crash, according to the NHTSA, “the door handle spring can fail, causing the door latch to open.” Ford reported as of January 21, 2011, no accidents or injuries related

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Ford has new pitch for 2011 F-150: ‘We’ll bring it to you’

Ford Motor Co. isn’t content with the long-standing, best-selling status of its F-150 pick-up truck. So to increase aware of the 2011 model featuring the new EcoBoost engine, an automaker representative will bring the truck to your house for a test drive. Ford is launching a 60-city tour to promote the F-150. Potential buyers can sign up for a Ford representative to bring the truck to the participant’s house or place of work for a 30-minute drive. The new F-150 model has the EcoBoost V-6 engine, which uses twin turbo charging and direct fuel injection. Ford is touting this EcoBoost engine as being just as powerful as a V-8. Its 365 horsepower can tow as much as 11,300 pounds and

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Consumers Digest awards 35 ‘best buy’ for 2011 models

Thirty-five 2011 vehicles and seven companion models have been selected from more than 250 models and received Best Buy ratings from Consumers Digest magazine. The ratings, published in the December issue (on sale now), span 12 categories: Subcompacts, Compacts, Family Cars, Luxury Cars, Sporty Cars, Full-size Pickups, Small Pickups, Minivans, Compact SUVs, Midsize SUVs, Full-size/Luxury SUVs and Hybrids. The Best Buys — based on behind-the-wheel assessment, safety ratings, ownership costs, warranty, price, comfort, ergonomics, styling and amenities — reflect the publication’s view the vehicles offering exceptional value. “Value, as we see it, is based on purchase price and ownership costs relative to quality, performance and subjective factors like comfort and design,” says Randy Weber, CD’s publisher. Performance characteristics evaluated include

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Ten top deals on 2010 cars, Ford to Mitsubishi, BMW to Nissan

With 2011 car models now infiltrating and in some instances already saturating the market, now is a good time for a bargain on a new 2010 vehicle. Hybrids to pick-up trucks, Ford to Mitsubishi, there are at least 10 good buys on the markets, according to the web site, TheStreet.com.Dealer incentives, low interest rates and discounted sticker prices to move last year’s models are three of primary reasons substantial discounts. And in some cases, unpopular models are available for even deeper discounts. The web site TheStreet.com has a comprehensive list of 10 vehicles, all 2010 models, it believes are great bargains. The list begins surprisingly with the Ford F-150 pick-up truck, for years among the top-selling vehicles in the United

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Honda Accord, Civic top 2009 most stolen car list

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the 1991 Toyota Camry joined the Accord and Civic in 2009 making the the country’s top-three stolen vehicles all from Japanese manufacturers. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION Auto Shipping Quote–Car Financing–Car Insurance Quotes–Car Loans–Online Car Insurance–Rental Cars–Used Cars According to another just released report, the Uniform Crime Report, compiled by the FBI, 794,616 vehicles were reported stolen in 2009, the sixth consecutive year of lower car theft in the country. In 2008, 956,846 vehicles were reported stolen, then the lowest annual total in more than 20 years. 1. 1994 Honda Accord 2. 1995 Honda Civic 3. 1991 Toyota Camry 4. 1997 Ford F-150 pickup 5. 2004 Dodge Ram pickup 6. 2000 Dodge Caravan 7.

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Honda tops most stolen car list, but Ford has three models on dubious top-10 list

Here are the top-10 most stolen cars in the U.S. in 2008, the most recently available list: 1. 1994 Honda Accord; 2. 1995 Honda Civic; 3. 1989 Toyota Camry; 4. 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup; 5. 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup; 6. 2000 Dodge Caravan; 7. 1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee; 8. 1994 Acura Integra; 9. 1999 Ford Taurus; 10. 2002 Ford Explorer. Esurance.com has suggested tips for avoiding auto theft. 1. Don’t be a dummy— simple common sense will go a long way towards protecting you against theft. Always lock your doors (even in your own driveway), try to avoid parking in risky areas (if you’re not sure, it’s probably risky), and never leave tempting valuables in your car (if you must,

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Total recall: Ford leads General Motors, Toyota, VW, Honda on all-time dubious list

10: Honda, 1995, 3.7 million — Faulty seat belt buckle. Recalled all Honda and Acura made between 1986-1991. 9: Volkswagen, 1972, 3.7 million — Non-functioning windshield wipers. The NHTSA ordered recall all VWs, 1949-1969. 8. General Motors, 1973, 3.7 million — Body had the potential to scrape the ground, prompting gravel to jam steering. Shields installed in full-sized models from 1971-1973, including including the Buick Electra, Riviera and LeSabre, Chevrolet Bel Air, Biscayne, Caprice, Brookwood, Impala, Kingwood and Townsman, the Oldsmobile 88 and 98, and the Pontiac Bonneville, Catalina and Grandville. 7: Ford, 1972, 4 million — Poorly constructed seat belt buckles could. All Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles built in 1970 and 1971 recalled. 6+5: Ford, 2009, 4.5 million,

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Toyota tumbles, Ford F-150 leads January U.S. auto sales

Sales figures the first month of 2010 reflect the industry’s turbulent times. Ford, the only carmaker among the American top-three that did not received federal funding in 2009, led sales with its popular F-150 series. It also led sales in 2009. Toyota, shattered by the recall of its best-selling Camry and Corolla, fell 16 percent. Lexus, the upscale Toyota line, had a 12 percent increase. Here are the top-10 sales totals for the United Sates in January, 2010, according to Cars.com 1. Ford F-Series: 27,630; 2. Chevy Silverado: 22,772; 3. Honda Accord: 20,759 (1,737 Accord Crosstours included); 4. Nissan Altima: 18,636; 5. Toyota Corolla: 17,121; 6. Chevy Malibu: 16,439; 7. Toyota Camry: 15,792; 8. Honda Civic: 14,693; 9. Chevy Cobalt:

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