It’s inevitable that you and your passenger vehicle will interact with “big rigs” and their drivers in both city and rural settings. Proper and safe behavior during those interactions is required by both parties for harmonious coexistence. A recent column addressing the “rolling roadblocks” created…
Whenever I discover someone I’m speaking with has even a passing interest in cars I have to ask them one burning question: “Have you ever heard of the Drive network?”
Reflecting again on a recent 6000-mile road trip through 16 states, salient points come to mind. While the majority of those miles passed without threat of difficulty, certain events required emergency-readiness. Successful drivers must avoid becoming lulled into complacency during uneventful moments, and adopt an…
My father-in-law Jack was a proper Buick owner, a self-made businessperson with a South Hill rancher and a Century wagon in the driveway. He worked hard to buy that car and I never saw him happier than the day he drove it home. Like most…
As of 2012, the Toyota Corolla had gone longer without an update than any other car in the compact segment. Even so, it outsold every competitor but the Honda Civic. This week in Seattle, Toyota showed West Coast journalists the 11th-generation, 2014 Corolla (from $17,610,…
I’ve often entered freeways at less-than-advisable speeds. That’s because, at those times, I’m following a vehicle whose driver is not taking advantage of the lengthy access ramps designed to allow freeway speed prior to merging. I’m not alone in this dilemma. I’ve ridden with Washington…
Since corporations are people, does it not follow that a business -- even a really big business -- can experience emotion? Joy and sorrow, hope and despair? I hope so. I’d like to think Nissan is having fun. Otherwise, how to explain the Juke? You…
There’s a new buzzword in the RV trade. Seems like half the trailers, campers and fifth-wheels one sees these days are emblazoned with a logo bearing some -- usually misspelled -- version of the word “light.” Super Lite! Ultra Lite! Ever Lite! Like every buzzword,…
An email from reader R.R. recently caught my attention. As I had just spent 100 hours in the driver’s seat on 6000-mile road trip, his note struck a familiar tone. He wrote, “One pet peeve I have is this: on a 2 lane each way…
Volkswagen summoned journalists to Napa Valley last week, purportedly to introduce its 2014 U.S. product line. The unveilings included a family of innovative and efficient new engines, a new satellite-based connectivity system called Car-Net and an expanded lineup of “performance-inspired” R-Line cars. But the event’s…
Determined to be a big-time player in the States, Kia continues to turn up the heat on its competitors. Just three years ago, Kia replaced its compact, truck-based Sorento SUV with an all-new crossover of the same name. The new Sorento quickly began to ring…
You can’t control the anger and aggression of other drivers, but you can and should regulate your own. Statistics show that aggressive driving is the root cause of over half of all motor vehicle accidents, so curbing those tendencies makes sense. The relative anonymity, comfort…
In 2004, the Chrysler 300 landed like a body slam to the midsection of the full-size sedan segment, its brooding, broad-shouldered presence a poke in the eye of convention. The 300’s dark beauty masked an array of shortcomings, though. On the verge of bankruptcy, Chrysler…
The latest news, reviews and commentary about cars, trucks, and more, automotive technology and car culture
| Sept. 2013 | ||||
| 30 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 16 |
| 14 | 09 | 08 | 03 | 02 |
