2018 Fiat 500X
What worked so well for Mini hasn't panned out nearly as well for the other company that specializes in mini cars:
That would be Fiat.
It's...
2018 Mercedes GLC300
Well, the diesel’s gone.
It never even arrived, to be precise about it.
Mercedes thought about offering it - had planned to offer it. Had even...
2018 Jaguar F-Pace Diesel
The snow leopard is a big cat, too.
Like the jaguar - except it is built to deal with snow.
So also the F-Pace, which is...
2017 Mazda6
It’s odd that the sportiest car in its class has less engine than the others in its class. The car is the Mazda6 -...
2017 Toyota Highlander
First of all, there are no turbos.
That fact alone sets the current Toyota Highlander apart from almost all other mid-sized crossover SUVs - most...
2017 Kia Niro
The Prius has a rival that no one seems to know about - probably because Kia hasn’t done much to market its hybridness.
It’s the...
2018 Genesis G80
It used to be that you at least got a six when spent $50k on a luxury car.
Now you get a four . ....
2018 VW Tiguan
The hardest cars to write about - and to buy - are crossover SUVs. Which to pick? What to say? So many . ....
2018 Nissan 370Z
Over the course of its long life, Chevy has almost cancelled the Corvette at least twice.
Ford once gave thought to dropping the Mustang.
Yes, really.
Wisely...
2017 Hyundai Veloster
Coupes have the right lines, but it can be awkward to take more than one person along for the ride.
Even if the car has...
2017 Fiat Spider
Is there room enough for two of basically the same thing?
It depends how different they are.
Back in the '70s, GM was able to successfully...
2017 Chevrolet Corvette
One reads that the current Corvette is the best Corvette ever, but is it?
It is certainly the best-performing Corvette ever. That can't be debated....
Tire Tyranny
If you've gone to get new tires recently, you may have already dealt with the latest outcropping of technocratic busybodyism: The scanning of your...
Little Brothers
Every new car is infested with Little Brothers - in the form of code and programming that “corrects” outright or thwarts whatever it is...
The One Electric Car That Makes Some Sense . . .
It’s interesting about the Chevy Volt.
Uniquely, it carries around its own recharger - so it’s not tied to a corded umbilical like other electric...
Cuba in America
Everyone knows about the ongoing classic car show in Cuba. Cars from the ‘50s and ‘60s being used as everyday drivers - by almost...
No More Keys For You!
Many new cars have push-button ignitions - no need to insert a key into a lock anymore.
But you still have a key.
Well, a fob.
An...
Another Reason for the Electric Car Push?
Whenever the government is rabidly enthusiastic about something you can be reasonably sure you shouldn’t be.
Electric cars are being pushed for all kinds of...
Fungible Laws
Even better - from a certain point-of-view - than a radar trap based on an under-posted speed limit is a radar trap with a...
If You Can’t Beat ‘Em . . . Ban ‘Em
Since they can’t sell electric cars - not enough of them, anyhow - and not without subsidies so huge they amount to outright bribes...
If Gas is Plentiful and Cheap . . . Make Cars...
Whenever a problem is solved, the solution never seems to go away - or even get dialed back. If anything, the government - or...
The Four-Wheeled Patriot Act
Whenever Congress does something unanimously (or nearly so) you can rest assured it’s in their interests, not ours.
The USA Patriot Act comes to mind.
Another...
The Kids Don’t Wrench
Working on cars has become part of America's cultural past, like so many other things which used to define American culture. Which was, above...
China as the New Motor City
GM's Buick division is doing extremely well . . . in China. The Chinese own Volvo. And may soon own Jeep - one of...
Tire Tyranny
If you've gone to get new tires recently, you may have already dealt with the latest outcropping of technocratic busybodyism: The scanning of your...
Latest Reader Question (Sept. 22, 2017)
Here is the latest reader question, along with my reply:
Tom asks: My 03 Ford Ranger engine seized 2 months after an oil change by a...
Video Rant: 2018 Fiat 500X
Here's a quick look at the 2018 Fiat 500X - a larger, jacked-up (and AWD-available) iteration of the Fiat small car concept:
This year's 500X...
