Rims and MPGs
One of the teeth-aching disconnects of our time is the feigned obsession with MPGs on the one hand - and the very real obsession with huge wheels (and tires) on the...
Fixing vs. Buying
One of the reasons - probably the main reason - people buy a new car is because their old car has gotten to the point that it is costing them too...
Your “Safety” Doesn’t Matter . . .
A reader asked me about dealing with the known-to-be-dangerous - the defective - air bag in her vehicle. Since there are more than 40 million vehicles "affected," her questions - and...
“Funny Noises”
If your car's engine starts making a "funny noise," should you be worried?
It depends on the noise.
Some noises are harbingers of real trouble. Others are usually nothing to worry about. But...
Don’t Spare the Spare . . .
If you've looked inside the trunk of any car built since the early 2000s the first thing you'll notice is there's not much in the trunk.
Where's the spare?
It's gone!
You might find...
Changing Oil Too Soon – or Too Late?
Knowing when it’s time to change the oil in a regularly driven car is easy - the car’s manufacturer provides specific time and mileage intervals. They are right there in your owner's...
The Money Pit
I know someone who is dead broke and living in a small apartment, on the government dole - despite having both earned and inherited many hundreds of thousand dollars over the...
Avoiding Problems With Newish Cars
You might be thinking about buying an older car as a way to avoid having to deal with some of the things that come with new cars, like it or not...
The Service Advisor . . .
Selling you a car is just a prelude to selling you service. Not that there’s anything wrong with selling service - assuming you need it. But if you don’t, the mark-up...
Guerrilla Car Buying
It’s never been easier to buy a new car; the harder part is not paying too much for it. "Easy" financing obscures how much you’re really paying, by spreading out the...