Attempting to control or correct the behavior of other drivers is generally pointless and may even lead to road rage. Try to take appropriate action to accommodate their driving shortcomings, but otherwise avoid engagement. For example, when someone makes a right turn across the nose…
During development of the 10th-generation 2016 Civic, Honda benchmarked small cars from BMW and Audi. The strategy was driven by Honda’s wish to reinvigorate the Civic, to subject it to a process of “dynamic rejuvenation.” With that goal, Honda engineers took a deep drive the...
When negotiating a four-way stop, driver behavior is not supposed to be a free-for-all. These intersections are not designed to be games of will, patience, aggression, or timidity either — but they often are. Such vehicular “crosshairs” may even become points of indecision or anger.…
Perhaps you’ve noticed the recent flurry of hybrid reviews in this space. It’s not because hybrids are flying off showroom floors — though their market share continues to inch upward — it’s more because carmakers have seen the future. To wit: The internal-combustion engine is…
We regularly see signs posted near school zones imposing a speed limit of 20 mph “when children are present.” It sounds fairly straightforward, but the signs leave some drivers confused and wondering, for example, if the limit applies only during school hours or at all…
Say you’re a carmaker needing a locale suitable for building and testing a car durable enough to handle winter’s worst and stout enough to venture comfortably off-road. If you were Volvo, you’d be home free. Sweden’s harsh winters and timbered terrain provide an ideal test…
As owner-drivers, we expect faithful service from our automobiles whenever we start their engines. For the most part, they dutifully fulfill those expectations, supplying convenience, dependability, and safety. What do we offer in return? Too often, drivers take a use-and-abuse approach to vehicle operation, while…
We see vehicles towing trailers during every driving outing. Passenger vehicles operating “in tandem” have things affixed to their rears ranging from small utility trailers to lengthy homes on wheels and everything else in between. Many of these towables are infrequently used, sometimes resulting in…
I’ve heard much talk about the new distracted driving rules in Washington. Sadly, much of that talk reflects an unwelcome attitude to the revised law. Many complain that the new list of distractions labeled “secondary offenses” is merely a step toward allowing law officers to…
I wrote of EV (Electric Vehicle) acceptance a few weeks back, noting some signs of progress. But despite advancements, consumers are still wary of EV range, power, recharging, battery cost, et cetera. With over 95% of American auto sales non-electric, it might seem like buyers…
Kia just added another rig to the roster of cars best ignored by shy people. The redesigned 2017 Kia Sportage is a sure-fire attention-getter. It’s a splashy compact crossover with the devil-may-care charisma of its Seoul hatchback sibling. The Sportage crams more action into its…
I’ve read of pedestrian accidents caused by texting while walking. The reports range from people who bump into sign or light poles to those who lose their lives crossing paths with automobiles. In fact, there was a ten percent spike in pedestrian fatalities during the…
Of all the reasons for owning a Mazda CX-5 — and they are numerous — the crossover’s performance cred heads the list. The CX-5 ($24,045) is a resolute outsider in the compact crossover segment, where utility normally drives the action. Its rigid and lightweight platform,...
The state of Washington’s legislative body just made it possible for drivers to be ticketed for DUIE — Driving Under the Influence of Electronics. In a move to give its campaign against driving distracted more teeth, provisions of the new law went into effect at…
It was sunny in Seattle the day we arrived to test Audi’s newest product, a four-door hatchback called Sportback. It was one of those days that unsettle the locals. They’d rather we didn’t falling in love with their city and move in to jam already-crowded...
Advances in auto technology reflect welcome improvements in the cars and trucks we drive. Other than only exception I can think of, the short-lived seat belt interlock system of 1974, technological improvements have made automobiles safer, longer lasting and more convenient to operate with each…
The questions and comments readers send me regularly accumulate. Following are a few thoughts on some of the current buildup. Reader M.B. recently relayed one of her her driving annoyances, writing, “Drivers that make turns over double yellow lines. I don’t mind when there is…
Nothing reveals a car’s assets and liabilities like a six-day, 2,300-mile road trip. Fortunately, the pluses outweighed the minuses by a wide margin when we subjected the Volkswagen’s new Alltrack wagon to that acid test. On a Thursday afternoon in June, we packed our tester...
I regularly hear drivers complain that law enforcement is too lax in observing and citing certain violations. Improper turns, speeding, following too closely, or domination of the left lane are errors that we all see all too often. But rather than resulting from lack of…
Generally speaking, people buy trucks to move stuff from one place to another. Could be a boat, a travel trailer or a load for the dump. As a rule of thumb, pickups are available in four categories; compact, midsize; full-size (or light-duty); and heavy-duty. Light-duty…
Statistics reflect increased traffic deaths during the summer months. The heightened peril applies to all drivers, but especially those in their teens. For those drivers, crashes typically jump nearly 20 percent over the norm during June, July and August. One factor driving the spike is…
Automobiles powered with electricity have “sparked” interest since the middle of the 19th century. There were quite a few practical models appearing by the end of the 1800s, including a fleet of taxis roaming the streets of London in 1897 and operating in New York…
Little-known fact: In 1909, the Italian automaker Fiat began building luxury cars at a plant in Poughkeepsie, New York. Eight years later, with the outbreak of World War I, the company pulled out of the US and didn’t return until the 1950s, when it introduced…
It’s one thing to come up with a great automotive design and another to evolve it to serve a larger purpose. Does anyone believe Jaguar improved the ridiculously beautiful XK-E with the chubby 2+2 coupe? Or that the British Motor Corp. improved the MGB when...
Let’s say we were asked to pick an Official Car for the Inland Northwest. We’d want something sturdy and reliable. Something that would soldier through a rugged winter. And to handle the demands of our outdoorsy lifestyles. We’d want it to be comfortable, of course,…
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