2019 Toyota Sienna
Minivans used to be hugely popular because they were hugely practical. Which may explain why minivans have become less popular than they used to...
2019 Jeep Compass
Most crossover SUVs can't really cross over very much.
They look like rugged, off-road-ready SUVs, but they're really just high-riding cars, with light-duty AWD...
2019 Kia Stinger
If you want real Coke, you have to go to Mexico. Well, you have to get it from Mexico. That’s the only Coke still...
2019 Subaru Forester
About 10,000 people buy Subaru Foresters each month.
It isn’t for the speed.
So, why?
And does the just-redesigned 2019 Forester have more - or less -...
2019 BMW X4
How do you make a crossover SUV not just another crossover SUV?
One way is to chop the roof - and make it look less...
2019 Ford Mustang
On July 4, 1826 John Adams lay on his deathbed. His last words were said to have been, “Thomas Jefferson survives.”
His friend Jefferson had...
2019 Ram 1500
One of the things that’s new about the just redesigned Ram 1500 is that if you want a regular cab, you’ll have to buy...
2019 VW Sportwagen
It’s no easy thing picking yourself up off the mat after getting sucker punched . . . or getting almost diesel mileage out of a...
2019 Volvo XC60
Volvo can’t sell safety anymore.
Well, it can’t sell just safety - because everyone else sells safety, too.
They have to.
Back in the '60s and '70s...
2018 Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius was not just the first hybrid, for a long time it was without question the best hybrid.
Nothing else even approached its...
Electric Isn’t Exotic . . . Or Even Anything Special
Is it just speed - and exclusivity - which make a Maserati (or a Porsche) exotic? If that’s all it is, then electrified versions...
2019 Nissan Sentra
One of the secrets about new cars that's hiding in plain sight is that "compact" sedans aren't really anymore.
They keep growing . . ....
2019 Mercedes CLS 450
Okay, so the V8 is gone. Let's get that out of the way first.
Government fuel economy mandates - now and threatened - have pinched...
The Motor Law
It’s strange to find myself an uncle, with a country place - and an Orange Barchetta out in the garage.
My 1976 Trans-Am.
It is a...
The Speeding Exemption
In Orwell’s other book - Animal Farm - we read about a mutiny against the farmer by the livestock, who draw up a kind...
EVs, the Internet and Missed Possibilities
Electric cars are kind of like the Internet. Both had tremendous possibilities - especially to free people from the shackles that restrained them for...
Teslian eFleas
When corporations get into bed with government, it’s us who get the fleas. Obamacare, for instance.
Big Med plus Big Government.
Sometimes, you can't actually see...
Whatever Happened to The Ricers?
The ‘90s/early 2000s was the last time messing with cars was a common thing among teens and 20s. These were the “ricers” and “tuners” -...
The Evil Has Died
A bit of good news: George H.W. Bush is dead, finally. At least he'll do no more harm. But the harm he did do...
The Great Winnowing
GM’s announcement the other day that it will no longer make cars - or rather, just a few - follows Ford’s previous announcement along...
GM Kills the Electric Car . . .
If electric cars are such a grand idea, why is GM killing off the Chevy Volt? It’s the one electric car that actually did...
Fuel Riots – The Paris Preview
They're rioting in France over the government's imposition of artificial fuel scarcity.
There's no actual shortage; the country - the world - is swimming in...
Colorado Embraces EV Tar Baby
Colorado has become the 13th state - plus the District of Columbia - to embrace the fatuously titled "zero emissions" electric car tar baby.
This...
Thanksgiving Best Wishes – And a Forgotten Lesson
Well, I'm a day late with this - but I wanted to extend my best wishes to everyone for the Thanksgiving holiday. Which holiday,...
Turn That Radio Down!
Here's an example of the way new cars nudge and parent and pre-empt and control us. When you put the gear selector into Reverse...
The Cost of a Time Machine
The good news first.
You can legally buy a brand-new car without a single air bag or any of the saaaaaaaaafety equipment mandated by the...
Reader Question: Hi-Lux or Amarok?
Here's the latest reader question, along with my reply!
Patrick asks: I am planning a purchase of a pick-up truck in the near future. I...
Mistakes and Accidents
Avoiding an accident is actually pretty easy - because most “accidents” aren’t.
They are the result of mistakes.
In other words, avoidable things.
Here are a few common...
