I was tempted to launch this piece with the less-is-more trope. After all, the all-new Mazda CX-3 essentially defines the term. It’s small, lightweight and fundamental in execution. It offers a single engine/transmission combination and features a refreshingly straightforward hierarchy of trim levels and options...
When I wrote of the surprise that the magnesium chloride used by the City of Spokane was found to contain PCBs, I did not want to short-sell its corrosive properties. Besides now learning that those carcinogens exist in the mix, I’ve always known how tough…
"I really liked the Corvair articles you’ve written through the years, and am wondering how you feel about the Edsel? It was a new car, but failed miserably back in 1958. What are your thoughts when compared to the Corvair?"
This week, we drive the 2016 Fiat 500X Lounge, the longer wheelbase and heavier 500 from the folks at Fiat. Built in Melfi, Italy, the 500 relies on an engine and transmission built in the United States and arrives dressed in upper class “Lounge” motif.
A recent article published by Automotive News, written by Mike Colias, reported of a General Motors program honoring America’s discharged military. The mission, named Shifting Gears, aims to train civilian soldiers in automotive repair and place them as technicians at GM service departments around the…
Everyone knows compact crossovers are the hottest segment in the auto industry. Fresh competition appears every year, whether all-new or seriously updated. It’s a class where technology advances every year and creature comforts can make the difference between winners and losers. In this category, you…
Last year, I wrote of my disdain of the caustic liquid brazenly spread on our roadways for melting snow and ice. One hundred percent of the record email respondents echoed my apprehension of its toxicity, corrosive properties, effectiveness and overuse. Now, a recent Spokesman-Review article…
Kia’s compact Forte fills several slots in the Korean maker’s lineup. The Forte is available as a sedan (from $16,815, including destination), coupe ($19,415) or four-door hatchback ($20,225). Forte is available with a choice of two four-cylinder engines — one turbocharged, one naturally aspirated. Transmission…
Discussion of making turns seems to generate more discussion of making turns. After the last column on the topic, reader S.R. wrote, “I have a question about what the law allows for the two right turns lanes coming off of I-90 to Sullivan Road. I…
Hyundai’s subcompact Veloster is crammed with clever ideas and useful tech. With its long list of standard features, available torque-vectoring front-wheel-drive and unique three-door design, the $18,000 hatchback makes a strong value case for itself. Veloster’s squat and assertive kammback profile was influenced by racing-motorcycle…
"I was just reading your response to a gentleman from New Jersey about car auctions and high performance cars. Well, you can’t find a bigger auction fan than me as my attraction to cars started back in the 1940s at a car auction."
It’s the 2016 GMC Terrain we’re driving this week, arriving with AWD underpinnings in top line Denali trim.
Two weeks ago, I wrote of drivers making left turns in heavy traffic at signal-light intersections with no left turn provision. Two factions exist: 1) drivers who pull into the intersection upon green indication to make a swift left when the oncoming traffic stops upon…
In 2012, Honda dropped a landmark edition of its Accord into a midsize segment teaming with worthy competitors.
There’s some relatively new lingo being applied to the auto industry lately. A few of those terms that are bandied about — autonomous, self-driving, driver assist, adaptive and connected — prognosticate the future of automotive features and design. Recently, Toyota has made a big bet…
When new cars offer themselves up for a test every week, they can drift from memory like the morning mist on a sunny lake.
We're driving BMW's popular MINI Cooper this week, a front or AWD four-passenger sports car available in short and long wheelbase trims.
I enjoy reading your articles on collector cars and want to bring one to your attention that was built in Ohio many years ago. It is the Vulcan 27. I have seen one at local car show and it looked pretty good.
I’ve written of the gray areas of driving lately, and two readers have just sent questions regarding another one. In fact, this gray area arguably allows drivers to break the law. J.D., a driver new to Washington, wonders, “In Spokane, I notice that when a…
Let’s play word-association. It’s a simple game; just one, quick question: I say minivan, you say __________ .
You know that feeling you get, that cars are changing faster than you can keep up?
Last week I wrote that good driving requires knowledge of road rules and adherence to them. Many readers sent email in support of that premise, especially when it comes to making proper turns. Readers, who evidently care about proper driving, wrote to report of drivers…
The categories of emails I receive are quite varied. Some of those reader inquiries have definitive answers, whereas others give rise to “grayer” discussions. An inquiry representing that latter group came from reader J.S., asking, “Who is responsible for cleaning up the vehicle debris from…
We’ve trimmed the office in black bunting today, as we bid adieu to Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution. Next year, Mitsubishi will “replace” the wildly quick, responsive and wholly impractical Evo sedan ($35,305, including destination) with a hybrid crossover. In its short lifespan — it debuted in...
For reasons I don’t fully understand, some drivers fail to conform to regulations governing simple driving procedures. Whether it’s ignorance of those laws or simply a refusal to follow them, many drivers regularly operate their vehicles in non-compliance with basic rules of the road. Some…
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