Auto Industry News
And Car Reviews

As sports sedans go, American car companies have come a long way in the last few decades. Where once, Ford, Chevy, or Chrysler would slap a few extra pieces of body cladding, change a paint job, and slap a few letters like "SHO", "RT", or even the vaunted "SS" on some of these putrid attempts at performance cars and tote them out for all of us to fawn over. All the while, we, the consumers, are looking to see how our favorite hometown hero is getting into fighting shape to take on the best Europe and Japan had to offer, and what we were given and told was a Chevy Malibu "SS" or a Ford Taurus "SHO" is really just our same old garden-variety grocery getter with maybe a less restrictive air filter with a hopeful expectation of maybe five extra ponies under the hood.

The state of Connecticut is the site of the newest showdown between Tesla Motors and the National Automotive Dealers Association (NADA). The consequences for both sides in the battle are enormous. Should Tesla prevail, the century-old franchise dealer system could well be on its way to extinction. If NADA and its allies emerge victorious, then those who seek to transform the way the American public buys cars will suffer a serious setback. Either way, one side will be left face down with a bloodied nose.

When it comes to mass transit, Americans are tepid users at best. Let the Europeans and Japanese have their bullet trains and magnetic levitation; we will stick with our cars and trucks, thank you very much. That may be about to change, however, if a revolutionary new idea proposed by Tesla founder Elon Musk becomes reality. Known as the Hyperloop, it would make getting from point A to point B faster, safer, and more breathtaking than ever before.

The Toyota Prius V is undoubtedly the ‘Big Momma’ of the Prii family. It offers lots of passenger room and the cargo capacity of a tall wagon. Plus it gets like a million miles-to-the-gallon, thanks to Toyota’s super-thrifty hybrid Synergy Drive system. But front seat passengers might not get the benefit of airbag protection in a crash. Click through to find out why…

We like to honor the past as we celebrate the present when we identify newsworthy stories within the automotive industry. With this in mind, let's look take a brief walk down memory lane before we get into a futuristic vehicle that is being developed by the Buick division of General Motors.

Electric cars have a lot going for them. They're whisper-quiet, highly dependable, and offer freedom from the gas pump. Of course, they have drawbacks as well. For example, try driving cross-country in a battery-powered car. You'll count yourself fortunate to find enough charging stations along the way. Add to this the thorny problems of limited range and high sticker prices, and it's easy to see why electric cars make up only a tiny percentage of American vehicles.

New Year’s celebrations have come and gone, and for most parts of the country several months of winter remain. If you live in a snow-prone area, then you’re already familiar with how road salt can affect your car’s appearance. What you may not know is that salt can also promote rust, damage your vehicle’s paint job, and even affect its mechanical operation.

It’s nearly Super Bowl time again which means everyone is laying in supplies for chicken wings, various dips for various chips, and mapping out the best viewing position in their living rooms. Yes, Americans across the country wait all year for this. Sure, the football is great and everyone wants their team to win, but admit it, we are also eager to see the commercials. Advertisers routinely save their best commercials to be unveiled during the Super Bowl. Personally, I prefer college football, so I wait for the half hour special of nothing but the best commercials after the game.

I listen to NPR in my car when I’m not listening to my own play lists. If that makes me old, so be it. It helps me keep in touch with the world, though, since I don’t watch the news. I would rather hear bad news than see it.

All-electric cars are to the automotive industry what Star Trek’s warp drive is to NASA: a vision that promises an oasis from all the limits imposed by current technology. Problem is, the vision may be nothing more than a mirage. Or maybe not, if the new Chevy Bolt lives up to its hype.

The pressure is building on FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) with advocates and safety regulators trying to persuade the company to expand and intensify its efforts to contact owners of Jeeps that are affected by an ongoing recall that addresses a potential fire risk if the vehicles are struck from behind in a crash.